Did you know the word "integrity" is the single most looked up word online? It's a challenge to find integrity in business these days. The concept of integrity extends to all areas of business. To me, integrity is deeply rooted in morals and values. Morals and values aren't gray areas. You either have them or you don't and they apply in life and in business.

Last year taught me that integrity can be challenging to find in business. Once upon a time, not so long ago, I found myself unemployed in Iowa and had to work the cash register at the Best Buy store on University Avenue in West Des Moines. We all know retail is a revolving door and that people come and go and some just quit on the spot and under less than professional circumstances.

I can't say I particularly loved this position, but I also knew it was a transitional one, you just don't find cashiers at Best Buy that can speak two languages and have a Masters degree. At least, not in Iowa and not working there by choice. But when it came time for me to move on, I provided my manager with a letter of resignation and two weeks notice. Many people have asked me, "why did you do that…for a retail position?" I simply say, "it was the professional thing to do, but above all, it was the right thing to do."

Later on, when I began laying the foundation for our business, I had no previous work to present to prospects as a portfolio review. The Internet was growing and it would have been easy to print out some items from another established business and take credit for them. Instead, I asked friends and family members to contact me if they needed assistance with marketing communications projects. I often did the work for no compensation or cost of materials. The projects were often small tasks, a business card here, an identity there, but they added up.

I began my year by reading a wonderful book by Cuban-born author and motivational speaker Joachim de Posada. In it, he wrote: "leaders are willing to do things that others aren't willing to do." Are you willing to make integrity a priority in your life and in your business?