There are many lessons to be learned from the classic stories told to children, like Aesop’s Fables. When thinking about networking and what it means to have a community of mutual support and trust, one fable of Aesop’s, in particular, that comes to mind is The Serpent and The Eagle. 

In this short story, an eagle finds himself in quite the predicament—a snake is wrapped around his neck and he is falling to the ground, gasping for air. A countryman witnesses the eagle’s distress and frees him by unwrapping the snake. This makes the snake angry, so he tries to attack the countryman, but he is unable to bite his skin, only his drinking horn. As the countryman journeys home, he becomes thirsty, so he stops to grab a drink of water using his horn. The eagle sees all of this and swoops in—stealing the horn and hiding it so the countryman can never drink from it and become poisoned. 

"Success isn't just about what you accomplish in your life; it's about what you inspire others to do." Unknown

How do you measure success? Do you measure it by your net worth? Material possessions? Happiness? Your sense of freedom? Your overall quality of life?

Success is what most of us all strive to achieve in life. That feeling of accomplishment that comes after we reach our goals, and feel like thriving, self-actualized adults.

When it comes to your professional aspirations, success is a bit easier to measure and far less subjective. What do you strive to achieve in your career, and what level do you wish to reach before you can label yourself as successful?

There’s been a lot of buzz surrounding brand loyalty, employee retention, and how these are valuable assets for companies that increase shareholder value as of late. While it’s true that companies which establish loyalty with their customers are likely to see seventy-five percent of their profits for a five percent cost, as opposed to spending four times the amount to bring in new customers, it’s not so easy to spot brands that are actively loyal to their customers and employees today. Viewing brand loyalty as an easier way to turn a profit doesn’t necessarily translate into returned loyalty to consumers, and this leaves us to wonder why. Companies wouldn’t exist without the customers or employees who keep them afloat, so why is it that so many brands fail to see these assets as anything aside from statistics on a chart representing dollars and cents?