Mercer Island
Chamber of Commerce

As we enter this beautiful holiday season, I want to share something close to my heart: the power of genuine connection and community building for our small businesses.  After more than a decade of networking and bringing business owners together, I've seen firsthand how the relationships we build during the holidays can transform our businesses and our lives. This isn't just about exchanging business cards, it's about creating a supportive community where we all thrive together. Why Holiday Networking Matters for Our Community The holidays offer something special: people are more open, more generous, and more willing to connect authentically. When we come together during this season, we're not just building business relationships, we're strengthening the fabric of our entire business community. We Lift Each Other Up Small business ownership comes with unique challenges. When we network, we create a circle of fellow entrepreneurs who truly understand the journey. These connections become our cheerleaders, our advisors, and our friends. Together, we're stronger. We Expand Our Reach Every conversation is an opportunity to share your story and discover new possibilities. When you authentically connect with others, they become ambassadors for your business, naturally sharing about you with their own networks. This organic growth is powerful and sustainable. We Learn From Each Other Our community is full of wisdom and experience. Through networking, we share insights, strategies, and lessons learned. This collective knowledge helps all of us become better business owners and community leaders. We Create Collaborative Opportunities Some of the most exciting business growth happens when small businesses collaborate. Through meaningful networking, you'll discover partners whose strengths complement yours, opening doors to joint ventures, cross-promotions, and shared success. Simple Ways to Network This Holiday Season You don't need a complicated strategy or perfect pitch. Here's how to connect authentically this season: Join Community Events Look for holiday gatherings, Chamber events, local fundraisers, or business mixers. Come as yourself, with an open heart and genuine curiosity about others. The best connections happen when we're authentic. Reach Out With Gratitude Send personalized holiday messages to your business connections. Share your appreciation for their support and friendship this year. These thoughtful gestures strengthen bonds and keep relationships warm. Create Connection Spaces Consider hosting a casual gathering, a coffee meet-up, a virtual celebration, or a holiday open house. When you create spaces for others to connect, you become a community builder, and that's invaluable. Give Back Together Partner with fellow business owners to volunteer during the holidays. Serving your community together builds deep, meaningful connections while making a positive impact. Always Follow Through After meeting someone new, reach out within a few days. Share that resource you mentioned, make that introduction you promised, or simply say how much you enjoyed meeting them. Reliability builds trust. Lead With Generosity Here's what I've learned at The Networking Bee Group: the strongest networks are built on generosity, not transactions. When you focus on how you can support others, help them succeed, and contribute to the community, everything changes. People remember your kindness. They trust you. They want to collaborate with you and refer others to you. This community-first approach isn't just good for business, it's good for the soul. Your Holiday Networking Action Plan I invite you to commit to three simple actions this season: 1. Attend at least one Chamber or community networking event. 2. Send personalized thank-you messages to five business connections expressing genuine appreciation. 3. Connect two people in your network who could benefit from knowing each other. These small, intentional steps create ripples of connection throughout our entire business community. Let's Grow Together At Seattle Agenda and The Networking Bee Group, our mission is simple: to help small businesses build authentic connections that lead to real growth. This holiday season, I encourage you to embrace networking not as a business task, but as an opportunity to build the collaborative, supportive community we all deserve. When small businesses work together and lift each other up, our entire community flourishes. Let's make this holiday season the beginning of meaningful connections that carry us into a prosperous new year. Here's to community, collaboration, and connection. Lynette VGarcia Blanks

