Everywhere I go lately, small business owners, company execs and everyone in sales is preoccupied with closing deals.  The economy has certainly made business a lot more difficult to succeed in, and more than ever, we all need to constantly be analyzing how we’re doing things to keep getting smarter, better, more efficient and more effective.  And at the top of everyone’s list: making more money.

That all said, I want to share some hard earned insight that will hopefully save many of you a lot of time, money and aggravation.

When you’re courting a new company or client, the sales process can easily get dragged out over a matter of weeks, months, or worse, never really result in an answer at all – be it yes or no.  So, how do you cut to the chase and find out whether there’s really even a deal to be done in the first place?

A few simple questions can make all the difference.

1.  What exactly are you looking to have done?

2.  What does success look like for this project?

3.  Where does this fall on your overall priority list?

4.  Are you exploring solutions with other prospective consultants/contractors?

5.  What questions do you have about me/us/our work?

6.  What’s the time frame you’re looking to start and execute this in?

7.  What does your budget look like?

8.  Who is the ultimate decision maker? (Who controls the checkbook?)

9.  Do you have a specific process for closing deals like this?

10.  As for next steps, would you like me to send you a recap of our conversation and a proposal on how we might be able to help you/best serve you?

They say yes, and you have yourself a hot lead.

It may take a meeting or so to build rapport and get comfortable enough to ask these questions, but rest assured you’ll start closing deals a heck of a lot faster when you get answers to these questions early on.

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.

We’ve been getting so many requests lately for content on how to gain media attention that we decided to bring back a recent article with plenty of tips for those of you who are still learning how to get noticed and for those who want to gain even MORE coverage!!

A few [months] ago, I had the chance to revisit one of my favorite yearly events – The National Publicity Summit.  Hosted by my old friends, Steve and Bill Harrison, and their stellar team of PR pros. The Summit brings together a wide range of experts and authors with over 100 journalists from top tv, radio and internet programs.

The most exciting (and valuable) activity by far is the one-on-one speed networking sessions with journalists where you get 2-3 minutes to pitch yourself, your business, your products or whatever else you’re looking to promote.  Imagine producers from The View, 20/20, editors from USA Today, Newsweek, Wired, Rolling Stone, syndicated columnists and radio hosts…all looking to book new talent and uncover hot topics and new sources.  I’ve honestly never seen anything like it.

Whether you’re just venturing out to get your first press clippings, have already secured your fair share of media recognition, or are a seasoned pro, the event always propels you further up the learning curve.   It’s not all “trial by fire” though.  There’s a ton of educational programming and training spattered throughout the schedule as well.

For me, the best insight comes from the massive Q&A panel featuring the members of the media.  That’s when Steve asks them all to introduce themselves and talk about what catches their attention, turns them off, turns them on, and even drives them crazy.  Most in the room are like sprinters getting antsy to jump out of their starting blocks into the one on one event that follows.  But this is where some of the best gems of insight come from, and where I take my most copious notes.

As usual, on top of learning myself, I’m always thinking about what juicy little nuggets I can share with all of you. So, here are the top 10 takeaways for all you busy people, eager to increase your own exposure in the press:

1. Be targeted. Don’t mass email journalists or address correspondences “to whom this may concern”.  Those go right into the trash.  Take the time to identify the right department or column and send your pitches to specific people with a personal note.

2. Be short and to the point. Journalists are really busy people who are often inundated with pitches from strangers.  Get to your pitch quickly and don’t assume they’re going to read 4 or 5 paragraphs.

3. Clearly articulate your story hooks. What do you have to say that will really grab the readers or viewers attention (let alone the journalist’s!)? Say something powerful, revealing or life altering if you can.  If you only have a sentence or two to captivate, carefully consider what you’d say.

4.  Talk in sound bites. Imagine the people reading or listening to your pitch, as well as their audience, all have ADD.  All of your information needs to be bite sized.  If the editor or producer gathers a bunch of content from you, make sure it’s easy for them to pull out a few juicy pieces they can plug into their story or lead it off with.

