Archive for ‘Taking Action’

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November 30, 2011

Investing In You

In a recent article on CBS Moneywatch by blogger Penelope Trunk, she discusses her secrets of financial success. Her #4 secret: invest in yourself. Trunk writes that she once paid her remaining cash to hire a career coach, when she most needed it. That coach helped her solve major issues that she was grappling with at the time, and allowed her to change things that led to breakthroughs in her career.

And so you, too, should consider well-placed investments in yourself. You don’t necessarily have to hire me as your coach (though if you’re wondering, you can hear more about how I can help you here). Hire somebody — just please don’t ask your mom, dad, neighbor, aunt, uncle, former co-worker, spouse, boyfriend or girlfriend. That is, unless they have the right type of experience to help you with your challenges.

You need someone who can get you to see from different perspectives, so you can see your way to the possible solutions to your problems, and doors to opportunities.

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November 9, 2011

Say What You Mean, Mean What You Say

It’s getting to be more and more common, especially with all the “networking” events that go on … people saying things like “Let’s get together sometime”, or “Call me, let’s get together”, or “I’ll call you next week to set a time”, or “Shoot me an email, and we’ll have a cup of coffee”. Then what happens? Nothing. No call, no reply to your voicemail, no response to your email.

So why do these folks say things like that? I think in today’s culture, people subconsciously think those phrases I just mentioned above are another way of saying “Nice meeting you.” Well, if they meant “nice meeting you”, they should say “nice meeting you.”

Don’t fall into this trap. If you meet someone new, and realize that you have no interest in ever seeing this person again, don’t say “Let’s get together sometime.” It doesn’t mean you have to say, “Have a nice life”, either. Just be honest. Something like “Nice talking with you — good luck!” will work just fine.

Say what you mean. And mean what you say.

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October 13, 2011

Keep It Simple

Earlier this week, Netflix reversed a decision it made just 3 weeks before, when it said that its traditional DVD-based movie rental service would be spun off into an entity called Qwikster. Customers who were previously renting movies either through streaming or DVD delivery would have to create separate accounts on 2 different websites, Netflix and Qwikster.

What a mess. This was at the same time they announced a price increase, which in any economy, is never met with enthusiasm. But making it more complicated for their customers to do business with them was the real kicker. Separate accounts where there had only been one before? That’s as if I were to order a Value Meal at McDonald’s and then told to go next door to pay for the soda.

Keep things simple, and make it easier for customers to work with you, not harder. You never hear a customer say to a business owner, “It’s too simple to do business with you. I need somebody more confusing.”

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October 6, 2011

Remembering Steve Jobs

With yesterday evening’s sad news of the passing of Apple Inc. founder Steve Jobs at age 56, I recall an excerpt from his 2005 Commencement Speech at Stanford University:

“Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life. Don’t be trapped by dogma — which is living with the results of other people’s thinking. Don’t let the noise of others’ opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition.” (–Steve Jobs, June 12, 2005)

So I encourage you, whether your goal is to start your own business, to find your next great opportunity, or to make a career change, to remember these words from one of the greatest innovators in history. What made him great was not only the ability to come up with ideas that resonated with millions, but also the ability to motivate others to turn those ideas into reality through execution. As I have always said, great ideas are abundant, but great execution is rare.

Find out what your heart and intuition are saying, and have the gumption to do something about it.

Dream. Act. Thrive.

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October 3, 2011

Be Apart from the Pack

I recently saw a sound byte on YouTube from Sheldon Adelson, the billionaire owner of resort and casino properties in Las Vegas and around the world. He summarized his advice for success as this: “Just do things in life, the way other people don’t do them. Change the status quo.”

And that’s what I mean too, in the subtitle from my latest book where I say “don’t be a part of the pack, be apart FROM the pack.” Whether you’re looking for your next job, looking to grow your business, or hoping to start one, think of doing things in ways that make you stand out. Don’t do what everyone else is doing.

Here are just a few things to get you thinking:

  • Send a handwritten thank-you note instead of sending an email.
  • Pick up the phone to call someone you haven’t spoken with in awhile, who isn’t someone you want something from.
  • Instead of complaining about something, think up a solution for the problem.
  • Don’t be a victim of whatever situation you’re in. Take charge and take action.
  • Know what you’re good at, then seek or create opportunities for you to apply what you’re good at for someone else’s benefit.

