Last week when I spoke at the nation's leading insurance symposium the giant company AIG was releasing the news that shocked the world and topped off the week's news about other giants in industry. While these are indeed times of great concern for some, the reality is that our economy is still in pretty good shape. In the travel industry people are still traveling, still spending money on weekend travel, holiday travel and will soon start to take holiday shopping trips. The biggest problem for us will come when we do not have faith in our economy, the people of this country and the way our economic system works.

The fact is that companies are still operating, still making money, still employing people and still growing. Marketing and advertising are turning the wheels of big companies, small companies, start ups and always will. There have been other tipping points in our economy when some saw the climate as challenging while others embraced it as opportunity.

Let yourself explore the opportunities. Look to better, smarter, more cost effective ways to market and get your message out to the target audiences. Believe in the power of positive outlook and work smarter to develop creative solutions.  Maybe it's just time to make a shift in your business and marketing strategy.

Embrace change and harness it's power to take the lead.

Leah

Our hearts and prayers are with those who suffered tremendous loss this week when Ike hit the Texas coast. Although we fleed our area of the coast to higher ground, we were spared this time. Thank all of you who called and emailed us worried about our safety.

This week I will speak in Dallas at a national convention and have the pleasure of talking about some of the newest elements that need to be included in your Search Engine Marketing Strategy. The numbers bear out that Search is a Killer App, for both consumers and marketers.

Consider the fact that almost 50% of all Internet users engage in search behavior daily. 80% of all web users begin their browsing with a search engine. If you don't currently have an SEOM strategy, and a balanced budget for organic and paid search tactics, now is the time to get moving. You can catch up but you really need to work fast and hard to do so.

If you want to receive my paper on New SEOM and Technology, email me and I will be happy to send that to you.

And, keep the email coming in, I love reading it.

Till Next Time.

Leah

It is the day that all of us who live in beautiful ocean front communities dread the most... a large hurricane is coming and we are in the cross hairs. So today we start to button down the hatches, first making sure all employees and their families have a place to relocate and stay safe. Second making sure that everything is as secure as it can be on the 14th floor of a downtown office tower on the bayfront.  But during all this the most important thing is the human element.. the clients calling and emailing to ask what they can do... how they can help, offering us places to stay.

I have always said that we have the most wonderful clients to work with... they are friends really. That's what makes it personal and why our team cares so much.  So, thank you, everyone, for your calls and emails and prayers.  Keep sending positive thoughts our way. Hopefully Ike will die out or slow down and not hit land with any force, harming anyone. Hopefully Monday we will be back to normal and we will have dodged a big bullet.

Leah