5.  Timing is everything. Know whether you have a time sensitive story (Valentine’s day gifts for your X) vs. an evergreen story (5 tips to get in the best shape of your life).  Be aware of and sensitive to the news cycles of the media you’re pitching, be ahead of the curve (but no too far ahead), be relevant and be timely.  This is not always easy to ascertain, but it makes all the difference in whether their ears are peeled or glazed over when you pitch.

6.  Don’t forget online. A lot of people will focus on the big platform opportunity and pursue the big television or radio shows.  Most media has an online presence too and often they need fresh content to drive people there as well.  Be sure to mention anything that you can offer for their site as well.

7.  When they call, jump! If you’re serious about working with the media, you need to be extremely responsive to them when they come knocking.  Call them back or email (based on their instructions) as soon as humanly possible.  If they don’t hear from you, or get you on their first call, rest assured they’ll move right on to find some else.

8.  Follow through. If a member of the media asks you for something (a book, and article, tips, a photo, etc.) don’t leave them hanging. They’ll forget about you or write you off.  The more reliable you are as a source, the more likely they are to use you again too.

9.  Be dynamic. Boring people make boring experts and guest.  If you have a personality, show it, amp it up to match the tone of the show or publication.  If you don’t, force yourself out of your shell or consider having someone else represent you to the press.

10.  Know your own material. Some journalist said that when they question authors about their own books, some stagger or forget details or stories in their own work!  If you’re going to position yourself as an expert, you’d better have the facts to back it up and be fluent in the subject matter you’re pitching or representing.  It all goes back to that issue of substance,  credibility and expertise that we wrote about in a recent post.

A lot of people ask me why I keep going to these events.  “Continuous learning and networking”, I tell them.  Even though I’ve spent an entire career working with hundreds of journalists and have been featured in front of hundreds of millions, it’s not easy to stay fresh, relevant and connected…let alone for, urgh, 17 years, as I have.  (“Have”, “have tried”, “been hammering away” – whatever you want to call it!)

I’ll say it again, what ever stage in the game you’re at, keep challenging yourself to learn more, become more seasoned, and fine tune your packaging, delivery and messaging.  This holds true for just about all of us, in every situation, no matter what business or industry we’re in.

OMG, my neighbor won a Grammy award this Sunday!

As you can imagine, I’m psyched beyond words for her and immediately wanted to celebrate her life changing career success with you all here at YoungandSuccessful.com….because well, that’s what we do, but also, because I thought you’d all appreciate the little taste of this experience up close and personal.

Living in Los Angeles is a pretty surreal existence. Sometimes it’s a little over the top, often it’s fascinating (mostly due to the crazy characters who reside here), frequently it’s perplexing (attitudes, values, paradigms, etc.) but the real reason most live here is for the unbeatable lifestyle – the relaxed atmosphere, the beauty, the beaches, the amazing weather.  Sure some come to be discovered, others to escape the cold, and the rest in search of a better life.

Anna Joseph moved to LA from Minnesota to launch her career in the entertainment industry like countless others.  For the past few years, she’s been a wiz at producing commercials and more recently started to take on some other projects – one of which was a music video.  Long story short, the “Boom Boom Pow” video featuring the Black Eyed Peas was in part, her creation.  And Sunday, they took home the Grammy for Best Music Video.

As I watched the awards that night (with my other favorite neighbor) I couldn’t help but look beyond the glitz, the glamour and the stage show that was put on to celebrate and publicize it all.  When Taylor Swift talked about what it was like to be a kid in high school dreaming the impossible – to one day win a Grammy – then experience it actually happening that night, she reminded millions around the world that many on that stage have had journeys similar to ours.  She ruminated about how those of us who start out all filled with fire and ambition, hungry to succeed, are all told at some point or another that much of what we dream of is unreachable…but clearly it’s not.
Listening to Taylor was a reminder of that.  But helping Anna get ready for the actual Grammy’s herself was the best proof I could ever imagine.  And I really wanted to remind you all of that.  These kinds of successes really do happen.