C’mon, stand out from the pack! Do things differently.

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September 30, 2011

Never Give Up

Two nights ago, on Wednesday night, was the most amazing night for baseball, possibly in the history of the sport itself. Whether you follow baseball or not, you can’t help but carry some of the inspiration over to your own business or career pursuits.

Late in the night Eastern time, in a span of just a few minutes, two favored teams, the Atlanta Braves and the Boston Red Sox, lost their chance to go to the postseason. Both teams had leads greater than 9 games ahead of the next contender, as recently as 30 days prior. Both teams lost those leads by playing poorly in September, and because of tremendous play by the contenders, the St. Louis Cardinals and the Tampa Bay Rays.

Even more improbably, Tampa Bay played themselves into the playoffs by defeating the New York Yankees, despite being behind 7 to 0 going into the bottom of the 8th inning. They ended up winning 8 to 7 in the 12th inning.

What’s the carryover for you? Never give up. Keep grinding. You might just make it. Everyone counted out the St. Louis and Tampa Bay teams, but they kept grinding away. And while these teams have their own teammates to lean on during hard times, you be sure you do too. Lean on family, close friends, or even a career or business coach.

And be sure to take action, pronto.

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July 11, 2011

Going With The Flow

I just returned from a vacation last week, where I flew through Chicago to get to Milwaukee. Tried to, anyway. My first flight was delayed to the point where I knew we were going to miss our connecting flight. So, just board the next available flight to Milwaukee, right? Well, the next available was 29 hours away, for a 45-minute flight at that.

So I just rented a car at O’Hare, and drove the 85 miles to Milwaukee. Not bad after all, except for a $225 drop charge for a one-way rental. What can you do? It’s like business … when you have to get there, figure out a way to get there.

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June 14, 2011

Burnt Bridges Harder to Fix

Even superstars can’t get away with burning their bridges — ask LeBron James of the NBA’s Miami Heat. Still dealing with the fallout of losing to the Dallas Mavericks in this year’s NBA championship, James had to do some damage control on something he said was quoted out of context. But championship win or lose, he probably wouldn’t have to be dealing with this if it weren’t for the bridge he burned with his previous team, the Cleveland Cavaliers.

I’m much more an observer than I am a fan of the sport, but to me, LeBron’s announcement last summer about “taking his talents” to Miami is what burned his bridge. Apparently this announcement came without even the Cavaliers’ owner knowing in advance of his decision. Lots of fans think James burned his bridges by leaving Cleveland, but that’s not a fair position to take, since he, and any other NBA player, should be free to play wherever he’d like to.

It’s the manner in which James departed Cleveland that blew up the bridge and mobilized armies of LeBron-haters across the country. And even his superstar status couldn’t bridge that gap. So if you’re a superstar in your own right at a company, and are thinking of taking your talents elsewhere, be sure you handle your announcement the right way, and not LeBron’s way.

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June 7, 2011

Bringing Mom to Your Job Interview?

It’s the end of another academic school year. During this time I seem to get more questions from my college student audience, and from readers of my last book “Dive Into ACTION! For Recent Graduates – Don’t Be A Part of the Pack, Be Apart From the Pack”. The economy is stuttering, jobs may have hit a hiccup, and another crop of graduates is in the market looking for jobs.

In the midst of all this, I came across an article discussing “helicopter parents” who get too involved with their kids’ job hunts. I had to shake my head, but you decide after reading this article from Fortune on the CNN Money site.

College grads, when you look for jobs, be sure to leave Mom or Dad at home!

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May 19, 2011

Landing the Dream Job

Interesting story from this morning, on CNN Money, regarding a guy landing his dream job. An Ivy League graduate, he started as a calculus teacher/football coach, turned accountant, turned sports radio talk show host. A move up from a local show to a national show on XM and Sirius Radio required a relocation and odd hours.

But, it was his dream job, so he took action to make it happen. That takes a lot of gumption, too, but he’s apparently a happier man for it! Just goes to show, if you want it enough, and are willing to work hard enough for it, you might, just might, achieve it.

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