Category Archives: Entrepreneur

Apr 23 Comments comments
Entrepreneur

Entrepreneurship is Serendipitous at Best

Hi! Welcome to Twenty Set. Here you will find 4-5 insightful new articles each week about personal and professional development. I write candidly from personal experience.

If you like what you read, you may want to subscribe to my RSS feed. Thanks for visiting!

I regularly answer reader questions on my blog. If you have a question you can submit via twitter (@monicaobrien) or email me m@twentyset.com.

This question comes from @andydrish:

“I’d like to hear what it’s like to build a community around shows like gossip girls…Howd you get into that niche?”

Andy is referring to my other website, Media Lookbook, which is an affiliate marketing site for the fashion seen on Gossip Girl.

I don’t talk about this much because I’m worried that the story isn’t very exciting. Back in 2007 I stumbled on ProBlogger and thought I could make money blogging. So I started several sites, and one of them was a fan site for a new show coming out called Gossip Girl.

The show was getting a ton of buzz, and my fan site did okay, producing a couple hundred bucks of Google AdSense revenue a month. Of course, a hundred bucks is not enough to make the business of publishing daily news and recaps about the show profitable.

But then I kept getting emails from fans asking me “What did Serena wear in this episode?” “Who designed the dress that Blair wore to the ball?”

I soon realized that the business of telling people where to buy items from the show was lucrative. First, the information was of high value to a group of trendsetters, and it was hard to find online. Second, the target audience for the information had tons of disposable income. (When you can spend $700 on a Marc Jacobs purse just because you saw it on a TV show, you have a ton of disposable income.)

So I got into affiliate marketing. Affiliate marketing is when you post a link to another site that’s selling the item, and then you receive a commission if someone uses your link and makes a purchase.

Reality check: the commissions are not huge. 5-10% maybe. But on a $700 purse, that’s $35-70. So if you are even thinking about trying this, you have to find a niche where the purchase price is very large, and to be honest, most of these markets (including mine) are already saturated.

Getting back to the story, I started a new site that was focused solely on Gossip Girl fashion and monetized it with banner ads and affiliate links. Even without any new posts, the site accumulated traffic like none other. Within a year the website had 50,000 visitors per month and 500,000 pageviews. By the way, this is a lot for a blog with a very niche focus and no external promotion.

I could go on about the website, but the point is that I created a valuable niche business with very little capital because I paid attention to the trends and explored a new direction to exploit an unmet need in the marketplace.

The takeaway from the experience for me is that the way most successful entrepreneurs find business opportunities is serendipitous. You come up with ten ideas and maybe one is worth exploring in depth. For every 10 ideas you explore in depth, only one is worth putting significant capital behind. And so on. And then sometimes your original idea sucked, but it led to insight that gave you a better idea.

By the time you put all the filters in place and work backwards, you probably need 10,000 good ideas and several iterations of innovation before you stand a chance of creating the next Facebook. That’s okay, because we don’t all need to create the next Facebook to be successful entrepreneurs. But the point is that there is an opportunity cost of not exploring new opportunities. If you aren’t constantly exploring new ideas and learning new things, you will miss the profitable businesses that come to you by chance.

Popularity: 9% [?]

If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed!

Apr 14 Comments comments
Careerist, Entrepreneur

Entrepreneurship is not that risky, even in a recession

As the recession looms, many people are clinging to their jobs like a life raft in a hurricane. Plans to start a new business or grow a business are put off in favor of playing it safe.

I disagree with this approach, because I believe an entrepreneurial mindset can a good thing in a recession, and actually bolster careers. Here are five reasons why:

Job security does not exist, even in growth periods

As technology innovations increase productivity, many jobs have become obsolete or automated. Since the 1980’s, goods-producing jobs have shifted to service-providing jobs, and the Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts this trend will continue through 2016. Thus, workers will likely change careers into service-related fields, many of which don’t currently exist.

Because of this phenomenon, today’s worker does not have the luxury of simply going to work and collecting a paycheck anymore; professionals must constantly network and learn new skills because changing jobs regularly is imminent. Those who don’t will find themselves unemployed.

While it is obvious from unemployment statistics that job placement is at an all-time low these days, let’s be clear. True job security has been a myth for awhile now, even before this messy recession took place. So why wait for the economy to get better before taking the plunge? Why let recession fears hold you back from entrepreneurship?