Anna is the sweetest, nicest, most considerate, professional and talented person you could meet.  She’s real, authentic and dedicated to giving everything she can to everything she does.  She’s one of those people that you hope experiences a success like this…but still, you never dream it will actually happen.  And yet, it does sometimes!

For the past month our building has been a buzz with getting her ready – dresses, hair, makeup, planning.  Her sisters and niece and father flew into town this weekend.  Everyone else at home huddled by their televisions with bated breath.  Those in town got all dressed up, went to the parties, escorted her to the awards show, bit their nails as they waited for the category to be called, then were right by her side when it all happened.  Totally surreal.

I know you don’t all personally know her, but I wanted you to share in this experience because it’s important for us all to see come to life.  All this hard work, the late nights, the pain, the suffering, the dedication, the commitment…is worth it.  Not always, but often enough to make the effort worth it.  Plus, how much more exciting are our journey’s than everyone else’s?  We lead these crazy lives because we want more out of life and we’re all curious to to see just how far we can go.

As you’re thinking about your path so far and all the things you aspire to do, take a look at this video and put yourself in Anna’s shoes. It is possible.  This level of success can be yours.  Anna is living proof.

Just because we’re at the end of January doesn’t mean were letting you off the hook with your resolutions just yet. You may already be into the groove of the new year, but odds are there are still many things you can do to set yourself up for great success this year! Here are a few tips to keep you in the strongest state of mind:

1. Surround yourself with success
“Show me your friends and I’ll show you your future,” is a great saying because it’s true! The people and influences we surround ourselves with play a huge role in how we think, act and form our own aspirations.  Rearrange your environment to include more positive, proactive, prosperous, generous and happy people.

2. Commit to making this your best year yet
Banish the doom and gloom attitude of ‘09!  All that fear and pessimism is barely going to get you by, let alone help you knock things out of the ball park.  Switch up your attitude to expect success.  Plan for it.  Build your daily life and plans around achievement and doing what you need to to get to the next level.  Reject status quo.  Instead, make it your fall back plan.

3. Solidify your career plan
If you’re not already committed to a well thought out path, stop RIGHT NOW and look at where you are, what your options are, and be more strategic with every new step you take.  Stop wasting time!  Get a grip now on how to leverage your talents, interests and style to make work something you love and are excited to talk about.  For free help, YSN’s Career Planning tool will help you discover your best path to success in as little as 20 minutes!

4. Show your appreciation
Tell the people you love that you do more often.  Articulate your admiration for your mentors, tell your neighbors how grateful you are for their kindness. As for clients, colleagues, managers, employers, don’t forget how critical they are to your survival and success.  Let them know how much you appreciate their trust and commitment in you and your company.  Little emails, notes, texts, calls and quiet conversations over coffee can really make someone’s day and reinforce your relationships.

5. Combat stress with healthier habits
Next time you feel sluggish, frustrated, fired up or depressed, pass on that third cup of coffee and take a walk around the block, go for a jog, hit the gym, cut up some fresh fruit, nibble on some protein, down a bottle of water, of just put some headphones on and listen to music you love with your eyes closed for a bit.  Not only will you get away from the stress for a few minutes, but you’ll feel stronger when you get back, and you’ll remind yourself that subtle little things you can do like this do make a difference, not just personally but professionally too.

6. Stockpile your options
Opportunity truly is everywhere.  Today, more than ever, you need to have a solid idea of your options so you’re prepared for anything.  Don’t let life or the economy sideswipe you or knock you around like tennis shoes in a dryer.  By lining up opportunities and having backup plans at the ready, you’ll feel more confident, less vulnerable, make smarter choices, and start to pay more attention to what really makes you happy and gets you closer to your goals.

