For a long time, a successful career was signified by receiving a shiny gold watch to commemorate your 30 or 40 years of loyal service to a single company. Getting ahead meant dedication, dependability, loyalty, putting your head down, getting your work done and following the rules.

For Baby Boomers, getting ahead took on a much different look. Think about the movies Wall Street or Baby Boom: power suit, power tie, power briefcase… huge shoulder pads. How very 1980s! It was all about influence, wealth and leverage. Everyone was eager to get ahead and more than a few people sacrificed their personal relationships.

Those who came of age in the 1990s embraced the idea of getting ahead by being their own boss. In fact, 87 percent of Gen X said they wanted their own business. This wave of entrepreneurs coupled with this “thing” called the Internet paved the way for Yahoo, Google and AOL. All of a sudden, people were clamoring for office space, patents, domain addresses and IPOs. Young people everywhere wanted to retire as millionaires before turning 40, 30…even 20-years-old!

That brings us to today where the rules are being rewritten yet again, and people are making more career changes in their 20’s than other generations experienced in a lifetime. I actually met someone last week whose son had 20 different jobs before he turned 30! These days, getting ahead involves much more than just slowly creeping up the corporate ladder or clawing your way to the top at any expense. In the age of instant makeovers, YouTube and reality shows, anyone can have a voice, be discovered, land a television show or get paid for doing just about anything people want to see. Success isn’t one-size-fits-all – it’s totally customizable.

I read a blog by Ryan Healy of Employee Evolution, which focuses on Millennials at work, and he said, “I don’t know anyone who will walk in the door of GE on their first day and think, ‘I’m going to do anything and everything I can for this company because they really care about me!’ This is because loyalty is a two-way street. The company must earn your loyalty and you must earn theirs.” He couldn’t be more accurate.

The notion of “getting ahead” will undoubtedly continue to morph but as generations and paradigms collide in the workplace, it’s important to know a little history. Even if you are determined to change all the rules and do things your way, your path will be more smooth and successful if you remember to show respect to the people who have been there and done that for a lot longer. Have your big ideas, shake things up, and place yourself in environments that embrace your ideas and strengths, but also make sure those opportunities and people can mentor you and help you see the world in a way that only experience can teach you. All the while, keep in mind that hard work, loyalty, integrity and passion will never get old.

Life, Love and Career – is there a way to find balance, happiness and stability?

With Valentine’s Day coming up this weekend, we’re pretty sure you’ll be thinking about your love life, your career, your level of happiness and maybe even a combination of everything. So we’re bringing back a phenomenal series created by our former editorial director, Jovie Baclayon. Every Friday for the next 3 weeks we’ll post Jovie’s articles on achieving success in your professional and personal relationships.

Loving yourself means living life by your own rules — not your parents’. While they may want what’s best for you, it becomes problematic if they they push you into a career, major or relationship that’s not at all what you want.

In part 1 of YSN.com’s 4 week series about achieving success in your professional and personal relationships, we’ll discuss cutting more than just the apron strings.

Here’s the inspirational story of one young man who started living his dream once he began living life on his own terms.

Happy Valentine’s Day, everyone!

Living Your Own Life: We know that cutting the cord with your parents can be a painstaking process; and it’s even harder if you are trying to break free from living out the dreams they created for you. All too often we hear from people who became lawyers or went to Ivy League schools just to please their parents. Some are incredibly unhappy later in life because even after all that schooling, they still dream of being an artist or entrepreneur but think it’s too late.

Scott knows exactly what it’s like to have to earn the right to define success and failure on his own terms. He grew up in conservative Wisconsin and his parents had his life planned out, from being in the right groups and classes to playing the right sports. Scott’s passion for culinary arts began when he was 6 and his mom gave him a Fisher Price oven, but he was always told: “Cooking is a hobby and it should stay a hobby.” His parents always embraced the qualities that made him different and unique (like his rock and herb gardens) but in terms of Scott’s career, they were determined that he was going to use his brain. He majored in linguistics and international business in college but in between semesters, he begged his parents to go to culinary school. Their response? He could go – as soon as he finished his undergrad (not thinking he would actually pursue it). But upon finishing the prerequisites, Scott was tired of living a life that wasn’t his and delivered the one, two, three punch: he dropped out of college, came out of the closet and told his parents he was going to culinary school!

Although financially on his own, Scott finally had his parents’ support. He saved enough money to head west, hoping to be accepted to the California Culinary Academy (of course he was). Now, Scott operates Chileco Catering, unveiled Chi Cuisine organic product line in fall 2007, and is consulting on a new restaurant/lounge in Central California where he will be the executive chef.

With his increasing success, the only thing his mom asks for these days is that she gets all the credit “when he makes it on Oprah.”

She gave him the Fisher Price oven, after all.

Jovie Baclayon is a communications associate for the Young Presidents’ Organization and a freelance writer based in Santa Monica, California.

Be Sure to Check Out the Entire Series!

