A couple weeks ago, I had the privilege of attending Entrepreneur magazine’s 2012 Growth Conference in Long Beach, Calif., as a member of The UPS Store team, which sponsored the event.

For the more than 850 entrepreneurs who convened at this year’s Growth Conference, there was an undeniable feeling of optimism and determination to learn and grow their businesses.

I admire entrepreneurs. I know many in my own life and career. Each of The UPS Store franchisees is an entrepreneur in his or her own right. What they do is truly amazing. It takes an enormous amount of courage to chart a path, not knowing where you’ll end up in the end.

The conference kicked off with a keynote address from entrepreneur and small business expert Chris Brogan. I was fortunate to sit at a table with one entrepreneur who was hoping to glean some motivation from the speakers to help her get started with her business.

When Chris took the stage, I knew we were in for a fantastic day of learning and growth. Chris spoke about the hard lessons of being an entrepreneur and what you can do to focus on growth in your business. Being the social media buff that he is, Chris spoke about the importance of focusing on relationships versus transactions within social media, becoming a relationship-minded business. (Watch the complete video of Chris Brogan’s keynote.)

The rest of the day was packed with great content and networking opportunities. Several leading entrepreneurs and small business experts hosted workshop sessions that helped attendees learn how to raise capital to start a business, increase productivity and output, use social media to market to consumers and create consumer passion for your brand. One of our very own franchisees, Gary Williams Jr., was also featured in a panel discussion during one of the workshop sessions.

The highlight of the day was the awards luncheon, where Entrepreneur magazine and The UPS Store awarded the winners of the Entrepreneur of 2011 contest. The most inspiring one came from winner Lee Rhodes, a cancer survivor who founded glassybaby. Lee donates a significant portion of the company’s revenue to help fund treatment to cancer patients. Her goal is to donate 10% of revenue.

Check out the highlights from the entire day.

Think about how long 50 years is. (If you’re approaching an upcoming birthday for that milestone, maybe don’t. Think about cake and good friends instead).

Five decades. Half a century. 436,800 hours. It’s a long time.

It’s also the years of safe driving that UPS Feeder Driver Ron “The Big Dog” Sowder has just racked up. (Feeder trucks are the big semis that you see rolling down the highway. “The Big Dog” is a cool nickname for someone who’s good at what he does).

Before crossing the finish line Wednesday at UPS’s facility in West Carrollton, Ohio, just south of Dayton, Ron was escorted for the last few miles of his milestone trip by Ohio State Troopers. He was then greeted by a blast of confetti and an enthusiastic welcoming committee at the building.

UPS takes their safety seriously, as anyone who has ever set foot in one of its facilities can attest, and an achievement like this means a whole lot to the company. (In fact, UPS invested $175 million in safety training in 2011). On Thursday morning, several special UPS guests from around the country were on hand for a formal celebration at the facility.

A native of Springboro, Ohio, Ron was fresh out of the Navy when he joined UPS in 1960. Since then, he figures he’s driven more than 4 million miles; transported more than 22 million packages, and climbed into a UPS truck more than 12,000 times. Just last year he was featured on the show “American Trucker” on the Speed Channel.

According to Ron, the greatest benefit of being a UPS driver is “The future. I like that this company is always growing – Never stagnant. It’s great to be a part of an organization that is always looking ahead to what comes next.”

So now what’s next? Well, more great service and safe driving from “The Big Dog.”

You can count on that.

The Chinese New Year has always been about the reunion with family and relatives. Chinese from all over the world would return home to be with their families. Well, in Singapore it is no different. This Chinese New Year, I know of several overseas friends and colleagues who will be returning to Singapore for their reunions.

As for me and many Singaporean Chinese families, it’s all about coordinating the timing for each activity. It used to be so much easier before I was married. I just follow the schedule as set out by my parents on who to visit and when.

Even then it was complicated, because timings are highly synchronized and we have multiple relatives to visit. Now, there are however, a few families that we must visit at very précised time. These are more senior family members, who are also visited by many other relatives at that time. In logistics terms, I guess these are “hub” families.

If we miss the timing at any of these “hub” families, it means that we won’t get to see those other families and we will have to make an extra trip in order to meet them during this Chinese New Year.