Recessions create opportunities for necessity-based entrepreneurship

Research shows that no matter what the economy looks like, entrepreneurship as a job category holds steady. This is because in good times entrepreneurs create opportunity-based businesses due to excess of cash flow, and in bad times entrepreneurs create necessity-based businesses due to lack of cash flow.

So do not think that just because companies are downsizing there is no room for new businesses. The opposite is true; the country needs small businesses because the larger ones have stopped innovating and fulfilling niche needs in order to cut costs. Furthermore, during a recession, consumers focus spending on need-based products, are less willing to pay brand-name prices, and are always looking for the more frugal alternative. All of these spaces are opportunities for entrepreneurs to create need-based solutions.

Lay-offs do not mean there is less work to

As companies lay people off, it is usually not because the work those employees were doing has disappeared. In fact, companies turn that work into project-based work which gets outsourced at a higher price than if a full-time employee were to do it. Why? Because companies can still save money on the project by not paying out 401k and health benefits.

Savvy professionals know that even in a recession, they can get work in their field as a freelancer or consultant as long as they are willing adopt an entrepreneurial spirit. The internet has lowered entry-barriers for starting and marketing a freelance or consulting venture. Today, you can set up a basic website, print some business cards, and hit the streets to find high-paying project-based work.

Entrepreneurship fills in gaps on your resume, making you more marketable

Even if your end goal is to get another job, there is nothing that says entrepreneurship and job-hunting are mutually exclusive. This means that if you get laid off from work, the best thing to do is immediately start a company so you can spend your unemployed time wisely.

It took me some time to figure this out when I quit my job back in October 2008, just before the stock market crashed. The plan had been to take a well-deserved break for 2 months before starting a short job-hunt in January. Of course, as short turned to longer, I realized my traditional job options were pretty despairing.

I wanted to reclaim my power over my career, so I decided to do some online marketing consulting work on the side while waiting for job offers, which I eventually received. After turning down several unappealing job offers though, I realized that I already had a job – my marketing consulting business!

You should never have gaps in your resume, because you can always create work for yourself as an entrepreneur. Now, when I meet with CEOs of prominent Chicago businesses, they are impressed with my resume because I can bring something to the table, even in the face of adversity.

Entrepreneurship teaches you to be a better networker

It is no secret that the people with the most security are also the best networkers. This is because 90% of jobs are not advertised to the public, which means that the professionals who know the most people get first dibs on the least competitive jobs. Less competition combined with personal connections makes for a short job-hunt.

It is also no secret that entrepreneurs have large networks out of necessity. Entrepreneurs have a knack for building strategic alliances and using quid pro quo to come up with scrappy, workable solutions when faced with misfortune. As such, the real learning that comes out of entrepreneurship is not actually how to run a business; it’s how to build a network that helps you reach your goals.

So if your long-term goal is security, entrepreneurship is actually a good career route to consider. The fastest way to get a job is to become a great networker. And the fastest way to become a great networker is to become an entrepreneur.

Popularity: 12% [?]

If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed!

Apr 07 Comments comments
Activist, Blogger, Careerist, Entrepreneur, Goal-Setter, Socialite

6 Personal Branding Lessons I Learned from Observing Dan Schawbel

Dan Schawbel is kind of a big deal these days – he has a book Me 2.0: Build a Powerful Brand to Achieve Career Success that just came out (today! go get it), tons of press publicity, his award-winning blog, and his reputation as the #1 personal branding expert. But while Dan’s articles can teach us a lot about how to use social media to brand yourself, I actually learn more about personal branding just from watching Dan work his magic.

Here are some of things I’ve learned:

Dan gives a lot of himself

As one of the Personal Branding Blog writers, I get the opportunity to talk to Dan on a fairly regular basis about everything he’s doing in his career. What I’ve found is he has a huge heart and gives so much of himself to everyone he possibly can. He speaks at local colleges and organizations, he writes articles all the time, he shares interesting information through his twitter account, he does press interviews, he answers questions via email, he writes LinkedIn recommendations for everyone he knows… the list goes on and on.

I recently wrote a post about How to be Popular on Social Media, and Dan is the epitome of one of the points – to make the conversation about your followers, not yourself. It’s no surprise that Dan has a great following, because he truly gives more than he ever asks.

Dan keeps track of his online brand

Dan uses every outlet he has to promote good content of others, but he never misses a chance for self-promotion. I think this is a great thing, because nobody is going to toot your horn for you. Promoting your own accomplishments gives you credibility among your followers and sets an example for what people like you can accomplish.