7. Get your career on the fast track
Did you know that every day you have the opportunity to do little things that can make a significant difference in your success? That if you get a better grip on how to best position yourself, package your experience, and build your credibility, people will pay more attention to you and treat you with more respect?  If you surround yourself with experts, advisors, and mentors you’ll make smarter decisions.  If you arm yourself with the right information and insights, you’ll be smarter and probably make more money. Let us show you how with our NEW  Fast Track to Success: 30 Days to Transform Your Life and Career Program!

8. Plan things to look forward to
Looking onward and upward keeps us moving forward and helps maintain our excitement and enthusiasm for what’s to come.  Make plans to go check out a big conference or seminar you’ve been reading about.  Organize a get together with a bunch of friends who really inspire you. If you’ve been working like a dog, schedule a sleep day to shut off your phone, stay in bed, nap, watch movies and rejuvenate.  Set a goal to achieve with a deadline so you can go celebrate when you hit it.

9. Become a tourist in your own town
Start to enjoy your own surroundings more.  It doesn’t matter where you live.  Start to explore like you’re new in town.  Go check out the sites, restaurants, even libraries or theme parks that you haven’t seen or been to in a while. Drag a friend along with you and have a blast.  Find a new appreciation for the place you call home and the fascinating and funny characters who live in your city, town, village or neighborhood.

10. Build your community, build your career
Getting involved in local causes, charities, fundraisers and committees can not only help you make an impact in your own backyard, but you’ll make some great friends and connections too.  Rallying behind a cause (whether local, national or global) gives you a very special opportunity to work with community leaders, entrepreneurs, corporate execs and other special people you might never have met.  Joining forces with them builds unity, camaraderie and a real sense of community.  Best of all you can make a difference in the lives of others…and the rush you get from that is second to none.

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!

Taking a personal inventory and assessing your current resources will save you time and money! If you’re going to go into business for yourself, one of the best things you can do is know what you’re getting into and whether you have access to the resources necessary for you to succeed.

Entrepreneurs always underestimate what they will need to start their businesses. Honestly, anyone can start a company. But only a small percentage of those who try manage to build successful firms. In one way or another, the reason for failure usually comes down to resources. Businesses that fail most often do so because they lack money, industry expertise, or a viable strategic plan. These are all inputs, or resources, whether they are intellectual capital (knowledge) or monetary capital.

Use this chart (to the left) to take a personal inventory of your resources as they apply to starting your company. If you do not yet have your business concept solidified, use the chart to identify how well equipped you are to be in business in general. (For example, under “knowledge” assume that you will need to know how to manage money, create financial statements, have some management or entrepreneurial experience, understand a particular industry, have a better-than-average skill that you will use, and so forth.)

As soon as you have nailed down your business idea, recreate this chart and do it again. You might even want to keep it around while you’re in the planning stages, updating it until you feel confident that you have the key resources that you will need to begin.

Feel free to add more resource categories and, if possible, in the description/specifics column, order according to importance, giving each item its own line. Then simply check off the appropriate boxes, identifying how accessible each resource is to you right now. It is important that this list reflect your present situation so that you don’t neglect something that you need to learn or obtain.

Study the completed chart carefully and update it regularly. You may want to recreate it on a piece of paper, draw it on an erasable board, or put it on a spread sheet so that you can more easily edit it. It can be of enormous help to you in starting your company the right way, the smart way.

Healthy Returns: The Importance of Taking Care of the Business…Of You

We dedicate so much of our lives to work, school, community service projects, and new ventures that we often forget we need some attention, too. All too often we neglect what could perhaps be the most critical component — our health. Relying on the “work hard, play hard” mentality to get by can act like a charm for a while, but eventually it takes a toll.

A few months ago, I found myself sinking into a bit of a depression. I’d just finished a huge project that had consumed my life for the past year, had come off the high of a successful final event and crashed. I think I slept for something like 15 hours on my first day off, but had a lot of trouble bouncing back to my normal self. A few days of dragging turned into weeks of diminished capacity.