Now that I am married, things get even more complicated. I need to take into consideration my parents’ schedule and my in-laws’ schedule. We have to plan and prioritize so that we can accommodate as much as we can. This reminds me of network planning at work.

Oh, there is more, with the addition of two kids in the past three years the planning has become even more complex. Keeping everything on track and on time will be a constant challenge, but this is once a year. This is about family and it is definitely worth it.

Wishing everyone a prosperous new year!

Kung Hei Fat Choy!

This weekend, millions of Chinese will travel afar to spend their New Year in their home town. I might find myself traveling away from my home town of Hong Kong and on the road in China.  Two years ago, my family and I drove straight through wealthy and industrious Guangdong province and deep into the less developed and mostly agricultural Guangxi province. There, we saw the hauntingly beautiful karst mountains along the Li River near Yangshuo and the Longsheng Rice Terraces near Guilin.

However, this blog entry isn’t about what I saw around Guilin. You can see for yourself in the photo collage I’ve provided here!  Rather, I was most impressed by the 1,800 kilometers of road and expressways that took us to our destination and back home.

Clockwise from top left: firecracker debris strewn all over this village along the Li River; a small town between Guangdong and Guangxi provinces; narcissus flowers and candy boxes filled with traditional Chinese sweets; karst mountains along the Li River; Cheri Chow on a boat ride along the Li River

Since we took off from Hong Kong on the last day of the lunar calendar, the traffic was extremely light.  So light that the brand new expressway was empty of vehicles and looked impressively like the long stretches of expressways in North America.  For hours, there wasn’t another car, motorcycle or truck in sight.  Most of the toll booths were closed.  Rural China was resting.

As a result, it took just 10 hours to get from Hong Kong to Guilin. Just a few years ago and prior to the existence of the new expressways, it would’ve taken more than double the time to get to Guilin by road. According to the China Economic Weekly, China’s highways increased from just 16.3 thousand kilometers before 2001 to 76 thousand kilometers between by 2010 – more than quadrupled!  This newfound road mobility leads to a plethora of development opportunities in various industries, including from tourism, automotive, manufacturing and even logistics.

Compared to air travel, road travel has its advantages too.  It gave me the rare chance to see rural and undeveloped China.  Compared to Guangzhou and its satellite cities of brilliant neons and grating sounds, the scene in sleepy neighboring Guangxi was startlingly different. The villages were dimly lit. There was actual smoke spiraling out of chimneys. Farm animals were let loose wandering.  And there were lone people walking between villages on long stretches of the highways.

Our drive back to Hong Kong from Guilin took place late into the night of the first day of the lunar New Year. But rural China was awake again, celebrating the New Year with an impressive display of roadside fireworks and streets were littered with red debris from long strings of firecrackers.  All I could hear was boom boom pow and think that beyond the dazzle of the Pearl River Delta, the rest of Southern China is catching up fast. Soon enough, the quiet highways will be bursting with cars, motorcycles and trucks.

Nigeria is a country blessed with abundant human and material resources. It is the most populated African country with more than 150 million people.

They are also blessed not to have the serious natural disasters common around the world. Typhoons, hurricanes, earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, etc…

The country has also known relative peace and tranquility over time. But, in recent years the political divides and ethnic differences has lead to militants in the south, terrorist in the north, religious upheavals in the middle belts resulting in thousands of deaths.

Certain parts of the country now also suffer from extreme poverty and underdevelopment. Add to that, the country now suffers from droughts in the north, heavy downpour resulting in flooded cities, hunger and deprivation, serious ethnic and religious strife.

Since 2007, the Logistics Emergency Team (LET) has been responding to disasters and there are now more than 100 people trained. Working with partners from UPS, Agility, TNT and Maersk, the UN World Food Programme has developed an exploratory program called the Logistics Capacity Assessment (LCA).  The compiled LCA would enable the humanitarian community and emergency responders to build scenarios and make accurate logistics plans in case massive assistance may be required for any part of the country.

This program is designed to prepare Nigeria, in the case of disaster humanitarian aids becomes inevitable. During our recent planning/training we developed contingency plans for the movement of goods and supplies into and throughout the country.

As someone who lives here and watches these events unfolds on a daily basis, I believe this LCA is long overdue.

On Monday, millions of Americans and people across the world will honor Dr. King’s legacy through community volunteering. UPS is proud to be based in Dr. King’s hometown of Atlanta.

