What activities to you participate in to develop business and advance your career? Getting enthusiastically involved in powerful networking organizations and various committees has helped to quickly integrate me into the real estate, building and design communities in the metro area. Additionally, my active participation on several committees for the USGBC-LI have allowed me to help promote their mission of environmentally responsible and safe design and development on Long Island, while also immersing my firm into this vital and visionary arena. To expand my knowledge, enhance my capabilities and increase my impact on my firm's bottom line, I am also studying for certified professional services marketer certification. I have found that the axiom "you get out what you put in" is very true with regard to these types of organizations. Active and consistent participation is very critical, but it is equally important to not over commit to organizations as this can have an exponentially detrimental reverse effect. Deborah Raw is the business development manager for R. Wade Johnson Design Architecture, Interiors and Planning P.C., Melville, N.Y.