In the 21 years of running my business, I have met some great accountants and attorneys. Owning a business can be difficult sometimes and having a great advisor can really help. Having the right advisors supporting you is vital to keeping your business afloat, especially in today’s economic situation,  I’ve seen many people lose their businesses because they were handled poorly, and I have also seen many business succeed with the help of a great advisor.

The New York Enterprise Report is honoring the top 7 accountants and top 7 attorneys in the New York Metro area.  In its fourth year, this newly revamped program no longer requires advisors to be nominated for specific categories, simply one general one, which makes nominating someone so much easier. To nominate an advisor, simply click here by May 29th.

The top advisors will then be revealed at a networking event on June 19th at the Citi Executive Conference Center. These advisors will also appear in a special editorial section of the July/August issue of NYER Magazine.

Nominating a colleague or advisor is a great way to show you appreciate what they’ve done for you and your business.  I certainly plan on nominating a few of my favorites through the years.  I hope you do too…

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DISCLOSURE: EMPLOYEE/SHAREHOLDER/BUSINESS RELATIONSHIP
I have a direct relationship with a brand, topic or product that is mentioned herein. Affiliation may be a client, vendor, business, friend or shareholder of HJMT Public Relations, INC.

When Zoey, my daughter, and I were in Las Vegas for her 21st birthday bash, we went to Nordstrom to try to find a graduation dress. We found one that fit her perfectly and she loved it.  I bought it, she took it back to Syracuse University (her college) and she stored it away for graduation day.

When the big day came, she put on the dress and noticed that the security tag was still attached.  She got upset.  ”How can I still wear this? I have nothing else to wear….”

I felt terrible and convinced her to wear the dress. “No one will notice,” I said.

But I noticed and she noticed. There may have been others who noticed but no one said anything.  I wrote a tweet and sent it to @nordstrom. They responded immediately.  They wanted to know where I was and if they had a store close by, they would have been down to the school removing the security tag.

They called me and told me if the nearest Nordstrom wasn’t in Roosevelt Field, Long Island, they would have been there. Instead, they told me that they would remove the security tag at the nearest store and credit me fully for the dress.

Now that’s customer service and something I’ll remember (and I know my daughter will too) for a long time!

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DISCLOSURE: NO CONNECTION, UNPAID, MY OWN OPINIONS

I have not received any compensation for writing this content and I have no material connection to the brands, topics and/or products that are mentioned herein.

I belong to a group called EO (Entrepreneurs’ Organization).  The NYC chapter has about 200+ members. I’ve been involved in the group for several years and for the record, I absolutely love the group!

During the first few years, I was involved in a forum group.  (For those of you who don’t know, a forum group is a group of entrepreneurs who get together to discuss various situations with other business owners.) I loved the group.  The members were amazing and I learned a lot about myself and my business.

But the group didn’t last long.  After a couple of years, we disbanded.  So I joined another group.  The second group was great too, except after every meeting, we kept losing members.  Then one day, shortly thereafter, we broke up.

I waited some time before I told the forum chair person that I was ready to go back into forum.  Months went by and no one called me. I saw him at a meeting a few months later and asked him what was going on. “I’m actually holding you back because I would love to have you in my group,” he said.

I was excited. He had great people in his forum group and I thought it would be a good opportunity.  Until months later, I got an email saying that I wasn’t accepted into their forum. It said I wasn’t the right fit.

I was upset but moved on. I didn’t focus on it. I was asked into another group and accepted. I thought that was it until I saw the forum chair at a dinearound event a month or so later. “I joined another forum group, no thanks to you,” I joked.

“Ooooh, that hurts,” he said kidding around.

“No but really, why wasn’t I accepted into the group?” I asked him. “Who didn’t like me?”

“I’m sorry I can’t say,” he said and tried to change the subject. I kept trying to turn back to why I wasn’t accepted.  And then, I started to cry. I couldn’t believe it. I was actually feeling really hurt that I wasn’t accepted into his forum group.

“Why are you so upset?” another member who was sitting next to us asked me. “Was it because you got picked last on your sports teams in High School?”

“Hmmm…. maybe…. ” I said.

Then, I went over to a friend at the event and told him what happened. “Hilary, why are you so upset?” he asked. “You get rejected every day. Hmmm… I guess you feel hurt because this is more personal.”

I shook my head. I was still crying.  ”Well,” he said, “get over it.”

I looked at him and smiled.  You know what?  He was right.

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DISCLOSURE: NO CONNECTION, UNPAID, MY OWN OPINIONS

I have not received any compensation for writing this content and I have no material connection to the brands, topics and/or products that are mentioned herein.

A new survey from Brooks Running Company, the leader in performance running, found 66 percent of runners believe they have more sex when they run with their significant other. Men (71 percent) are more likely than women (62 percent) to think that a couple that runs together has more “hanky panky.”

In other findings from the Brooks Run Happy Nation Report, guys enjoy chatting on the run more than their female counterparts. More than three-quarters (76 percent) of the men surveyed passed the miles by discussing their teams latest victory (sports, 51 percent) or their cool new gadget (34 percent). Ladies, on the other hand, choose to use their running time as therapy – they are most likely to talk about relationships (47 percent), both the good and the bad. Surprisingly, all runners ranked their happenings in the bedroom as their least favorite running topic.
So which late night host would runners share the road with?? When it comes to a favorite running partner, Jimmy Fallon (27 percent) steals the spotlight, with Chelsea Handler (22 percent) and Jimmy Kimmel close behind (22 percent).