In Dan’s case, he always shares every article that is written about him, no matter how large or small the publication. The situation is win-win – Dan gets publicity and the publication gets traffic, an incentive that encourages other publications to interview Dan.

Dan writes a ton of articles for various publications

Dan is known as the personal branding expert, but he knows that personal branding is not a vacuum. That’s why Dan applies his subject (personal branding) to broader subjects so he can write on a variety of topics.

Dan also knows that in order to grow a reputation, you cannot invest too much time into one community. He knows that every networking connection is a series of transactions rather than an intense, ongoing conversation. Instead of becoming just another member in several communities, Dan builds his own community around his work. He accomplishes this by gaining more reach - tapping into other communities through his writing, and bringing a portion of those communities back to his own blog.

Dan takes his network with him

The great thing about Dan is he uses his own status to elevate others in his network with him. He is constantly sharing press and speaking opportunities with the people who support him and his career.

For example, the week before Dan launched his book Me 2.0, he emailed the entire Personal Branding Blog team to thank us for making his book launch so successful. In other words, he let us know we were contributors to the Me 2.0 launch and could share in its success. I know that as Dan’s career skyrockets, he will bring his network with him.

Dan wrote a book to move his personal brand forward

I recently wrote that blogging to demonstrate “expert” credentials was sooo 2007. That’s not really fair, because Dan became a personal branding expert largely due to branding himself through his blog.

Not that Dan’s blog is his biggest accomplishment – not nearly. He simply used it as a stepping stone to make an even bigger career jump – writing his book.

While Dan did not get article in Business Week and the New York Times through his blog, he did get them because he had a book deal. So if you really want to become an expert, write a blog about a particular subject, and use your blog to sell a book.

But first you have to find a great hook that sells. And “personal branding expert” is already taken, unfortunately.

Dan is a Google Reader rockstar

I recently dusted off my Google Reader, and as I started using it, I was shocked to discover that Dan Schawbel shares, like, 50 articles a day. How the heck does he read that much, I thought?

But then I observed Dan’s shared items, and found a lot of truly great content. And I realized quickly it’s all in the title – you can skim article titles in Google reader and tell what’s going to be interesting and relevant to you and what’s not.

Now, I have over 200 feeds in my Google Reader. I give basically anyone who communicates with me in any way a chance, whether through commenting or sending me a message on Twitter. I add feeds to my reader without fear, because I can scan 500 posts, pick out and read the best 10 (based on titles), and share the most relevant 5 on Twitter and my blog in about 10 minutes.

I know this has to be how Dan Schawbel finds great content to share with his following, and has built a loyal fan base that makes him the personal branding expert he is today. And I love reading Dan Schawbel’s shared items because they are usually intelligent, insightful picks. And I think if I can share good picks with people, I can brand myself as someone in the know too.

*******************

PS. I highly recommend Dan Schawbel’s book, Me 2.0: Build a Powerful Brand to Achieve Career Success, which I have already read and found very impressive.

Popularity: 21% [?]

If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed!

Apr 05 Comments comments
Careerist, Entrepreneur, Socialite, Woman

Why the New Girls’ Club Doesn’t Work

Have you heard of the Old Boys’ Club? In the twentieth century, this was a group of privileged men vying for management positions. In the post-feminist age, this is a group of high-performing, stellar networkers in the boardrooms and executive suites.

Yes, the Old Boys’ Club is still alive and well; the difference is that women are now allowed to join, if they can demonstrate leadership and toe the fine line between feminism and masculinity.

And yet, instead of joining the club, women have created their own clubs – New Girls’ Clubs – which are all-female professional groups trying to use the power of numbers to compensate for gender disparity in the workplace. For the most part, these clubs don’t work. Here’s why:

Joining ‘the Sisterhood’

New Girls’ Clubs typically host overly girly networking events. I know, because I am a board member of a new girls’ business club. Here is what our event calendar looks like:

We’ll put on a spa event instead of a sports event. We’ll do a wine tasting instead of a bar crawl. We’ll host yoga classes instead of going golfing.

Realistically, none of these events would ever be settings for a gender-neutral, business networking event. So while we women think we’re learning how to build a professional network, we are actually just engaging in a sorority-like slumber party slash gossip-fest that reinforces the girly habits that don’t get us ahead in the workplace.

Shorting Your Network

On average, women speak 20,000 words per day while men only speak 7,000. Yet women do not have as large of networks as men, even though they talk more. Where women are conversational, men are transactional. Men are more likely to use who they know to open doors, and they are more likely to ask for help despite not having helped someone previously.

