Category Archives: career advice

Dr. Chester Karrass on Negotiation

You don’t get what you deserve, you get what you negotiate – Dr. Chester Karrass

Do you ask for what you want or do you fume in silence over what you get?

Do you practice making a case for yourself, speaking with confidence and overcoming objections, or do you wing it and hope for the best?

Negotiation is a critical skill for professional and personal success. Negotiation articles and videos are available in the SixFigureStart Negotiation Toolkit.

George Lucas on Talent

Everybody has talent. It’s just a matter of moving around until you’ve discovered what it is – George Lucas

Are you moving around enough to discover your talent?

I write about experimenting your way into a career change in my Forbes post: Want A Career Change But Unsure What? Do This First

John Lennon on Happiness

When I was 5 years old, my mother always told me that happiness was the key to life. When I went to school, they asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up. I wrote down ‘happy’. They told me I didn’t understand the assignment, and I told them they didn’t understand life. – John Lennon

Look at the measurements most people track – 401k balance, credit score, performance at work, last year’s or next year’s bonus or raise. How do you measure happiness?

For me, happiness is when I don’t feel so stretched for time and can allocate my energy and attention to prioritize outside my business. So in 2015, this means I’ll be cooking more (prioritizing family who loves it when I cook), doing more comedy (I jumped in last week after 6 months of a break and did a set at Gotham, and Jerry Seinfeld dropped in as a surprise guest!), and I’ll be working on my real estate portfolio (yes, my outside interests even unrelated to my main business are business-related).Please, please, please

How will you incorporate more happiness into 2015?

If you want help staying focused on your big goal for 2015, I will be co-presenting a webinar on Focus with peak performance coach Renita Kalhorn (she coaches Navy SEAL candidates on mental toughness!). Full details on Eventbrite: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/focus-make-2015-the-year-things-happen-tickets-15308583385

Louis CK on Boredom

“I’m bored” is a useless thing to say. I mean, you live in a great, big, vast world that you’ve seen none percent of. Even the inside of your own mind is endless, it goes on forever, inwardly, do you understand? The fact that you’re alive is amazing, so you don’t get to say “I’m bored.” – Louis CK

Are you bored? How can you get back some of the amazement that Louis CK is talking about?

What is the most amazing thing that happened to you this week? If not amazing, think surprising, pleasurable, or even just nice?

From a professional standpoint, if you recognize your life is amazing, that gratitude is a career advantage.

Jerry Seinfeld on Growth

To me, if life boils down to one thing, it’s movement. To live is to keep moving. – Jerry Seinfeld

Are you moving or in a rut?

What is one small change you can make to your routine – even a different route to work, a different go-to meal for breakfast, a 10-minute refresh of one small space in your home?

From a professional standpoint, it comes down to keeping your skills, expertise and network updated. If you don’t need to update your resume with anything new in the last year, you’re not growing professionally. Review these seven reasons why your career has stalled, and resolve to keep it moving.

Lucille Ball on Self-Love

Love yourself first and everything else falls into line.  You really have to love yourself to get anything done in this world – Lucille Ball

The first step of any goal is believing you can do it and you deserve it.

If you don’t have that confidence, can you move forward anyway and let your actions build your belief?

This follows for professional goals especially. Before you can convince your dream employer to hire you or your current boss to promote you or your ideal customer to buy from you, you need to convince yourself. Confidence attracts, and there are ways to become more confident even if you don’t feel that way right now.

Lily Tomlin on Slowing Down

For fast-acting relief, try slowing down – Lily Tomlin

Such an excellent reminder not to be so harried!

We all know that person who exudes a sense of calm, that grace under pressure. And we all like to be around that person!

From a professional standpoint, executive presence requires that you don’t rush around. To be at your best, also requires regular rest, enough sleep, and actually taking your vacation. You need space to be creative. And, yes, you can take time off and not fall completely behind in your work.

George Carlin on Guilt

Don’t take guilt trips. Take a trip to the mall, even to the next county; to a foreign country but NOT to where the guilt is – George Carlin

Are you picking Should’s over Dreams? Do you feel guilty that your ideal day is doing nothing, that your next career move doesn’t mean a raise, that you prefer a leisurely job over training for marathons?

Make choices about your goals based on your values, interests and needs right now. Don’t let someone else guilt you into poor choices.

From a professional standpoint, don’t assume your true passions are impractical. You can translate your interests, whatever they are, to a viable career option.

Joan Rivers on Persistence

If I can’t make it through one door, I’ll go through another door – or I’ll make a door. Something terrific will come no matter how dark the present. – Joan Rivers

Are you feeling stuck on a particular goal? Are you only trying one door? What are 5 other doors to entry?

If you can’t think of alternatives, convene 5 of your friends from different parts of your life. Have a pizza and beer brainstorming party. (Maybe get their ideas before serving too much beerJ)

If it’s a career goal, there are multiple paths into your dream job. Or you can make your own dream job by launching a business. Persistence pays off.

Will Ferrell on Compensation

Aren’t we all striving to be overpaid for what we do? – Will Ferrell

Do you begrudge a colleague for being overpaid? Are you afraid to ask for more for fear of seeming greedy?

It’s better for everyone when you are paid for your value.  You don’t get resentful at doing the work, and your employer or client keeps you happy and continues to get their great results. And because most people are shy about asking, you typically should stretch and ask for more.

Be prepared to promote yourself and negotiate.