I used to have an earring when I was in my early twenties. A big, fat, silver hoop. My father had always said that I couldn't have one while I lived under his roof. That was fine. I just waited until I was 21 and living in an apartment in college. My friend Chrissie took me to the mall and I got my ear pierced. I was young, a musician, and I thought I was totally cool. And in case you are wondering, I absolutely wasn't. Who We Were Isn't Necessarily Who We Are Have I scared you away? Do you want nothing to do with me now because of what I did almost 20 years ago? Have I lost all professional credibility? My guess is that you're … [Read more...]
Is it Time to Upgrade Your LinkedIn Account to Premium?
When working with professionals on their online brand, one of the common questions that I hear is, "Should I pay to upgrade to the premium LinkedIn account?" It's a great question and one that doesn't necessarily have a clear cut answer. I don't work for LinkedIn so I don't have a vested interest in someone anteing up for the paid accounts. On the other hand, I do help people use LinkedIn and social media to improve their businesses and careers so of course I think it makes sense to engage with the platform as much as possible. In the end, my answer is usually some variation of, "Yes...eventually." Don't Upgrade to Premium Too … [Read more...]
The Story of my Success (So Far)
June 6, 1997. There's a common thought that the most important moments in your life happen without you realizing their meaning at the time. That's certainly tue with one of the turning points in my career. I didn't know it, but that day would go on to influence the direction of my entire professional life. Because that's the day I walked out of a non-descript office on the north side of Chicago and became a knife salesman. Yep, I sold knives. I sat down in people's kitchens and sold Cutco Cutlery. These days the company has grown to be a common brand name; but back then, few people had heard of it, much less thought about selling them. … [Read more...]
You Can’t Do Anything You Put Your Mind To
No matter how badly you want to, you can't do anything you put your mind to. Sorry. It's a dangerous myth that we often hear when we are children. We are told constantly that "you can do anything you put your mind to" as the moral of the story in sitcoms and Saturday morning cartoons (remember the G.I Joe "knowing is half the battle?). It's dangerous because it's untrue and it usually has the exact opposite effect that's intended. Before you get all huffy, know that I'm a huge proponent of personal growth and development; that's why I know this idea isn't true. No matter what happens, I'm not going to be able to slam-dunk a … [Read more...]
Playing Both Sides of the Ball On Social Media
What does "using" social media mean to you? When I work with professionals on their social media strategies, the most common questions I get tend to be around what people are actually supposed to do with all of the new platforms that have popped up (seemingly overnight). They say things like, "OK, fine, I gave up and got a LinkedIn profile - now do I actually do with it?" Or, "I've had a Twitter account for six months, but I've never tweeted - should I?" Personal Social Media Strategy These are important questions; but they are also hard questions to answer because everyone will and should approach social media in a way that supports … [Read more...]
If I Were 22 I Wouldn’t Try to Change the World
Me giving advice to a 22-year-old is a lesson in irony; because I know that the 22-year-old me wasn't good at listening to other people's advice. I'd like to think that I've gotten a little better over the years, but I'm a work in progress. Feel free to take or leave what I have to say. So I guess that's my first piece of advice: decide on your own who and what to listen to. But after that, I guess my second thought would be: Don't try to change the world - Try to change yourself The earth has been here for over 4 billion years and countless humans have walked its surface. It takes a lot of hubris to think that it needs you to save … [Read more...]
Your Social Media Problem is You Think You Don’t Have One…
Let me set the stage. It's the fall of 1960; and for the first time in American history, two presidential candidates, Richard Nixon and John F. Kennedy, are going to debate each other publicly on this new-fangled invention - television. Both are capable candidates and experienced politicians. But that's not what the electorate sees...and it became a deciding factor in the election. Kennedy is widely regarded as having "won" the first debate. Presenting himself as poised and confident, he had the aura of a confident movie star. He had spent the previous days with his campaign team planning for the debate and rehearsing his … [Read more...]
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