If you want a larger network, you must not only network with men, but become a more transactional networker; both of which you won’t find at a New Girls’ Club.

Starting a Cat Fight

There are so many things to say here. First, I hate hate hate that when men get into a fight it’s a fist fight, but when women get into a fight it’s a cat fight. Second, cat fighting usually comes with sexual connotation, as if the two women might start making out after ripping handfuls of each other’s hair.

Third, and most important, women are taught at an early age to be jealous of other women because we base our own self-image on what other women have that we don’t. Career columnist Penelope Trunk says, “Everyone is competitive, but there are more problems between two women than between two men or between a man and a woman.” So chances are women are not always your best allies in the workplace. Why limit your networking to just women in the New Girls’ Club?

Signaling a Pay Cut

Research shows that female-dominated fields have lower average salaries than fields where the ratio of men to women is equal or higher. In fact, as a profession goes from male-dominated to female-dominated, the worth of the profession actually drops. This phenomenon is so prominent that it shows up everywhere, from business to college basketball.

This begs the question: why would we purposely aggregate ourselves into female-dominated groups? In any business, factions of females send the wrong signal to their male-counterparts: that the girls can’t eat at the big boys table, so they had to form their own.

And really, if you want to make more money as a woman, you should be in a male-dominated field. It forces you to let go of the New Girls’ Club crutch because there are so many men that all-female networking skills become irrelevant. Which means the New Girls’ Club doesn’t work – it actually holds women back in the end.

Further reading: The G-20 is Complete BS for Women

Popularity: 15% [?]

If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed!

Mar 11 Comments comments
Blogger, Careerist, Entrepreneur, Socialite

4 Rules of Communication for Internet and New Media Types

Since so many people are working from home these days, it’s important to discuss expectations regarding business and personal communication for internet and new media types. Here are four rules I try to live by: I’d love to hear what other rules you use to communicate via the web!

State a preferred method of communication

Most people don’t write out the way they use new media to communicate, but what I’ve noticed is that a general set of rules emerges on its own for each individual. For example, I don’t read Twitter direct messages unless it comes from someone I know personally. I don’t respond to Facebook messages unless they come from my sorority sisters. I don’t use Skype or gTalk for important information, like accounts or passwords.

It is likely that you’re rules are not the same, because it’s all about preference. With all the different ways to communicate, professionals in new media have to be clear about how to reach them for business so that they can actually manage their business efficiently. So put a line in your email signature, or make your preferred method clear on your voicemail or business card.

My preferred method for all initial communications is email. Readers of this blog can best contact me at m@twentyset(dot)com.

Have patience

I am constantly asking my husband if he saw such-and-such email, and he tells me things like, “The last time I checked my email was at lunch.” When it’s 5pm. And then he goes on about how I live too much in a virtual world, and I offer to buy him an iPhone to replace his crappy Sony Erickson flip that he refuses to upgrade, and we laugh about how we are possibly so happily married.

If my husband and I are on different pages, just imagine how crazy business communication is in this ever-changing world of social media. The reality is that people have very different perceptions of how urgent matters are, and they filter and prioritize in part by the medium through which they receive the communication. But everyone has different ideas about the rules, and the internet just perpetuates the likelihood that two people’s perceptions won’t match up.

So get real and have patience when you send out a message. There is no 48 hour rule on email. There is no right way to use Twitter. And anyway, if you are observing the person’s preferred method of communication, you will not need to worry so much about having patience.

Understand why people aren’t replying to you

I will be the first to admit that I don’t reply to every single email. I try, but some slip through the cracks. And you can say that I have bad time management or I’m disorganized or whatever, but I seriously doubt most people at my level of connectivity or above genuinely answer every piece of communication they receive in a timely manner.

There are only a couple reasons why I don’t reply –

You didn’t ask for a reply – Sometimes people send me beautiful, long emails about how much they love my blog, or about what their company does, or about a new project they started. Then they wonder why I didn’t respond, and it’s usually because there was no call to action. So if you want me to do more than read your email and appreciate the wisdom you’ve imparted on me, ask a question at the end, or tell me what you want to come from the exchange; otherwise I usually mark it as “FYI” and move on.

I forgot – Sometimes I genuinely want to help you, but it takes awhile and I don’t have time right then; so I mark your request as “come back to later.” Then later never comes and there is no trigger to remind me. It doesn’t hurt to send a few follow up emails after a couple days to ask about the first email. But be warned – if you don’t get a reply to the third email, don’t send a fourth.