• Live By Your Own Rules: YSN’s Tips for Having it All in Your Career, Life and Love (Part 1)

• Get Over It! YSN’s Tips for Having it All in Your Career, Life and Love (Part 2)

• It’s Time to Find Love: YSN’s Tips for Having it All in Your Career, Life and Love (Part 3)

• It’s all in the Contract: YSN’s Tips for Having it All in Your Career, Life and Love (Part 4)

For the tens of thousands who lost their jobs this year, and the millions of others fearing for the jobs they still have, YSN.com’s Jennifer Kushell shares these tips to survive the initial shock — and bounce back like a star.

1. Breathe. Stay calm.
The worst decisions are made under pressure, stress, or in a state of fear. Don’t allow yourself to be rash or irrational; keep your wits about you and commit to making it through this in one piece. Get a sense for what this layoff really means to you and what the real repercussions will be. Assess your safety nets: What are your back up plans? (All the way down to spending time with the folks in your worst case financial scenario.) Hopefully you’ve done enough to guard against that, and if so, take some solace in the fact that you’re prepared to weather a little uncertainty.

Links:
6 Steps to Survive Being Laid Off
Remember to Breathe
26 Steps to Stay Calm when the Situation Goes Bad
7 Powerful Relaxation Techniques

2. Look at this as an opportunity.
You know what they always say, “It’s not what happens to you, but what you do about it.” That might not be what you want to hear right now, but think about it: This sudden change could have a silver lining — so commit yourself to finding it. Take some time for yourself, even just a few quiet hours alone and reflect on all the things you truly liked and disliked about your job. What would you have done differently? Were you there because you had to be, or because you wanted to be? Ask yourself how you can now take the next step learning from your past experience. Is there a chance to take a step up? Or to change industries or careers entirely if you weren’t as happy as you wanted to be? So many times, abrupt changes like this are exactly what people need to get out of a rut and move on to something they’d really love to be doing.

Links:
Find that Silver Lining
Attitude is as Important as Skills

3. Audit your online identity.
Start paying close attention to your reputation management, to the platform that you’ve built for yourself online (if any) and to what new people will perceive about you when they google you. If you don’t like what you see online, or want to take control of that first impression you’re giving off, build a professional identity you can be proud of with a PROJO – your professional mojo. It’s a next generation resume/portfolio that you can share with contacts, add to/promote in your signature line, build out and keep up to date with your latest accomplishments to ensure that when someone searches for you, they find the “goods” on you, but the good!

Links:
Build your PROJO
Clean Up Your Online Act!
Manage Your Online Reputation

4. Stay connected to your network.
You probably have a lot more friends, colleagues and supporters than you realize. Survey your address books, PDA, business card files and social networks to see who’s really in your inner circle and wider network and who might be able to help lead you to some new prospective opportunities. Talk to friends and family and see who they know.

Then start reaching out to catch up with everyone you can. Befriend old friends online, shoot out a bunch of emails, even invite a few for coffee or drinks. Start talking to everyone you can! Ask your contacts who else you should be talking to, then reach out to them. Update your online profiles with the latest news and let people know that you’re actively exploring your options. This is not the time to hide out and wallow. Just make sure you force yourself to smile and at least appear to have a positive outlook for the future! Repeat the mantra to yourself: “onward and upward!”…until you believe it.

Links:
Keep Those Contacts!
Networking Your Way to a New Job

5. Assess your financial situation.
The first serious thing you need to do once you have the ability to think calmly and rationally (see #1) is to figure out the true state of your financial affairs. If you can, sit down with a financial consultant who will know how to ask you the right questions to get a proper assessment. Take a very careful look at any severance (if you’re lucky), benefits packages (like insurance policies, 401ks, etc.) that you may be able to “roll over” from your old company’s plan. (Take care of this right away too!)

Links:
Create a Budget — and Stick to It!
YSN Secrets #20: CAAAAASH

6. Ride the coat tails of senior execs.
If you’ve done a good job of befriending and staying tight with your bosses and other senior management, it might just pay off in real dividends now. Keep in close contact with them!!! The more connected they are, the faster they will probably find their next great opportunities and look to set themselves up for success in their new spot. When that happens, seasoned execs take quick steps to surround themselves with people they know and trust. They build teams from people they know — and that could include you! Make it known that you’re up for the new adventure if you are.

7. Use your leverage.
What can you do to leverage the experience you’ve had so far and the skills you’ve been building? What do you know that others want to? (Besides proprietary trade secrets!) How can you use what you’ve learned to your benefit and to others? You don’t have to play hardball or let your ego run wild to put your experience and expertise to work for you in a positive and proactive way. A great way to do this, and make some quick money, is to do some consulting work. Taking a few projects on will keep you in the game and buy you time to figure out your next move. Who knows, you might actually like it so much you decide to make it your new business!

Links:
Tips to Help You Stand Out in Your Profession
Learn to Understand Your Own Intelligence

8. Open yourself up to new opportunities.
Employment prospects or ideas you hear about from friends and relatives might not sound quite right at first, but give them a chance to explain — and yourself a chance to explore a bit. Don’t limit your attention to a very narrow set of options right after a layoff. Try to imagine yourself working in a whole new scenario and consider whether you might find happiness in some other industry or way than you’d previously envisioned. Ask a bunch of questions…even just to humor yourself. You might actually learn something you never expected or discover a connection to something that does actually fit you.

