When you’re learning to do something new, you need advice. There are two particular types of advice you can reach out for, BUT you have to know who to go to for each. Not just specifically “who” to ask - but the archetype of who to ask. If you want perspective, as in a big, … Continue reading Figuring Out What To Ask/Who To Ask
Tag: networking
The Reverse Five-Dollar Shake Test
There’s a scene in Pulp Fiction where John Travolta and Uma Thurman’s characters are sitting in a restaurant booth, talking about “uncomfortable silences.” The one-way conversation from Thurman goes, Don't you hate that? Uncomfortable silences. Why do we feel it's necessary to yak about bulls*** in order to be comfortable? That's when you know you've … Continue reading The Reverse Five-Dollar Shake Test
Kids These Days, Those Days, And Multi-Generational Networking
I heard some “kids these days” griping last week. I’ve had the pleasure of working with groups of high school and college-aged students these past few years.* I’ve met some real future badasses that I’m stoked to have in my network. So let them complain. Today’s 17-year-old eventually turns 27, and then 37, and all … Continue reading Kids These Days, Those Days, And Multi-Generational Networking
The Best Career Advice I’ve Ever Read
This is the best career advice I’ve ever read, via Josh Brown: Make yourself useful to smart, successful people. That’s how you should spend the first ten years of your career. Surround yourself with smart, successful people and then bet on them. That’s how you should spend the next ten years. And then you’re done, … Continue reading The Best Career Advice I’ve Ever Read
How To Make Friends And Influence Lynyrd Skynyrd
A roadie wrote one of the most iconic piano parts in rock history. It’s a reminder: the stronger your network is, the more greatness you’ll have in your gravitational pull. In people, in luck, and in potential. Lynyrd Skynyrd were recording tracks and trying to piece “Free Bird” together in the studio when they hit … Continue reading How To Make Friends And Influence Lynyrd Skynyrd
Who You Surround Yourself With Matters (A Lot. Just Ask The Sex Pistols)
Who you surround yourself with matters. A lot. It’s connected with the expression, “timing is everything” too. Because if you’re surrounded with people doing good (and potentially great) things, your odds of being in the right place at the right time goes up exponentially. One of my favorite examples/reminders is this recreation of a 1976 … Continue reading Who You Surround Yourself With Matters (A Lot. Just Ask The Sex Pistols)
Podcast Of The Week: Patty McCord On Standing Up To A Terrible Boss
Patty McCord is famous for shaping the culture that helped scale Netflix from startup to world-dominating streaming service. If you’ve never seen the culture deck she created with Reid Hoffman to bring on new employees, it’s legendary. McCord guests on the How To! podcast this week to help “Shirley” (identity protected) deal with a terrible … Continue reading Podcast Of The Week: Patty McCord On Standing Up To A Terrible Boss
Create, Curate, Conversate: Lil Nas X’s Marketing Masterclass
In case you didn’t catch this, Lil Nas X just gave a masterclass on how to play the media to his advantage. Jon Caramanica’s got the play by play here, but any of us can learn from Lil Nas X about how to spread an idea, product, or service. All it takes is three words: … Continue reading Create, Curate, Conversate: Lil Nas X’s Marketing Masterclass
Your Network Is Your Net-Worth
It’s not just what you know, it’s who you know, and - who knows you. Everybody wants to talk about dollar signs and net-worth, but real value comes from building the value of your network. True facts: It’s never been easier or more essential to grow and maintain our networks. We have the ability to … Continue reading Your Network Is Your Net-Worth
Grow The Puzzle Around You
For all of the time we spend thinking about how we fit into the situations around us, we should also think about how we can architect those situations too. Here’s Y Combinator cofounder Jessica Livingston on the idea: You are a jigsaw puzzle piece of a certain shape. You could change your shape to fit … Continue reading Grow The Puzzle Around You