As for their favorite running city, runners overall say the hills of San Francisco make their heart race.

“We hear from runners every day about how hitting the road is an integral part of their daily routine, and wanted to test just how big a part running played in their relationships, travel habits and friendships,“ said Heather Snavely, Brooks Senior Director, Brand Marketing. “The results of the report were both fun and surprising. And I have to agree with those surveyed; I personally would love to join Chelsea Handler for a martini 5K in San Francisco.”

More juicy tidbits related to relationships, running while traveling and runner pet-peeves were uncovered in time for the start of the spring running season.

Bringing Sexy Back
Everyone knows running is good for the body, but how does it affect personal connections?

• Distance matters. The longer you run the better your sex life, the survey found, as nearly half (49 percent) of couples who run six or more miles together claim it pays dividends in the bedroom.

• Runners ages 18-39 (72 percent) are more likely to think running together as a couple leads to more nooky than runners ages 40 and older (59 percent).

• Overall, 69 percent believe their sex life is affected, for better or worse, by running together as a couple, and when running with friends, both men and women talk equally about knocking boots (21 percent).

• Runners from the West (42 percent) are most likely to claim that running increases their time spent rolling in the hay versus the South (38 percent), Northeast (33 percent) and Midwest (32 percent).

On The Road Again
Being away from home doesn’t mean taking a break from running.

• If the running shoe fits: 67 percent have left something out of their suitcase to fit in their running shoes, with an extra pair of shoes (30 percent), an extra outfit (26 percent) and a blow dryer (21 percent) topping the list of omitted items.

• Runners are committed! More than three-quarters of those surveyed (78 percent) keep up their run while traveling, and men are more likely to keep up the routine than women (82 percent vs. 73 percent), as are those who are parents (82 percent vs. 74 percent).

• Nearly three out of four (74 percent) runners who hit the pavement one to five times a week at home keep up their running routine when on the road.

• If you’re going to San Francisco, be sure to pack your running shoes.  San Francisco ranked as the top runner-friendly city (46 percent), followed by Portland (34 percent), Boston (32 percent), Boulder (30 percent) and New York City (30 percent).

No Sounds Of Silence
For a large majority of runners, plugging in to tracks helps keep them on track.

• Those who can’t find the perfect running buddy shouldn’t despair; there’s always an audio download to keep company. Eighty-seven percent of runners like to listen to something to keep them motivated, whether a rump shaker playlist (music, 78 percent), audiobooks (11 percent), even meditations (10 percent) or motivational speakers (9 percent). Just 13 percent feel that silence is indeed golden and choose no audio companion.

PET PEEVES: Detour Ahead
The survey also discovered that honking drivers, traffic lights and speeding bicyclists are among the top pet peeves that runners encounter.

• Difficulty dressing for the weather is a bigger pet peeve for females (30 percent) than males (17.3 percent).

• Runners are torn about the worst type of runner they encounter on their favorite trail or running spot:

The Spitter (30 percent claim this is their “most hated runner” category): runners who spit or hock a loogie while running;
The Double-Wide (29 percent): runners who run in a group and take up a lot of space;
The Superhero (14 percent): runners who are completely decked out in unnecessary gear;
The Flasher (14 percent): runners who don’t wear enough clothes even when it’s cold out.

Study Methodology
The Brooks Run Happy Nation Report was conducted by Wakefield Research (www.wakefieldresearch.com) among 1,000 U.S. adults ages 18+, who run at least once per week, between February 22nd and February 28th, 2013, using an email invitation and an online survey. The margin of error for this survey is 3.1 percentage points.

About Brooks Running Company
Brooks Running Company designs and markets running-specific performance footwear, apparel and accessories in more than 60 countries worldwide. Brooks’ mission is to inspire everyone to run and be active by creating innovative gear that keeps them running longer, farther, and faster. Brooks’ mission is supported by its Run Happy philosophy, a quest to celebrate and champion the sport of running and all runners everywhere. Brooks, founded 1914, is a subsidiary of Berkshire Hathaway and headquartered in Bothell, Wash., near Seattle. Visit www.brooksrunning.com for more information or follow us on Twitter (@brooksrunning) and Facebook (www.Facebook.com/brooksrunning).

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DISCLOSURE: NO CONNECTION, UNPAID, NOT MY OWN
I have not received any compensation for posting this content. The views expressed in this guest blog do not necessarily reflect the views and policies of HJMT. Individual links could be associated with affiliate marketing sites and through the use of affiliate links contained herein, I may collect fees from purchases made.

Last week, PRWeek, the major public relations trade publication asked me to write three blog posts for their publication on new trends in social media. Here are the links to the articles:

• What is new in social media?
• What is new in social video sharing?
• What is new in social photo sharing?

I hope you get something out of these blog posts and I would love to hear your feedback.  Please jot down your favorite new social site and spread the word.  Have a great day!