9. Stay healthy…or make this your big chance to GET healthy.
Whether you’ve been really diligent about taking care of yourself while employed or have totally forgotten what an athletic shoe feels like on your foot, make your health a major priority now. Take the time to sleep, get some fresh air, walk, run, do some yoga — whatever makes you feel your best. The endorphins will help a lot in bringing a smile and positive outlook to your face. You’ll also project more confidence as you go out to pursue other opportunities. You never know who you’ll meet along that run either!

10. Use this as preparation for the next big shake-up in your life.
Right now this might seem like the end of the world, but the good news is that if you can weather this storm, you’ll only be better prepared for the next one. Though we’d like to say this will never happen again, the truth is that life is a cycle of ups and downs, and preparation is the key to surviving it all.

If you are ready to look at the big picture, listen to our Secrets of the Young & Successful podcast series and create the life you’ve always dreamed about — no better time than the present! You can also come and talk to others about what’s happening to you in our discussion forum. You never know where the next great idea or opportunity is waiting…

Good luck!

If you’re starting to feel the “holiday blues” because you’re out of work or eager to change jobs, stress no more!  The holiday season offers a golden setting for you to meet new people and find opportunities before the New Year! Think about it: There are so many parties and gatherings happening this time of year that you can meet just about anyone you need to in order to advance your career or business! And best of all, you can do so in a casual, merry setting where people are ready to relax and socialize. Here are 5 ways to maximize your presence at those gatherings:

1. Take the opportunity to start a conversation with that agency VP you’ve been eager to meet. If you are the host, be sure to send invites to your important clients and the people you want to impress.

1. Find out if any of your friends are allowed to bring guests to their company’s holiday party, even if they don’t work in your desired industry. You never know what kind of connections you could make or who else might attend as a guest. Your friend’s coworker’s wife could work for the company of your dreams!

1. Find out if your local young professionals association or other industry/career organization is hosting a holiday event open to the public. It’s a great opportunity to meet, learn and network.

1. Keep things casual. Don’t delve into business talk now – use this time to establish a relationship with the person instead. Remember, the best jobs are never advertised, so by using your social savvy to make those important connections, that golden opportunity might just come across your desk when you least expect it!

1. Remember to bring your business cards, collect cards from others, or exchange contact information, and above all, follow up!

We at YSN are thankful for your readership, and wish you all the best this holiday season!

Heading home for the holidays can be stressful. Everyone wants to know what you’ve been doing with your life, how school or work has been going, if you’ve found someone special, and if you’re on a solid track.

Before you start sweating, here are three ways to prepare yourself for the conversations you don’t want to have at Thanksgiving, but most certainly will:

1. Think about the conversations you’re going to have and what you are going to say about the choices you’ve made. If you aren’t sure about your plans, don’t say “I have no idea what I’m going to do.” Instead, try “I’m actively exploring my options right now.” That kind of spin takes you from hopeless and lost to confident and proactive with some simple repositioning.

2. Know your audience and be aware of their “push” buttons. For example, your dad might care about how much money you’re making, while your mom might be more concerned about your happiness. Speak directly to their unique questions and concerns and they are sure to be more supportive.

3. Recognize what makes YOU happy and how you define success. Even though your definition of success may differ from others, it’s important to acknowledge the validity of all sides and respect how others might see the world – while impressing upon them how important it is for you to find a path of your own.

Remember, they love you. They don’t have to say it to mean it, and at the end of the day, they only want you to be happy.

Dealing with those less-than-supportive friends is an issue that few people talk about when it comes to dedicating your life to a startup. Having great friends around you for support is a must, but unfortunately, sometimes the people we love and expect to support us most can surprise us in adverse ways. Has this ever happened to you?

Look at the people you surround yourself with. Are they people who you respect? Do they motivate, stimulate or teach you? Do they discourage you, slow you down or get jealous about your successes? If they are uncomfortable with your lifestyle, fight you on your choices and influence you to make decisions that you later regret, you need to take a serious step back.

The wrong influences for an entrepreneur don’t necessarily have to be overtly “negative” to be counterproductive. Maybe you have friends who just don’t support what you do by not realizing how important your business is to you. Of course, the first thing you should do is to help them understand. But if that fails, there are a few things you can do to keep yourself on track:

• Remove, avoid or limit negative or counter-productive influences from your life.
• Don’t discuss business with people who don’t care or don’t want to understand.
• Surround yourself with people you admire and who motivate you.
• Read about other entrepreneurs who excite you.
• Accept the fact that you’re different. And be proud of that. You’ve worked very hard to get where you are. Don’t let anything or anyone chip away at your success or pride in it.

NETWORKING 301:

Contact Management
Once you start meeting a lot of great people, you’re going to need to keep track of them.  Get in the habit of collecting business cards and passing out some of your own.   Make notes on the back so when you get to your computer you can send new contacts a personal email about what you spoke about.  Store the cards in a box or binder, or better yet, scan them into a contact manager or online address book with notes to help you remember the person or conversation details.  Consider getting a cell phone that enables you to email your contacts and you’ll have all the tools you need to network like a pro.

Hosting Events
If you’re a student or still actively involved with your campus, invite the biggest people you want to meet to come speak.  If you’re involved in a professional or community organization you can use that platform the same way.  Invite influential people to visit and participate in worthwhile events. You can always host your own event independently too.  The more creative the hook the better.

Meeting Powerful People
When you start to become a power networker and meet some of the bigger people in business, make sure to adjust your paradigm accordingly.  They are people just like you, however, they command a different level of reverence based upon their experience.  Always be sensitive to their time and any other immediate demands on them, like speaking, appointments or a tight schedule.  Also recognize that their attention spans are going to be a lot tighter, so your conversation hook has to be strong and memorable. You’ve got to dazzle them with your confidence and poise.  Get your personal elevator pitch down tight for these too!  And don’t forget to always show respect to the gatekeepers – their assistants, staff, husbands/wives, or anyone else guarding their time and schedule.

Brand Yourself
When it comes to networking, whether you’re getting your feet wet or getting your groove on, never forget that you’re a brand too. Build it carefully and maintain it with the respect it deserves.  Go to YSN.com today to build your PROJO – “your professional mojo”, an online professional profile that you can be proud to share or have found by anyone of these great people you’re meeting. Take the YSN Assessment if you want to really pack a punch with any introduction or want to know how to position yourself in the most compelling way.

Written by, Jennifer Kushell

YSN – Expert Advice on Career Advancement and Tools for Professional Development

Hi! I’m Elizabeth Grace Saunders, a time coach and founder of Real Life E® and a member of the Extreme Entrepreneurship Tour. Inc magazine, NBC, and The Chicago Tribune are just a few of the places where I’ve appeared, and here are my “dream career” tips:

1. Try It: I worked at three corporations, a small business, and a non-profit before realizing I loved entrepreneurship. You don’t know what you really want until you try it.

2. Talk to People: Since high school, I’ve regularly reached out to people in the field that I wanted to pursue. Through informational interviews, I found out the back story on life in the industry.
3. Notice Your Energy: If you’re doing what you should be doing, your work will energize you. No matter how good you are at something, you shouldn’t do it if it drains your energy.
4.  Surround Yourself: You could be doing the perfect work but be miserable in the wrong environment. Notice what culture makes you thrive.
5. Follow Demand: If you have no clue what to do, look for areas of job growth and pursue them. You’ll most likely be happier in a high demand field where you’re paid and treated well than one where you always have to struggle.

Elizabeth Grace Saunders is a time coach who empowers women business owners to achieve work/life brilliance.TM  If you want to end your feelings of overwhelm and guilt and step into the future with confidence and enthusiasm, go to www.ScheduleMakeover.com TODAY!

Success Spotlight is an on going series you can find on the YoungandSuccessful blog. Each week we’ll highlight one of our awesome YSN members or successful young person! Stay tuned…

For submissions contact media@ysn.com.

YSN – Expert Advice on Career Advancement and Tools for Professional Development

Networking 201:

Who Are the Best People to Know?
Almost everyone is interesting in their own special way, but if you’re looking to build your career, you need to meet as many people in the working world as you can. Events in the industry of your interest are the perfect place to develop your network with people who are share similar interests . If you’re interested in advertising, online media and or marketing – check out OMMA - they organize events all over the US several times a year.  Company execs and staff come to these events to meet new people and learn about current trends.  During any break, luncheon or cocktail hour make it a point to talk to at least one person. Look for someone you saw on a panel and ask them a question. Most likely they will be interested to hear your opinions on the subject of their discussion.

How Do I Meet Them?
Meeting people can (and should) happen everywhere you go!  Hotel lobbies, elevators, restaurants, coffee lines and shuttle buses are the easiest. Anytime you’re standing around professionals there’s an opportunity to start a conversation.  At a cocktail party, meet new people around the food, drinks, or registration.  At lunches and dinners, choose your seats strategically.  Sit yourself near interesting looking or sounding people. At trade shows or presentations, walk right up to the people speaking or exhibiting and ask a question.  At any organized event, ask the staff to help you meet the right people.  Connecting people at the event makes the event more successful for everyone.  When networking online, comment about something you found interesting on the profile to get them to engage in a conversation.

Build a Killer Network
Once you get into the swing of networking, start assessing your progress. Think about the types of people you already know and who’s missing.  What types of new people would be helpful to meet? Then go find “connectors” (people who naturally connect people for fun, their job, or both).  They can typically introduce you to people you want to know or at least give you some advice to get you a lot closer.  Meet people who make things happen.  Surround yourself with them and you’re sure to raise the bar on both what and who you know.

Tackling Events
Every event is different so devise your plan of attack to ensure you can get the most out of them.  Go through any event material beforehand to learn the schedule and Google anyone or any company that looks intriguing. Remember to get some sleep the night before.  Dress to impress. Try to always carry business cards, a nice pen, and always have something to write on. Practice how you’re going to introduce yourself in a quick and compelling way.  Know what you’re looking to accomplish before you get there and make it happen. Make some great contacts in the beginning and you’ll have friendly faces to turn to the rest of the day or night.

