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SD METRO is proud to present winners of our 40 Under 40 Awards for 2016, a group of men and women who represent some of the best and brightest minds of San Diego County.

More than 2,100 miles west in San Diego, the fortunes are reversed for Maresa Friedman and her husband. Both remain employed and aren’t spending money for travel, work meals, or other everyday perks since the pandemic began.

With 87% of users trusting LinkedIn as a source of information, according to a report by the professional social media platform, publishing on the site is a must if you want to maintain a strong online presence and become an authority in your niche. Mastering the site can be more of a challenge, as you look to engage with customers, as well as your business networking members. LinkedIn is the preferred social media platform to reach professionals and customers in a more succinct and straightforward way. Offering leadership content on the site needs to address the demands of your client base and, according to LinkedIn, you need to be relevant, topical, and efficient in your delivery.

There’s no denying that social media plays a role in today’s job search process. Networking sites such as LinkedIn, Google+, Twitter and even Facebook allow for both potential employers and job candidates to research one another. For candidates, these sites provide the perfect opportunities to read up on job opportunities and the interests, brands and stories tied to specific companies. Likewise, companies can research potential new hires outside of what is written on their CV or how they appear in the interview.

Whether you’re on the hiring team or the applicant side of the table, you’ve probably heard many of the same standard questions at every job interview. These tried-and-true questions can certainly help a company understand who they might be hiring, but a more unique, off-the-wall question can give potential employers a better sense of who their candidate really is, as well as give that candidate’s creativity an opportunity to shine.

The popular dichotomy between introverts and extroverts obscures a more important factor: how well you can adapt your personality to a given situation.

Middle managers often get the short end of the stick. They have smaller roles with large amounts of responsibility, and sometimes, they don't seem to get the full credit they deserve. Your middle managers may feel neglected by your company if they are never really appreciated for all the work that they do for your business. According to Insead, middle management importance will grow in the future, as these positions are often the glue that holds the day-to-day operations of the business together. These positions are also where a lot of the blame is pinpointed when things go wrong. But, businesses can shift this neglect and focus more on the value that these positions bring to their operations.

Gaining the trust and respect of your coworkers is job one on your first day at work. This can go a long way in helping you achieve your professional goals and make a lot of your responsibilities easier to manage day-to-day. The same can be said about your reputation with your clients. According to a report by Monster, part of having a better reputation at work is “being smart” when it comes to interacting with your coworkers. Being tactful and figuring some things out on your own can also help you maintain a professional relationship that isn’t strained and forced.

Personal mission statements are an excellent way to create a framework for what you want to do, as well as define why you want to do it. Reviewing this statement periodically can keep you on task and on point, or help you understand how — and why — what you value has changed in the intervening time. Creating that statement, though, will take effort and hours. You are trying to encapsulate goals, image and self into a touchstone in order to guide your future. This means introspection and careful work to craft something that moves you emotionally.

As a manager, it’s your responsibility to set expectations for your employees. You may not realize that this is as much an art as it is a necessary science. There are many “right” ways to go about establishing your expectations, but there are also many negative approaches that could harm your relationships with your staff.

In today's technology-driven world, applicant tracking systems rule many companies’ hiring processes. These automated systems screen resumes for certain key terms and phrases that match the job description and rule out any that don't seem to be a match.

There's a lot to be said for having a consistent daily routine. Many leaders try to create good habits like exercising and writing out their to-do lists for the day to help them stay productive and on task. But sometimes, the most beneficial daily practices are ones you might not instinctively think to do.

It’s often said that success is all about who you know. Having a vast network can lead to new opportunities, business ventures and strong professional relationships with peers who may have knowledge or skills that you don’t. But what if everyone you know in your professional network is the same kind of person in the same industry?

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Growing a business or progressing in a career—especially when one is first starting out—requires hard work in many different forms. One of the most crucial is professional networking. In the early stages of a business, it’s the most cost-effective way an entrepreneur can get his or her name and business in front of potential clients. The networking professional builds connections that can lead to potential employers, mentors and even like-minded new friends.

Modern technology allows professionals from a multitude of industries to stay connected and work from any location at any time. In many companies, this has led to a hybrid team of both in-house and remote employees, which can give companies the power to grow faster than ever.

Promoting an employee into a management position for the first time can be a risk, but it’s a necessary process in every good business. As a leader, you want your workers to grow, and it’s your responsibility to help them do just that. However, you need a smart strategy and a proper training process to make it happen.Promoting an employee into a management position for the first time can be a risk, but it’s a necessary process in every good business. As a leader, you want your workers to grow, and it’s your responsibility to help them do just that. However, you need a smart strategy and a proper training process to make it happen.

If you've ever found yourself struggling on your professional path, you may have considered hiring a business or career coach to help get you on the right track. A good coach will listen to your concerns, give you an honest assessment of your weaknesses, and help you leverage your strengths to maximize opportunities. If you decide to hire a coach, you've taken the first step toward greater professional fulfillment and success. However, this person isn't a mind reader; you must be willing to work with them, and part of that is asking the right questions.

No matter where we look, it seems there’s always information of some sort coming at us. Whether we’re browsing the Web, scrolling through social media, listening to the radio or watching TV, a constant stream of content, news and advertisements is always there.

If the entrepreneurship bug has bitten you more than once, you may be what is typically referred to as a “serial entrepreneur.” You have several businesses under your hat. It seems no matter what you touch turns to gold. You have the ability to make a successful undertaking out of a good idea. But, you can also lose sight of your current businesses with a new venture on the horizon.