I’d certainly pushed my physical, mental and emotional limits on the project, but even when it was over, any of the bad habits lingered and kept me in what I’d soon discover was a rather self-destructive zone. I figured I’d just snap out of it at some point, but instead had the good fortune of having dinner with some friends who changed my perspective on my weakened state of health and performance. In fact, over the next few months, they’d actually change my life.

Ashleigh Bravo and Shawn Leege own a private training and nutrition company in Los Angeles called New Life Private Training. Every time Bravo asked me when I was going to start working out with them, I’d blow off the idea, citing how busy I was. But seeing her and Leege at dinner, looking and feeling fabulous in the midst of dealing with their won entrepreneurial growing pains, suddenly inspired me. The next morning I was in the gym with Leege, who put me on a weight-training, cardio and nutrition program that represented the polar opposite of the terrible habits I had defaulted to time and time again. That meant no more sugar, caffeine or processed foods, but tons of water, fresh fruit, vegetables, protein, and lots of exercise and sleep.

Despite the initial shock of quitting cold turkey all that I had grown  to depend on, I quickly became addicted to this new way of living. It was a little brutal at first, but somehow the challenge became a wonderfully exciting one I was suddenly determined to conquer. Every morning I’d meet Leege to work out, and with in two weeks I started to see a noticeable difference in how I looked, felt and even worked. I soon was jumping out of bed earlier than ever, glowing with excitement and energy, and even turning a few heads.

It’s been a few months now and, admittedly, my travel and work schedule (and, yes, the reckless abandon of a vacation, too) haven’t allowed me to be as diligent, but I have maintained some outstanding new habits. My favorite is starting each day with a good sweaty spin on the elliptical machine. With music blasting through my iPod, CNN on the TV, and newspapers and trade journals draped over the bars, my body springs to life, the adrenaline starts pumping, and my head fills with creative ideas and solutions. In these 30 or so minutes, my day starts with a bang. (sure beats dragging myself out of bed each morning and pumping myself with caffeine to wake up!) Perhaps the most valuable takeaway, though, is the epiphany that my overall performance is directly connected to how well I treat my body. Just think of what you could do with all that extra energy, stamina and confidence. Enhance your own health and happiness, not to mention your image as a leader, and become an even greater role model and inspiration to all those you work with.

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.

Hey tweeple!  (That’s “people” in Twitter speak, btw.)

We’re getting our favorite locals together in the Big Apple tomorrow for a little fun and rare face time.  If you’re going to be in the NYC area, please come join:

Me (Jen Kushell) – @ysnjen

Jennifer Iannolo – @foodphilosophy

& Monique Peltz – @ysn_careersos

… Tuesday, November 24, 2009 at the chic Roger Smith Hotel.

And don’t worry if you’re not a Twitter user yet, we accept all. 

Hope to see you there!!!

For more info click here.

Since Monique (@ysn_careersos) & I (@ysnjen) and Jennifer Iannolo (@foodphilosophy) aka: the “food madame”, are all going to be in the city at one time, we’re throwing a little get together!

In a quick interview by Barry Moltz, at the BlogWorld Expo, Jen shares her opinions on customer service!

Check it out on Barry’s Blog – B.A.M (Bust a Myth – Delivering Customer Service in A Self-Service World).

Lately there’s been a lot of murmuring online and at industry gatherings about this whole concept of what really makes an expert.  To be blunt, the freewheeling use of the term is getting pretty out of control.

Everyone seems to be an expert in something these days.  Whether it’s technology, social media, fitness, foreclosures…I’m pretty sure this explosive growth of authority figures is pretty universal among industries.  My guess as to why is not just because people are looking for an edge, and some sort of competitive advantage, or unique identity that sets them apart, but the rise of citizen journalism and infopreneuring has something to do with it too.  Millions of people now publish blogs, they self publish books, give seminars, start new departments for their companies…bottom line, they make money from packaging themselves as such.  And more power to them for that!

