Are people the means to an end, or the end itself?

My marketing advice helps clients see their business and value in a whole new light; from 20,000 feet and ground level too. And then I'll help them create great content.

Marketing myself is harder, partly because every face-to-face meeting is so energizing. It's a "rush" to discover what people do, then think out loud about how I can help them succeed.

To this day, my great-grandmother Mimi's dictum drives everything I do: "Make yourself useful."

Getting that much pleasure from every conversation makes each one of them a goal fulfilled.

At the same time, I care deeply about my current business project and would love to see many people use it. It will only work if people use it. So in that sense, every person is the means to an end.

Have to get that straightened out.

How about you? Is gaining many online "friends" a worthy goal in itself, or are you trying to get their money, respect, retweets? It's easy to leave that decision unmade, but you'll be more successful if you straighten that out for yourself.