You’ve made it hard for me to help you – Sometimes my mom calls me just to chat, but she wants to talk for an hour. Sometimes people want me to write a blog post about them, but don’t send all the information I need; or worse, send me a generic press release. Look, the world moves a lot faster these days. If you lessen the time it takes me to help you, I am more likely to do so.

I reply way more than most people I know – so I think these reasons are probably why a lot of people don’t reply. Start here if you are not getting responses.

Sometimes you have to pay to play

Another reason you may not be getting a response is because you want too much for what you’re offering, and the relationship isn’t mutually beneficial.

For example, someone asked me the other day, “You can be an elusive chick. What’s the best way to reach you?”

What he really meant was “What’s the best way to reach you immediately, whenever I want?”

Look, I can’t be someone’s b*tch, and I can’t give all my knowledge away for free. So I replied, “The best way to reach me is to pay me!” (PS. If you read this blog this story is not about you, so please don’t email me to confront me.)

Harsh, maybe – but in this day and age, it is just too easy to reach out to someone for a favor. Thanks to the popularity of my blog, strangers and weak ties constantly call me, chat me through GTalk, Twitter and Facebook message me, etc. for advice or help, which gets overwhelming after awhile.

Don’t get me wrong – I love hearing from readers and companies trying to use social media. That’s why I started this blog to begin with, so don’t be shy about sending me messages. But understand that I only have a limited amount of time to help people who ask for it, and blog popularity is not scalable unless you take the Tim Ferriss route.

If you really want a direct line to someone, consider putting them on retainer with your company. I answer client calls immediately, at any time of the day – but it’s completely unrealistic for me to give non-payers the same treatment.

What are your thoughts on communicating via the web?

Popularity: 27% [?]

If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed!

Feb 26 Comments comments
Careerist, Entrepreneur, Marketer

Impatience: The Silent Killer of Most Start-Ups

I really love working for web start-ups – but one of the most frustrating things about my job is trying to teach entrepreneurs how to switch to a new way of marketing. Even more frustrating is I know in order to do my job well I have to push for change to the entrepreneurs who are hiring me; which makes it hard to maintain good relationships and please my “bosses.”

Because switching to a new way of marketing requires you to change the way you run your business – from how you make your sales calls, to how you present your website and brand, to how you build your team and create your company culture. It’s a tough tequila shot for any entrepreneur to swallow.

It’s easier to mass-email a press release to thousands of people you don’t know, rather than build a relationship with 100 people before asking them to write about your company.

It’s easier to tell people what you want and force them to execute, rather than spend the time getting their input and expertise, and letting them push back in the name of a better end-product. Forgetting why these employees work for you in the first place.

It’s easier to act and just get something done, rather than think about why you are doing it. Rather than writing out your goals and making sure you’re actually meeting them.

We all succumb to the allure of these quick wins. I’ve honestly seen it in action at every start-up I’ve ever worked at.

And all of these things will make you a productive entrepreneur at a failing company. Because doing everything the easy way to quickly get it off your to-do list is not how start-ups succeed. That’s how employees succeed in a corporation.

Start-ups can’t afford to just get things done – they need to get things right. Within reason, of course. But rest assured half-way to right will never cut it.

Be patient to become noteworthy. It works.

Popularity: 20% [?]

If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed!

Feb 26 Comments comments
Careerist, Entrepreneur

7 Ways to Land Great Consulting Work While In Between Jobs

It is no secret that I am currently funding my job search through consulting work. This has many career-management benefits, but today I’m going to write about the only one you probably care about – green stuff to make your rent and buy groceries. Here are 7 ways to get yourself started and turn your knowledge into real cash.

Figure Out What You’re Good At

It is a complete tragedy that so many people feel their skills aren’t valuable or marketable unless they have a full-time job. The truth about layoffs is that the work does not disappear, what disappears is the means to fund a full-time employee to do the work. So look, there is probably work somewhere in your area of expertise, and you probably could do it; it’s just that a company would rather have a variable cost (with no benefits to pay) than a fixed cost on its books.

You will argue with me, but I honestly think it is impossible that you (yes, YOU!) do not have any transferable skills you could sell through consulting services. I take that back; the one exception is if you have been sitting in a closet with a box over your head for the last few years. And that doesn’t apply to you if you read this blog.

So make a list of your achievements, review old versions of your resume, and ask your spouse, mentors, and friends what you are good at. Among those things, there will be a cross-functional set of skills that can be applied to any business. If you are still lost, consult a career coach, because you aren’t trying hard enough. Or crawl into a closet and put a box over your head – that works too! (Joking.)