Without pointing fingers or passing judgment (any further that is), I wanted to start to open a dialogue about what true expertise really means, so we can start holding all of ourselves to a higher standard, or, at very least, some minimal standards.  It’s for the good of us all, seriously.

I’ll never forget the day I saw the caption under a big photo of myself in US News & World Report back in the mid 90s.  I gasped.  It said, “Talking About Her Generation – Guru: Get Ready for Change”.  It was an article about my perspective on how our generation (Generation X) was inventing their own rules in business.  (Little could we have imagined back then the tidal wave of change the Millennials would bring about a decade later!)

Despite the incredible endorsement from one of the most prestigious business magazines in the world, the innuendo that I was a “guru”, let alone an “expert” sent me into a panic.  Who was I to be called a guru?  How could I show my face around other, older, more established people?  Sure, I’d been amassing a lot of experience over the preceding three or four years, was working with my peers from dozens of countries, had been consulting for big companies, doing a bunch of speaking engagements, working with a non profit or two, and was just getting started on my first book…but I was still so young and new to the field.

These are the principles that I’ve followed.  I don’t expect others to live by the same standards, but this is what I did and it has certainly served me well in my career.

For whatever it’s worth, I studied (and lived by) this concept for years for my own sake, to ensure that no one ever questioned my own authority. Because I was just 19 when I started this career, gaining credibility and respect was a huge hurdle for me to overcome.

In an attempt to start to make people think more seriously about who they entrust with their time, money, health, well being and businesses, and for all of those who are building their expertise, or already holding themselves out as experts, I humbly offer this list.  Consider this a guideline, an inspiration, or even a personal challenge. I know the definition of expertise is highly subjective, but allow me to set the bar high for us all.

1. Experience: You can’t build expertise without experience doing the actual work you talk about.  Malcom Gladwell said it takes 10,000 hours.  Other say it takes at least 3 to 5 years.  But perhaps very significant experiences in a compact period of time can count for a lot too.

2. Education: A lot of fields require practitioners to complete certain academic courses, earn certificates or degrees, or complete a particular amount of training.  The hours, month or years involved varies widely across industries.  Know what’s relevant to you and comply as much as you can or make sure that your experience is compelling and substantive enough to compensate for a lack of formal training.

3. Being Paid: If you haven’t been paid for what you know, how can you validate that it’s valuable to others?  Having clients or employers invest in you as a solution says a lot, especially when the outcome makes them happy and saves or makes them money.  The more money you make from selling your expertise, the more credibility you gain.

4. Peer Recognition: Everyone is part of an industry, if not several different ones.  If people in your industry vouch for you by endorsing your work, mentioning you in theirs, or inviting you into exclusive clubs or events, that’s substantive.  The more prestigious and experienced the people who acknowledge you, the more meaningful it will be for many.

5. Media: Being quoted, profiled or featured by the media speaks volumes to thousands, if not millions, depending on the reach and respect of the medium.  This is another third party endorsement that not only carries a lot of weight, but has high visibility and lends credibility from a trusted source.

6. Being Published: From blogs to podcasts, articles to books, there are lots of ways to package and promote your expertise.  The more you do this and the more people who read and respond to your work, the bigger the outlets/publishers that will be eager to grant you access to their platform.

7. Exposure: How many people have read about you, come to see you speak, bought your products or services?  How many know about you and your work?  Gaining exposure is easier than ever if you leverage social media, but if no one knows about you, or can find you online, it’s easy to have your true authority questioned.

8. Authenticity: It should go without saying, but if you’re going to call yourself, or allow others to call you an expert, have the goods to back it up.  If you live what you preach, it says as much about your integrity as your authority.  There are far too many people in the world who attempt to teach others what they themselves have never accomplished or sell promises that they know will never or rarely be realized.  Marketing is marketing, but worse than being a faux-expert is being a fraud.  If you do nothing else, be authentic, honest and conduct your life and business with integrity.