We’re fast approaching the time of year where it can like you’re running a marathon on a tightrope. Customers need attention. Promotions are queued up to be launched (or designed). Your inventory is giving you nightmares and you have huge goals for the end of the year. And you’re supposed to stay cheerful, strategic, and somehow well-rested through it all. But the problem isn’t your big aspirations for 2026, nor does the problem lie in trying to solve the things you can’t control. It’s your habits. James Clear’s Atomic Habits reminds us that meaningful results come from the small, repeatable choices we make every day. During the holidays, those tiny decisions are the difference between burnout and breakthrough. When you build systems that work even when you’re tired, distracted, or knee-deep in ribbon, the season gets lighter and your business gets stronger. Here’s how to apply some of Clear’s most practical ideas to help you not just survive the holiday season, but launch into January with invincible momentum. Start with a 1% Mindset One percent doesn’t sound like much until you stack it day after day. You don’t have to reinvent your business. You don’t need a perfect storefront, flawless offers, or an Instagram grid that looks like a lifestyle magazine. Instead, choose one area to improve just slightly. Take that one small step toward your goal. · Maybe it’s tightening up your email promo schedule. · Maybe it’s creating a smoother checkout flow. · Maybe it’s something as simple as promising yourself (and following through on) a good night’s rest for the next month. Small refinements reduce stress and increase sales. They also remind you that progress is happening, even in chaos. Re-design Your Environment Clear says our surroundings often shape our behavior more than our motivation does. This is especially true during the holidays when the pace is high and attention is scattered. Look around your space with strategic eyes. If your workspace feels cluttered, simplify it. If your best seasonal products aren’t visible at first glance, elevate them. If your team keeps losing pens, square readers, bags, or bows, create a “holiday command center” with everything in one place. Tiny environmental shifts create smoother systems. And smoother systems prevent those frantic moments when you’re internally screaming, “Where did we put the gift bags?!” Build Habits That Support Your Busiest Days The season is unpredictable, so anchor your day with predictable habits. A few anchors to consider: • A 5-minute morning reset, before opening or seeing clients • A quick end-of-day review: what sold, what slowed down, what needs restocking, what got clicks, what impact on our customers did we see? • A customer-touch habit: one message, one email, or one thank-you note daily • A “two-minute tidy” before leaving (your future self will adore you) Consistency creates stability. When everything else feels like holiday improv, these anchors act like rhythm lines on the page. Use Systems, not Willpower If you remember nothing else from this article…pay attention… Willpower gets weaker when you get tired. Systems don’t. If you want to post consistently on social media, schedule a week’s worth of content on one calmer afternoon. If you want to upsell a holiday special, script one clear line for every team member. If you want to stay on top of inventory, set an alarm that reminds you to check key items before the weekend rush. During the holidays, systems carry you when energy can’t. Make Good Habits Easy and Bad Habits Harder Clear’s “make it obvious, make it attractive, make it easy, make it satisfying” formula is your season’s secret weapon. Want your team to use the upsell script? Keep it taped near the register or near each desk. Want customers to sign up for your loyalty program? Put the QR code where people naturally pause and that can be more than one spot. Want to stop scrolling between transactions? Keep your phone in a drawer. Design beats discipline every time. Don’t Forget Identity: Who Are You Becoming This Season? In Atomic Habits, Clear says outcomes come from identity. While you’re navigating the busiest weeks of the year, take a breath and remember who you are as a leader. · Are you the business that handles crowds with warmth? · The business that makes people feel good? · The business that takes care of its team so they can take care of customers? When you anchor yourself in identity, your choices shift. You show up differently. You communicate more intentionally. You prioritize what matters instead of chasing every glitter-coated opportunity. And your customers feel it. Give Yourself Permission to Rest This sounds counterintuitive in a season that thrives on hustle, but rest is productivity’s partner. Clear reminds us that habits compound. That includes bad ones like exhaustion, resentment, and skipping meals. Take care of yourself the way you take care of your customers. Breaks aren’t indulgent; they’re fuel.  Let the Season Shape You—Without Steamrolling You You don’t need massive change. You need micro-moves that create calm, clarity, and steady revenue. If you build the right habits now, January stops being a “recovery month” and becomes a runway. Your systems will be tighter. Your team will be stronger. And you’ll have proof that even small businesses can thrive in big seasons.