Have Something to Say

The whole point of being a consultant is to… well, consult. That means you need the guts to think of innovative solutions. Have you ever started a sentence with, “If I were in charge, I would…” in reference to some idiotic decision your company was making?

Well, look, now you are in charge. You control your schedule and the type of work you do. Hate your current line of work? Guess what, you can consult about whatever you want now, provided you are honest about your abilities and are willing to work hard to show measurable results.

So the first step to having something to say is learning as much as you can about your craft, even if you’ve been doing it for a few years. Or if you’re already a bona-fide expert, practice telling people what they should be doing as if you were in charge. Not all of your ideas will be implemented, but you’ll be proud when some of them do.

Use the Lingo

Sometimes, it’s not just what you say, but how you say it. Some might say this is faking it until you make it, but really it’s just managing semantics. Learn the right lingo and you will sound like a consultant in no time. Here are some primers:

People make fun of “corporate speak” but if you don’t walk the talk you will never be convincing.

Start a Blog

It will be no surprise to anyone who blogs when I say that I fell into consulting in part by accident because of an article I wrote about companies using social media. So many people emailed me about this piece that it did not take long to figure out I must know something others don’t. And that’s when the dollar signs go off. To date, my blog has opened up so many opportunities to me that I’ve honestly lost count; but the best thing is the emails I get from readers that lead to real business opportunities.

So start a blog. You don’t need a topic, you just need to write about everything you are learning, and then help everyone you can with what you’ve learned. Good karma is real, so be genuine and opportunities won’t be able to pass your house without ringing the doorbell.

Start an Umbrella Company

Some people will say, “I can’t be a consultant. I don’t even have a website, much less a business!” What I did was start an LLC back in Sept. because I knew I was leaving my job soon. I then threw every half-baked money-making project I had under my new company’s umbrella and started pursuing them full-time to make them more profitable. I also focused on whatever achievements I had from those projects – those went on my resume.

Next, I looked at where I was missing skills I wanted, and started creating more achievements in those areas just from working on my own projects. That gave me something to talk about when trying to land new clients; those are the achievements I use to market myself every time I want more work.

If you don’t have money-making projects already, just start one. It’s not hard if you’re willing to invest the time and a couple bucks. And if you can’t come up with a project, offer to do a project at someone else’s company for free.

Network Network Network

This is the Holy Grail for everyone besides real estate agents. I recently met up with another blogger, Nisha Chittal, and she asked me how I was scoring all these gigs. The main reason is networking – while I meet some people who want help online, I also met an entrepreneur through my network at the University of Chicago (yes, MBA’s become entrepreneurs too).

Everyone has a network, so don’t say you don’t know anyone. You probably know more people than you think. I saw this opportunity to work with this company that was trying to expand in Chicago but was headquartered in Atlanta. I checked out the CEO’s profile on LinkedIn and it turned out we had a mutual contact who put me in touch.

There are also tons on free networking events that you are probably going to anyway because you are unemployed. Instead of telling everyone you’re looking for a job, tell them about a project you are working on (See the point above). You’d be surprised how many will reply, “Really? I know so and so who’s looking for someone to do that for his company!” I smile every time – this trick seriously works like a charm, and sounds so much more impressive than “I’m unemployed actually. And you?”

Say No

I mentioned I was actually doing the consulting thing to accomplish a larger goal – landing a full-time job. Well, this week I have two full-time job offers that I get to say “No” to.

I know what you’re thinking – is this girl insane?! Doesn’t she realize we’re in a recession?

I’m not worried though; on the contrary, the desire to reject these poorly conceived job offers is nearly insatiable, and the thought makes me giddy. Neither offer is a great option for me, and I have enough self-awareness to know exactly what I want.

Saying “No” sends a powerful message – you are declaring “hey- I’m not desperate, and I’m not putting up with your crap just because the economy looks bad.” The ego-trip that results is so intoxicating that it’s too bad you can’t bottle and sell it – there would be so many more happy people in the world.

You will not be a good consultant until you learn to say no. Your time does not magically expand to fit more clients – so choose your assignments wisely and take only the work that builds on your skills, lets you achieve results quickly, and makes your resume pop.

And ironically, good consulting is what gives you the ability to say no, because if you’re getting gigs, you won’t need to take the first job offer that comes your way.

Popularity: 33% [?]

If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed!