No one accomplishes anything alone—at least not anything substantial. All of us at some point in our lives and careers have had others to lean on, learn from and push us forward. And I’d argue that, if you’re shaking your head and disagreeing, you likely haven’t accomplished all you want to.
That’s where our cover story this month (“The Power of 20 Groups”) comes in. This piece isn’t a plug for coaching and consulting networks in this industry, although I think Associate Editor Travis Bean presents a compelling and objectively reported look at what they can do for a business. It’s definitely worth your time to read it thoroughly.
But, just to reiterate: Ratchet+Wrench is not advocating or pushing for you to join a group. Instead, we’re trying to offer a not-so-subtle reminder that everyone needs guidance at times, and everyone can benefit from help—whether that be from a 20 Group, coach, mentor, industry association or, say, a nationally distributed business publication that has a giant “RW” stamped across the front of it.
At Ratchet+Wrench, we’re working hard to find more ways to be a resource to you. In 2018, we will launch our first slate of webinars (the first one is Jan. 30), triple our podcast output, add additional columnists (you’ll notice both Rissy Sutherland and Aaron Stokes in their new spots in the print publication this month), and have plans for a number of other large projects we’ll announce in the near future.
And we aren’t doing any of this in a silo. We have plenty of help—from many of you. From our six-person editorial advisory board to our interactions with you at industry events to the dozens of interviews we conduct each month, it’s a constant push for feedback, ideas and ways for us to improve.
The beginning of the year always offers a nice, clean starting point for new objectives. What are your goals? Let us know, and let’s try to accomplish them all together.
