One of the most under-appreciated drivers of your career success comes from your professional relationships. Most people think networking is just something you do when you are trying to land a job. Those people are missing the boat! Networking isn't just a bunch of salespeople sharing bad appetizers in a hotel ballroom. It's not trying to schmooze the boss for preferential treatment. Approached correctly, networking is about connecting with other people so that you have access to the information, resources and support that you need. An effective network at the office helps you do your job more easily, effectively, and … [Read more...]
The Unbreakable Marriage of Freedom and Responsibility
I hope that you enjoyed the July 4th holiday with friends and family (and with grilling and parades)! As usual, people spent a lot of time celebrating our "freedom". Even though it's one of the things I love most about this country, I think there's something we need to talk about just as much: The responsibility that must accompany freedom. I have a relatively uncommon professional perspective on those two topics because I've had a relatively nontraditional career. I figured out once that I've only been a salaried "employee" for 11 months of my adult life. From my start in business selling Cutco Cutlery as an independent … [Read more...]