For tips on building your pitch take the YSN Self-Assessment and get a report all about you — use the insights to craft a personal pitch using the worksheets.

Written by, Jennifer Kushell

YSN – Expert Advice on Career Advancement and Tools for Professional Development

NETWORKING 101:

Get Over the Fear
You can be the most popular kid in school, but when it comes to meeting people in the business world, don’t think you’re alone if your first instinct is to panic. If the notion of meeting top recruiters, executives and CEOs freaks you out or transforms you into a shy and awkward shell of yourself, it’s time to confront the fear. Build your confidence quickly by diving right in.  How?  Find a pool of executives (at a career fair, party, or conference), acknowledge that the new environment may sting your nerves at first, then push yourself to talk to at least one person. You’ll quickly see that the more you do it the easier it will get!

Have Fun
Networking can be a lot of fun.  Meeting new people opens you up to new experiences and brings adventure into your life.  Frankly, that’s what your job search should feel like too–an exciting exploration of new opportunities.  If you approach networking with this perspective, you may even start to love it!  Remember: New people = New Friendships/Advisors = New Opportunities!

Why You Need to Build Your Contacts
Your ability to catch and hold the attention of people in the business world has a huge impact on the opportunities you’ll be offered throughout your life.  Just don’t look at everyone you meet as a means to an end. Few are going to want to help you if you approach your conversations with a “what’s in it for me” attitude.  Expand your network of relationships and nurture them.  When you need help opening doors, are looking for some advice, or need a job, the people in your network will be your first responders.

What to Talk About
Keep in mind that the people you network with have families and friends, they eat and sleep (or don’t), travel, and dream about their futures – just like you. Break the ice by introducing yourself and asking them about their day. If you’re at a conference, ask if they are having a good time, have had a chance to walk around, what so you think of the event so far. Comment on something interesting about their booth.  All you need to do is get a conversation started and let things flow from there.

Written by, Jennifer Kushell

YSN – Expert Advice on Career Advancement and Tools for Professional Development

#1. Be Passionate. No one can tell you what to do with your life and the only way to figure it out for yourself is to figure out what you are passionate about. Write down the top 5 things that you are so passionate about that if they were taken away your life wouldn’t be the same. Now, think about how you can get your life to revolve around these five passions?

#2. Travel. You may think you know everything, but believe me, until you begin traveling the world you don’t have a clue. Teachers and textbooks only go so far. Traveling to new places, seeing different cultures, and meeting all types of people will challenge everything you have been taught. If you’re willing to open yourself up, the experiences you gain from traveling will shape you and define the person you become. You will be far better for these experiences; the good, the bad, and the ugly.

#3. Volunteer. Helping other people and dedicating yourself to a cause can open your eyes to what matters most in life. Sometimes in the craziness of day-to-day living we forget who we are and what we really care about. Volunteering will force you to open your eyes to how other people live and make you grateful for the life you have. Don’t think volunteering once will change your life, make a commitment to continue volunteering, you just may enjoy it!

#4. Dream. When your college debt is racking up and the stress of entering the workforce is becoming overwhelming don’t give up on your dreams. It’s easy to sink into a rut and continue that rut for 20 years, but it’s a lot harder to hold onto your dreams and continue striving to achieve them. Take the time now while you can to figure out what your dream is and how you can achieve it. You will be chasing money your whole life, so don’t settle for anything less than your dream. And, most importantly, don’t let anyone else tell you that you can’t achieve your dream. Stay focused and work hard.

#5. Be You. Your teens and twenties should be when you are experimenting with new ideas and concepts. Figuring out what to do with your life is really dependent on what makes YOU happy, so if you only know what you were taught by your parents, high school teachers, and college professors, how do you expect to know who YOU are? Are you simply the product of what all of these people combined have molded you to become? Don’t be so quick to answer no because most of us are just products of our surroundings. Finding out what makes the real you tick is harder and deeper than most people are willing to go. Question your beliefs, likes and dislikes, and decide how and what will truly put a smile on your face. It’s not your parents, teachers, or professors who are living in your body every day, so first and foremost make sure what you do with your life next is right for YOU and no one else.

Stay positive and just enjoy being the true you!

Article by, Chad Kennedy – Publisher & Editor-in-Chief, Teen Scene Magazine

In May 2000 at just 13 years old, Chad Kennedy started Teen Scene Magazine. Today, Teen Scene is the leading online magazine for teens and young adults by teens and young adults attracting more than 150,000 readers each month. Over the nine years, Chad has worked with Hollywood’s hottest celebrities, including Britney Spears, Justin Timberlake, and 50 Cent. Teen Scene will be featured on an upcoming episode of Sprint’s “Business Fantasy Camp” web series airing on BusinessonMain.MSN.com showcasing Kennedy being mentored by Tony Hawk.

Chad on Twitter – @ChadKennedy

YSN — Expert Advice on Career Advancement and Tools for Professional Development

Our friends at TheFunded Founder Institute just launched a founder-centric incubator that teaches new and seasoned entrepreneurs the best practices for building a business.

Their 4-month summer program takes founders through practical company building assignments lead by experienced CEOs such as Microsoft and Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati. Sessions include everything from idea definition to incorporation. The program offers a founder-friendly startup environment, mentorship from renowned CEOs, fundraising opportunities, and shared equity upside among all participants in the companies formed.

Check out their site to learn more and apply today!

The water cooler never seems to run dry in some offices. If workplace gossip has left some co-workers questioning your work ethic or character, here are a few tips on how to save your reputation:

Assess your behavior.
Is there any truth behind the rumors? Consider asking a trusted colleague for his/her opinion. Have you been a rude and harsh to your coworkers or have you been a lazy, inattentive manager? If so, apologize to everyone you offended and reassure them that you are trying to make amends.

Question their motives.
Are the gossipmongers just worried or jealous that you’re going to get a bigger raise or promotion? If there is absolutely no merit to their claims, ignore the whispers and continue kicking butt. If you are a manager, maybe your team has been overworked and is long overdue for a raise or time off.

Separate your business and personal lives.
Stop sharing details about your private life and complaining about your work, boss or colleagues. Chances are you’ve been confiding in the wrong person or people. If you’re having an office romance, keep it on the down-low even if your company allows fraternizing. Save the PDA for after hours.

Prove them wrong.
If people are complaining that you come in late or are a slacker, start coming to work early and being a workhorse. If they’re saying you’re kind of weird and antisocial, make an effort to be more outgoing.

Shoot the messenger.
Confronting the rumor mill face-to-face can often squash the gossip. Tell them that you have overheard this or that being said about you, ask for a reason why and then offer a brief explanation. Be polite, honest and sincere or you might add more fuel to the fire. If it’s a direct, aggressive character assault with zero merit, consider telling human resources.

Early in my career, after I’d helped my first few hundred people discover new career paths, businesses and organizations to launch into, I found myself wondering why different industries fascinated me so much. It didn’t matter whether the topic was entertainment, finance, apparel, aerospace, publishing, technology, food service, fitness or stranger stuff like neutraceuticals, biofuels or nanotechnology! Every industry was a totally different world that had different experts, jobs, media, events, publications, education centers, trends, definitions of success, terminology and even dress codes! And every single one was packed with opportunities as limitless as your imagination.

As if all that wasn’t intriguing enough, there were endless ways you could find or invent opportunities in any combination of industries. For example, take animals. With a traditional eye, you’d probably think your career options might include pet stores, veterinary medicine, breading and boarding. But cross a love of animals with all the other ways you could serve them and their owners and you get clothing for pets (apparel), gourmet pet bakeries (food service), organic health supplements (neutraceuticals), magazines and books (publishing), animal tracking devices (technology), and so on. With a little creativity you could have a field day coming up with ways to play in this world.

Then one day, my good friend Bob Cohen from the Harvard Office of Career Services explained to me the difference between “function” and “industry.” Simply put, function is what you do, industry is where you do it. Your industry, he explained, is your playground. It’s the world where you can have the most fun doing what you do best.

I realized right then that one of the biggest things holding people back from loving what they do is not knowing what industries they should (or should I say want to) be in. And the simplest way to figure this out, if it isn’t already obvious, is to get someone to think about what they love doing. If you love playing video games, consider working in the video game industry. If you love music, there’s a whole other industry to play in. What you do in that industry is a question of function. You can be a writer in any industry, right? You can be doctor in any industry. An accountant. A teacher. A marketer. A salesman. The world really is like one big candy store of options and opportunities! You just need to find your industryxthen dive in.

Once you’ve identified your playground, it’s just a matter of getting yourself into the middle of all the action. Join the trade associations, subscribe to the blogs and newsletters, buy the top magazines, attend the conferences and events, follow the hottest experts and stay on top of the trends. For more information on how to Master Your Universe, check out the 10-minute podcast from our NY Times Bestseller, Secrets of the Young & Successful.

Think of your industry as your playground and this powerful secret of the young & successful will cause a paradigm shift that can instantly turn your career exploration into an adventure.

Let’s face it, we’ve all done things we’d prefer to keep private — from embarrassing 6th grade photos of your “awkward stage”, to that crazy weekend that really should NOT be documented, but instead go to the grave with you and your best friend.

The Internet offers many amazing opportunities, but the reality is, it can also take them away from us.

Have you ever tried to google yourself? You should! It’s not just a vanity thing either. Today, investigating yourself online is what we like to call an ONLINE AUDIT.

Think about this. You’re in the process of just launching or building your career. Maybe you’re in your own business, or the officer of an organization. Maybe you’re in the midst of pitching yourself as an applicant against a sea of others eager for the same opportunity.

When you’re looking to learn more about someone, you look for them online, right? Well, so do most people!

What do others find when they search for you?

NOTHING

If I go to google someone and nothing comes up, my first thought is “haven’t they done anything notable in their lives”? At very least, I expect to see sports photos, or school photos, or an online profile (business or social) that says they’re engaged in the outside world. If they’ve reached a certain level of success, I assume I’ll find a bio, a web site, or something that acknowledges their career, their journey so far. Finding nothing doesn’t even really say NOTHING. In some instances, it actually says a lot.

STRICTLY SOCIAL

Okay, if someone is only visible via social sites and party recaps, you’d better bet I’m going to look a lot more closely for any signs of what they do on the professional side. Who knows what I’ll come across then!

SCARY STUFF

I don’t think we need to go into too much detail here, but anything that could possibly be construed as inappropriate, rude, mean, indecent, incriminating, or in poor taste can become a big problem for you. It’s not just your friends who can see this stuff (unless you’re profiles are set on private – but that’s no guarantee either.) People lose important opportunities and potential relationships every day because of what people find. If you’re not sure how others may interpret something about you, share it with some close friends to get their impression. Then pull it down, or beg your friend to remove anything questionable. Write to companies that post information on you that’s too personal or erroneous. Clear the record. Make a real effort to clean up your image online.

In every one of these instances what’s missing is your PROFESSIONAL IDENTITY. Who are you and what have you accomplished? What are you aspiring to do with your life? What do you really want recruiters, your employer, colleagues, educators, mentors, big contacts, and even your family to know abut you? This is the information that people really should find about you.

“Get your priorities straight!” is typically a comment or barb that comes hurling towards you in the heat/fog of bad judgment; but at YSN we rarely hear it talked about as a tool to empower you, make you happierxand of course, make you more successful. If you really think about it, having a clear sense of YOUR priorities, at any point in your life, is critical to making the right choices to keep you on the right path for YOU.

Think of your priorities as your own personal decision-making filter. Any time you have a decision to make that involves allocating your time, money or energy — from where to spend the weekend to how to spend the next few years of your life — run the idea through this PRIORITY FILTER.

Take the next 3 minutes and a pick out your top 5 priorities from the list below.

ACHIEVEMENT (sense of accomplishment)
ADVANCEMENT (promotions)
ADVENTURE (new and challenging experiences)
AFFECTION (love, caring)
COMPETITIVENESS (winning, taking risks)
COOPERATION (working well with others)
CREATIVITY (being imaginative, innovative)
ECONOMIC SECURITY (financial stability, independence)
FAME (being famous, well-known)
FREEDOM (autonomy, independence)
FRIENDSHIP (close relations with others)
INTEGRITY (honesty, standing up for one’s beliefs)
INVOLVEMENT (participating, belonging)
LOCATION (city/country, near family/friends)
LOYALTY (duty, respect, obedience)
ORDER (tranquility, stability, conformity)
PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT (use of potential)
PLEASURE (fun, laughs, leisurely lifestyle)
POWER (control, authority, influence over others)
PRESTIGE (reputation, image, status)
RECOGNITION (acknowledgement of worth)
RESPONSIBILITY (accountable for results)
SELF-RESPECT (personal pride, identity)
VARIETY (diversity of projects, newness)
WEALTH (making money, getting rich)

Now you’ve got your own PRIORITY FILTER. Keep the list in your wallet, on your wall, in your deskxwherever you can see it often and refer to it quickly. But first, take it for a spin. Test it out on your current job. Or if you’re a student, test your current life against it. It should tell you a lot!

This week I had an extraordinary experience.  Got to speak at the Entrepreneur Magazine Growth 2.0 Conference on the subject of “Building, Managing & Rocking Your Network”.  The response has been overwhelming…too cool for words.  That said, we realized that we at YSN needed to do more to talk about this sometimes intimidating, but almost always life-changing practice.  Especially in these trying times, as I said at the event, “your ability to survive and succeed in this economy may depend on your network.”

Building Your Contacts
Having a great network of friends and contacts can totally change how happy and successful you are.  When you’re in trouble, are struggling, or experiencing a rough patch, your network will also be the first people there to help you get through it.
For 5 great tips on how to build your network that we filmed on a recent speaking tour with American Express talking about this very subject, click here to see video.

A few ground rules to savvy networking:

• Realize your life will get more interesting as you expand your network.
• Have fun.
• Don’t always have an agenda.
• Make it a point to meet interesting people everywhere you go.
• Be someone people like to be around.
• Most importantly, be someone you can be proud of.
• Make sure you surround yourself with successful people.
• Collect a broad mix of great mentors along the way who can teach you about a variety of areas.
• Keep a list of people you want to meet (or the types of people – ie: entrepreneurs, doctors, MBA grads, non profit leaders) and share it with your more connected friends who may be able to refer you to people in their networks.

Always try to help others whenever you can.  Just do it because it’s good to do it. Wonderful things do sometimes come back to grace you too. Click here to see video.
In the Podcast of our book Secrets of the Young & Successful we spoke about How to Meet Anyone.  Here are the audio links in two sections:  Part I & Part II

Managing Your Network

As you start to meet more and more people, the biggest piece of advice we can offer is make sure you capture all of their critical contact info right away, keep it in one place, and make sure it’s digital.  Then keep it up to date back it all up regularly.

Spend the time and money (if you can) to invest in a simple online database, PDA (personal digital assistant) or mobile device that can hold all of the information you collect on your contacts (from name to birthday, cell, city/state…whatever is most appropriate.)

Then make sure you’re staying in touch, taking good care of your people and treating them well.  Here’s how to Create Your Own Networking Event.  Make sure you take care of your network too and show them ongoing love and attention too.

Meeting Influential & Powerful People

In every business, industry, society, there’s a group of people who are considered the power players, the movers and shakers.  They make the decisions that affect hundreds, thousands, sometimes millions of lives.  Having access to them can get you a voice in their circles.  Building relationships with them and get you in the game and make you a part of the serious action.  Getting to almost anyone you want to meet is possible, you just need to know a few secrets, and a new perspective on the whole thing.  Learn about the House on the Hill.

When you finally get the chance to meet someone really great, make sure you don’t blow it either! Here are our top 5 tips (from TONS of experience!) on how NOT to miss another opportunity.

And whatever you do, don’t forget the gatekeepers!

Have you ever had someone say “tell me about yourself”, and not know what to say?  You could be the most interesting, accomplished person in the world, but if you can’t describe who you are and what makes you tick to an interested party, they’ll be forced to assume you’re a dud.

Being able to sell yourself effectively to others all starts with knowing yourself.  You know your vital stats (name, age, hometown, job or student status, interests), but can you tell a quick story about yourself that’s compelling?  How about if you need to go beyond the small talk and really get at the substance of who you are?  Can you talk about your strengths, weaknesses, priorities, goals and preferences if put on the spot?  People who can, get rewarded all the time with exciting opportunities both socially and professionally.  Are you one of them?

Quick!  Tell yourself about yourself! Ok, how’d you do? If you need a little help, take the next 20 minutes and let YSN show you (or confirm) what makes you special, what you need to work on, and how you appear to others.  You’ll be so happy you did.

Take the Self Assessment Now!

We’ve crunched the best of 25 years of research, exclusive insights from behavioral scientists, career counselors, statisticians, corporate recruiters, and two NY Times bestselling authors together into the new YSN Self Assessment.  Let YSN’s Special Report help you answer that tough question “tell me about yourself?”

In this economy, you need every possible advantage to survive—let alone find success—in your job or career.   So what can you do to build your competitive edge?

1. Beef up your bio or resume. Challenge yourself to keep adding notable experiences to your repertoire.  Take advantage of weekends, vacations, or evenings to get active in industry associations, volunteer, intern, work part time, or pick up some consulting work.

2. Become invaluable. Whatever you may be doing for work, be someone your bosses or partners can’t live without.

3. Be someone people want to have around. Particularly in rough times, a great attitude can make all the difference between people wanting to work with you, go out of their way to help, or cut you loose.

4. Help as many people as you can. Go out of your way to be a good person and make lots of friends…especially with people who can help you with your career.  Be a resource to them.  Offer to help, even work for free.

5. Network like crazy. Stay well connected to your existing network and keep those relationships strong.  At the same time, expand your contact base and make an effort to surround yourself with new, interesting and successful people. Your exposure and your access to opportunity will increase dramatically.

*Don’t worry if you missed one our emails covering our 10 FAVORITE SUCCESS TIPS … we’re adding them to the blog so that you can get caught up in minutes.

Don’t worry if you missed one our emails covering our 10 FAVORITE SUCCESS TIPS … we’re adding them to the blog so that you can get caught up in minutes.

How many times have you found yourself walking through a store, scanning hundreds of items a minute, disregarding most of them but occasionally stopping to touch something or pick it up to get a closer look? Now picture that same store – a supermarket, department store, warehouse or club store – and replace the sea of products with people. You heard me. Imagine every box, can, pair of pants, video, book, and bag of candy replaced with a person just like you. Visualize thousands of them…maybe more…maybe a million in any given store. Now, do that visual walk through again. Would you notice you?

With a billion young people entering the world of work in the next 10 years, let’s be honest, most of us look a heck of a lot alike. While we’re all certainly different and special in our own ways, at first glance we blend into the sea of hundreds, sometimes thousands of others. When you’re looking for a job, a promotion, a great new client, or to be considered for a special opportunity, standing out (in a positive way) is essential. But what do most people see if they come in to take a closer look? How often are you putting your best foot forward in person, or online?

Now that the economy has taken a downturn and great opportunities are getting harder and harder to find, this is the perfect time to build (or refine) your professional brand. Odds are, when someone goes to look for you online or learn more about you, they come up with little if nothing, but all too often they discover juicy little photos, online posts or fun facts that you certainly never intended them to see!

Do yourself a favor and conduct a personal and professional brand audit of yourself. Analyze everything that the outside world can see or find out about you with a simple search online. Consider, from a totally objective perspective, what kind of impression you’re portraying, then clean it up. Then do the same with your physical appearance. Start to be more intentional, purposeful, and proactive about what kind of image you’re projecting. Don’t assume others are going to take the time to “get to know you”. Make it your responsibility to grab and hold their attention. Because just like being one in a sea of products on shelves, you too often have a matter of seconds to impress upon others that you’re worth a closer look.