This past Friday, I was lucky enough to have the opportunity to attend the first TEDx event held at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. One of my favorite speakers at the event was Adam Braun, founder of Pencils of Promise, an award-winning organization that has built more than 150 schools across Africa, Asia and Latin America.

While Braun has many great things to say (“You change your words to change your worth” being one of them), my favorite part of his talk was about being purpose-driven. Instead of calling Pencils of Promise a nonprofit organization, he instead calls it a “for-purpose” organization. After explaining this term he’s coined (he doesn’t do charity work; he solves problems), he applied it to nonprofits and businesses alike.

“If you’re not building a business based on purpose … your business will erode,” he said.

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I serve on the media advisory committee for a local magnet school, Northwest Career and Technical Academy. This morning the school hosted a mock interview session, where local members of the media (including related fields like marketing and public relations) dedicated a few hours to pretending to interview students for a job or internship. We then had to grade the students on markers such as attire, eye contact, responses to questions, résumé/portfolio, etc.

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Sometimes it’s easy to get so caught up in the day-to-day tasks of running a business that you forget to take a step back and view it all with a critical eye. Do my customers see what I think they see? What do complete strangers think when they come across my website? Are my employees in line with my vision for the company? Do they even know what my vision is? Depending on the answers to these questions, you may have some work in store for you to improve your company’s image. Here are a few ideas to get you started:

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Near the end of each school semester, I receive an email from my favorite college professor asking me to speak at one of her career classes. Because she was my favorite professor, and because those students will soon be a part of our local work force, I always say yes.

One of my favorite questions I’ve been asked during these sessions is, “What did you learn in ‘the real world’ that you wish you’d learned in school?” My answer to that is: emailing for business.

Emailing for business is an oft-overlooked skill that, when done correctly, can really enhance your business’ and your personal brand. If the subject is one of which you haven’t given much thought, don’t worry! It’s never too late to give it a little consideration. Here are a few ideas to get you started:

1. Avoid life stories

These days, people can receive hundreds of emails each day. If you want them to read – rather than dread – yours, make an effort to get to the point quickly.

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