Patience has never been my virtue. I tap my feet waiting in line, traffic is a nightmare and “take the long way home” never made sense to me.

In business, I never thought this was an issue. Getting the task done as quickly as possible was always something I was praised for, when I was someone else’s employee.

Now that I’m managing people, this lack of patience may be my downfall.

Without even realizing it, most leaders do and say things that create ineffective employees. Christine Comaford, author of SmartTribes: How Teams Become Brilliant Together says even good leaders unconsciously strike fear in the hearts of their work force.

“From time to time, we all say or do things that spark unconscious fears in our employees,” says Comaford. “The primitive ‘fight, flight or freeze’ part of the brain takes control. When that happens, when people are stuck in what I call the Critter State, all they can focus on is their own survival.”

Just like the garden, no one wants critters. But, I get the feeling my lack of patience is creating this mental state.

Continue to reading to learn how to practice patience and put people first.

Trade shows are one of the best places to learn, network, garner new business, attract new customers and interact face-to-face with trade show attendees.

They are also a huge investment. Are you making the most out   of every dollar that you're putting into garden industry trade shows? 

Chances are, your garden business could be doing more. 

Mastering the art of PR at a trade show is not easy.  You will  have a lot of balls in the air if you're trying to both sell and  market at the same time. 

But, don't overlook marketing! It is just as important as selling.

Read on for 10 tips for to master garden industry trade shows, conferences and events

As millennials step into becoming homeowners, Home Depot sees them ringing up more do-it-yourself projects at its stores.

With Black Friday behind us, who do you think will be the big spenders this holiday?

According to a recent survey by The National Retail Federation (NRF), young adults ages 18-24 plan on spending more this holiday season compared to last year.

54 percent of consumers overall, plan to spend about the same as last year, while 24 percent plan to spend more. Among those aged 18-24 — which includes the oldest members of Generation Z — 46 percent say they will spend more than last year.

“As Gen Z and Millennials get older, their purchasing power increases, and the rise in disposable income is sure to be seen by retailers,” NRF President and CEO Matthew Shay said. “This group of consumers has spent time carefully researching gifts for friends, family and themselves, and are ready to begin knocking out their shopping lists.”

What do these holiday spending trends mean for garden businesses?

Read more to find out how to ensure these big spenders are shopping your products or store.

At a recent Hubspot conference, creative director Katie Dubow learned the importance of getting different perspectives for your idea, brainstorm session or project.

"You can't think in new ways if there isn't diversity of perspective and experience," said Elaine Welteroth, editor-in-chief, Teen Vogue.

The new collaboration between Vogue and Vice is a perfect example of this because as the new Project Vs tagline says, "opposites attract.”

Learn more about Project Vs, set to launch in 2018, and how going outside the box can attract new audiences and strengthen your brand.

Creative director Katie Dubow recently attended Hubspot's INBOUND 2017 inbound marketing conference in Boston.

The conference was filled with lessons on the future of inbound marketing, the new features of HubSpot and better ways to reach customers with data-driven, unique content.

Energy was high. From the speakers (Michelle Obama, John Cena, Issa Rae, Billie Jean King, just to name a few) to the session topics (Courageous Creativity, The Quest for True Belonging, Content for the FOMO Generation and more) it is one of the most inspiring marketing conferences to attend.

Here are the big themes marketing professionals are talking about world-wide.

Every brand and company wants to reach new customers. Brand builders will help you define your exact target audience, identify competition, and develop strategies to create repeat customers. But, there may be bad news. 

New research shows that more than half of millennials have no use for big brands.

Don't worry, there's hope for small brands yet, (even the big brands can still survive the millennial itch) if you understand what makes this generation tick and how to reach them.

Learn how to appeal to the Generic Generation.

Our highly anticipated 2018 Garden Trends Report unveils seven trends to rebuild mental wellness through nature.

In today’s world, it is almost impossible to escape the realities of social media, instant news, 24/7 connectivity and the mental exhaustion that follows.

In our 17th annual Garden Trends Report for 2018, Nature’s Rx for Mental Wellness, nature is the best medicine.

The 2018 report introduces seven industry trends that inspire a cleaner, more relaxed state-of-mind. It shows that when we disconnect from media and reconnect with Mother Nature, we can make steps towards rebuilding our mental wellness.

Read on to learn about the seven trends and download the report. 

Generation Z, born between 1997-present, are not the new Millennial. People often believe this cohort closely resembles Gen Y, however, this is merely a misconception.

These dynamic young consumers control $44 billion in spending power and are already cultural disruptors in their own right.

To engage Gen Zs, marketers need to address the characteristics, priorities, and ideals that are driving their decision-making, and will continue to throughout their lives.

Brands must update their practices to better accommodate Zs’ distinct generational traits, habits, and lifestyles in order to be market leaders today—and remain relevant tomorrow.

Keep reading to learn more about this powerful generation and how to reach them.

I recently read a fantastic article from Hubspot about crafting the Perfect Blog Post.

While we follow a number of these suggestions, being reminded of each step from start to finish is so helpful. So bookmark this page and get writing.

1. Start with the Perfect Headline

A headline grabs the reader's attention and compels them to click. People have short attention spans -- 8 seconds -- and the headline is one of the first elements that help readers decide if they want to click. In fact, 60% of readers don't read past the headline, which presents a big opportunity.

Here's how to write a great headline: