building bridges

> A common piece of advice after a spat with a college roommate, or a break-up with a boyfriend (it's me, it's not you!), is "don't burn your bridges". It's good for business too, and advice that I follow. I'm sure many people would find it strange that I'm still friends with my ex's, but I've never really been a bridge-burner. In fact, I'm just the opposite. I find every opportunity to build bridges. I've been fortunate to work with some really talented people, so when I have the chance to refer them, I do.

> Sometimes those relationships turn into something more permanent. A couple of years ago, I was hired to design a calendar and a historic tribute book for the First National Bank of Layton. The editor, project manager and I really enjoyed working together, and felt like we could target a niche market with our combined experience. So, we created a partnership, appropriately named "Tribute Book Partners", (branding: courtesy of mGraphicDesign), and we work on projects to gradually build this side business, while still maintaining our individual businesses. Being able to utilize and draw on each other's strengths, contacts and vendors expands our own individual abilities and competencies. Besides that, we really enjoy each other!

> Burn a bridge and you can only go back where you came from. Build one, and you never know where it can take you.