UPS’s founder, Jim Casey, shared Dr. King’s commitment for community service. Jim and his siblings founded the Annie E. Casey Foundation (AECF) in 1948 to honor their mother, who struggled to raise the family as a young widow. Financed by Jim’s personal fortune, AECF serves as an advocate for at-risk children and families.

Every day, UPSers are out in our communities serving others. Whether it’s delivering packages, providing logistics support to disaster relief efforts or volunteering at a local school … being a part of a community means being involved in the community. In 2010, UPSers and their family members contributed more than 1.2 million hours of volunteer time. Dr. King’s legacy is not simply limited to one day of service … every day is an opportunity to serve.

How will you serve?

The following video profiles UPS manager Terry Brown, who was recognized for his volunteerism with the 2011 UPS Casey Award.

How do you travel for 6 weeks to 25 different cities and fit luggage for me and my mom, and all the goodies we’ve purchased along the way in a 1999 Chevy Prism? The simple answer is: you don’t.

My mom and I traveled around the country on The Smoothest Road Trip Ever.  During the promotional tour, I shared my story about how I started my skincare company, Simple Sugars, with young girls and college students with the hope of inspiring them to follow their dreams.

I started the company in 2005 when I was  11-years-old and my mom decided we would have a homemade Christmas. She insisted my brothers and I make the holiday gifts we wanted to give to family and friends. So I made body scrubs with pure sugar and all-natural oils. I have very sensitive skin and have never been able to use commercially produced products without experiencing skin irritations. I decided to make an all-natural product that would be safe for very sensitive skin like mine – one that would be fun to use and smell great, too.  That’s how Simple Sugars was born!  I know, simple, right?

My business has grown a lot over the years but I want more people to learn about it so I hit the road.  My ’99 Prism, also known as The Simple Sugars Super Smooth Mobile, and I logged 9,782 miles. (I just arrived back home in Pittsburgh last night as I write this).

Since the trip required a lot of stuff, and a Chevy Prism isn’t necessarily the roomiest car on the road, I had to figure out how to transport all of our materials. We needed product samples and display signs, tables, t-shirts, our clothes and (my shoes!!)  Plus, we picked up a few items along the way. Well, maybe more than a few, I mean it’s not every day you get to travel around the country right?

The problem was logistics – But I know my shipping partner and one of the sponsors of the smooth trip – UPS loves logistics. I am a pretty expert car-packer by now, if I must say so myself, but even I couldn’t squeeze one more thing into the car by the time we hit Minneapolis.  Well, unless I kicked my mom out – this was not an option even after six weeks of togetherness.

The solution was to use UPS to ship the materials to us at various points along our route. We picked up boxes at The UPS Store locations in Atlanta, Austin, Los Angeles, Seattle and Minneapolis and used UPS Next Day Air®, and UPS 3 Day Select®.   We also shipped presents for my family and some of the mementos I acquired along the way back home to Pittsburgh using UPS Ground.

I’ve met so many great people, made some business connections, eaten ridiculously delicious food in some of the greatest cities in the world and seen so much of the beautiful landscape of this country.  In a word, this experience has been awesome! The smoothest road trip ever!

Stay Smooth.

Remember when Tom Hanks was in comedies? Ah, good. I see a few hands at the back. One of his most famous was “Big.” You know the one. Little boy makes a wish at a penny arcade machine to be an adult and wakes up as Tom Hanks, who then gets a job at a toy company.

In the film, Hanks is in a meeting where this guy is pitching a line of transforming toys that turn from skyscrapers into robots. Hanks tells the guy the idea is boring because no kid wants to play with a building. Now, I don’t know if what I’m about to say makes UPS boring or geeky, but we really enjoy playing with buildings. There’s a lot of stuff you can do with them. In fact, we’ve been playing with our corporate office since it was built in Atlanta, Ga., in 1994.

Our corporate office, despite being almost 20 years old, has earned Gold Status certification from the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) as well as the Energy Star stamp of approval for energy efficiency.  You might wonder how a two-decade-old structure could hope to stay ecologically friendly. Well, let me give you the Behind the Music treatment on this one.

