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Over 40? You’re just getting started! What I learned from Laura Ingalls Wilder.
Checking out at a store a recently, the clerk asked if I qualified for their senior discount. “You have to be at least 55”, she said. After I’d finished flinching (this was the first time I’d been asked that), I proudly told her that no, I didn’t qualify, and that I still had one more year of non-senior-discount life to go. Then last week I was exposed to a different perspective on aging. A girlfriend and I had made the 10-hour drive to De Smet, South Dakota, to experience some parts of my idol Laura Ingalls Wilder’s life. There we were, standing in the Surveyor’s House (one of Laura ‘s...
read moreThe 4 C’s Journey.
I’ve been feeling inept about some things lately. Even after investing years of effort into researching and preparing for a new line of business (which I’ve finally launched—hooray!) I find myself a bit lost about how to proceed. I mentioned my lack of self-assuredness to a fellow entrepreneur a few weeks ago, and he nonchalantly commented, “Oh, that’s because you’re not at the confidence stage yet. You’re earlier on in the process.” He then went on to describe the 4 C’s Formula, which he’d learned in his Strategic Coach training program, developed by Dan Sullivan. It goes like this: The...
read moreLinkedIn: Focus on Your Strengths
Having worked with hundreds of clients to improve their profiles, expand their networks, and leverage their connections, I have noticed that many people are nervous talking about their strengths. When we reach the summary section, skills section, or experience descriptions, many clients immediately cringe from my suggestion of expanding the verbiage to include more strengths. Generally speaking, individuals fall into two camps: they either say they “don’t want to brag” or they “don’t have any strengths.” For those who don’t want to brag, my response is fairly simple: it isn’t bragging, it’s...
read moreThe Best (and Worst) Ways to Ask For a Raise
Asking for a raise is one of the more nerve-wracking things you can do in a job. If you phrase your request poorly, or react poorly to a denial, that can have ramifications for your position as a whole. However, if you ask for a raise in the right way, and at the right time, it can have big benefits for you. You’ll either be granted the raise you request, or you’ll make it known that you’re tuned into the company, that you’re assertive in your professional desires, and that you have the initiative to pursue your career goals. Before we dive into how to ask for a raise, however, I’d like to...
read moreKick Your Job Search into High Gear
If you are like many people, then performing a job search can start to wear on you very quickly. In my own job searches, I became fatigued after about 3 weeks—I would apply to job ads online incessantly, and then become disheartened when I didn’t hear anything. Struggling to land even an interview can be very discouraging, and can lead to you ceasing to apply altogether. Rather than letting your job search get bogged down, try the steps I’ve included below. Sometimes, to land that interview and find your next opportunity, you just have to change the way you do things to get more leverage out...
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