The UPS Corporate Office started life way ahead of its time. While every other new office complex in the 1990s was clear cutting forests on its way to short-term glory, the footprint of the UPS headquarters was carefully cut out of the forest so that only six of the 35 acres on the property were impacted. The rest remain untouched Piedmont Forest to this day, including a natural brook that was preserved. The trees begin a mere 15 feet from the building on all sides. If our windows opened, I could probably touch one with a pool cue.    

The roof decks of the complex are made from Albedo concrete, which unlike tar reflects the sunlight to keep cooling costs down in those hot Georgia summers. Concrete sun shading and tinted exterior windows further reduce energy costs.

In the years since, UPS’s engineers have continually come up with other innovations to keep the building on the forefront of efficiency. Plumbing fixtures have been upgraded since 2005, reducing the building’s water usage by 39 percent. Lighting throughout the complex is fully automated to conserve power during off hours, and UPS engineers continually document the building’s energy efficiency!

So, Mr. Hanks, say what you want about playing with buildings, but they are far from boring. The rewards a lot more than “big,” they are epic!

For years, I’ve worked behind the scenes on behalf of The UPS Foundation to coordinate the Paralyzed Veterans of America (PVA) National Wheelchair Games.  Coordination for this event has always been a delight.  However, nothing truly compares to attending the Games with UPS volunteers, athletes, caregivers, family and friends of athletes, coaches and healthcare team members.  The excitement and energy from a host of supporters, the spirit of courage and determination from over 600 athletes and confidence that emanates from coaches are all too much to contain in one city! 

PVA was founded in 1946 to assist with a wide variety of issues involving the special needs of armed forces veterans who have experienced spinal cord injury or dysfunction.  Since 1988 UPS has provided more than $800,000 in funding as well as our logistical expertise to support the annual Wheelchair Games and PVA programs that benefit veterans with spinal cord injuries. 

The National Veterans Wheelchair Games is a multi-event sports and rehabilitation program for military service veterans who use wheelchairs for sports competition due to spinal cord injuries, amputation or certain neurological programs.  Each year, over 600 novice and experienced athletes along with their caregivers, family, friends and corporate sponsors convene for a week of competition in more than 15 events.  Many participants are inspired by their participation in the Games and go on to compete at higher levels.  Others find a new confidence and self-esteem that eventually leads to employment and success in other facets of their lives.

UPS employees stepped up and showed how much they cared for our nation’s injured veterans, with 122 UPS employees, family and friends investing more than 1,400 volunteer hours this year to stage the games.

Undoubtedly, the games inspired participating athletes to face and overcome fear with courage, demonstrate unbelievable strength versus succumbing to weaknesses and to persevere when faced with great obstacles.  The athletes were there to win!  In watching their pursuit of victory, I matured in knowledge of our support for injured veterans.  Additionally, after spending one week at the Games I recognized that I had been in the presence of authentic courage, strength and determination.  No words can ever express how grateful I am to work for a company that deeply cares about our communities.

Tis’ the season to give – receive – and now return. The National Retail Federation estimates shoppers will return more than $46 billion in merchandise this year – that’s up almost 10 percent from two years ago.

Returns season is in full swing at UPS. Today consumers will return more than 500,000 packages!  It’s so many, we’re calling it National Returns Day. Just like Black Friday and Cyber Monday, we now have a self-proclaimed, unofficial holiday.

With the rise in online shopping this year more people are returning those gifts they couldn’t try on or touch before Christmas. The math is easy: more online shopping = more returns. Many retailers now offer free return shipping, making it even easier for consumers to swap wrong sizes and colors. Today’s deluge of returns will keep our drivers busy delivering just as many packages back to retailers on January 6, 2012.

Want to know everything you’ve always wanted to know about returns? You’re invited to our @UPS #HolidayReturns Twitter parties to learn tips for hassle-free returns. Join the first party at 1 p.m. EST.  Blogger Melissa Dawn Lierman (@TimeOutMom) will moderate and the experts from @TheUPSStore will offer helpful shipping advice. 

Party 2 party takes place from 8 p.m. to 9 p.m. EST. We’ll chat about gift returns success stories and ideas to take the hassle out of returns throughout the year.

Don’t forget to stop by each party for a chance to win great prizes, including a $100 gift card from Zappos who just happens to have a great returns policy. It’s easy – just include the party hashtag #HolidayReturns in your tweets.

Read more for complete rules on the prize drawings: afternoon party rules, evening party rules.

Here’s wishing you Happy Returns in 2012!