There are lots of ways to build experience and earn credibility as an expert.  Think about it.  Consider your options and opportunities carefully.  And take your definitions of expertise more seriously.  Whether you’re a consumer relying on an expert, or the expert offering your services, everyone wins when relationships have a foundation of substance and demonstrable value.

Last week Jen headed to Las Vegas, NV to attend the BlogWorld Expo and in addition to learning a lot about the world of blogging, she asked some of the biggest names in the blogosphere – What they were packing (technology, that is!). This article (and video) was featured in the technology section of The Huffington Post, and were bringing it to you!

This past week I ventured to the BlogWorld Expo in Las Vegas to get a sense of the state of the blogosphere and broader new media business.

I quickly found myself yearning to rip out my own Flip Video camera. Between the fabulous personalities, quirky characters and dazzling gadgets being pulled out of backpacks, purses and pockets everywhere, one question kept me endlessly curious: What were the biggest bloggers and social media personalities packing?

With all the funky new technology available these days, what is the one thing that the online elite refuse to leave home without? So, I started asking them. And this fun little video is what I came up with.

Richard Jalichandra (CEO of Technorati), Rick Calvert (CEO of BlogWorld) and Joe Morin (co-founder of PubCon) packed light. Hugh Hewitt did too, if you don’t count the producer he had in tow, who got stuck lugging an entire portable radio studio for him to Vegas.

The road warriors, Chris Brogan (NY Times bestselling author of Trust Agents) and Brian Clark (Copyblogger) were fully stocked, but impressively compact in their organization … and total sweethearts to boot, spending hours answering questions and talking to hoards of fans.

Then there were the hard core journalists like Howard Greenstein from Inc Magazine, and Don Lemon, social media savoir from CNN who, god bless him, spent an exhausting day working the expo to promote a big breakthrough Twitter campaign called #beatcancer, which is a new model for charities to leverage social media to raise money. (Click here to learn more.)

Like other social media mavens, Jennifer Iannolo and Chef Mark Tafoya from the Culinary Media Network and the iconic Ben Huh, CEO of I Can Has Cheezburger and Fail Blog (who’s sites boast a staggering 200 million visitors a month) were packing some serious hardware. Any one of them, I swear, could have started a 24 hour cable news network from their backpacks. Luckily, among all of the heavy haulers, Mike Dorausch (aka @chiropractic on Twitter) was on hand as the shinning example of ergonomic efficiency (sadly not for adjustments), but to prove that you can in fact carry it all and not kill your back. Props to Howard too for the same sensibilities, though I have to admit, the term “geek chic” did cross my mind when I first saw these two in their whole ready-to-scale-Everest packs stuffed to the brim with laptops, cameras, zoom lenses, video equipment and iPhones. And I do mean that in the most loving context possible, of course. I was even a bit jealous of some of their goodies.

There were a slew of fun little gadgets and gizmos. But some of the most memorable for me wouldn’t have been quite as special without their owners and operators — like dear Warren Whitlock (creator of the Twitter Handbook) who managed to take a hell of a golf swing with a long steel extender rod attached to a friend’s mini video camera. (I do hope his friend doesn’t see this video!) Clark Kent look-a-like Theron McCollough (People Pond founder) had his own take on tech innovation — a social media t-shirt complete with Sharpie marker friendly graphics and fields to feature all of your online personalities in one place, like their site. Comedian Adam Corolloa of the famed Loveline, seemed to not only be packing his sparkling personality but also enough wit to fill the convention center. Guess you’ll have to catch his new podcast to hear what kind of antics he’s packing, since I might get in trouble for printing most of what he said during the show.

Speaking of powerhouse podcasters, I honestly don’t remember what Mari Smith (founder of the International Social Media Association) was carrying, but I know everything was matching, sparkly and turquoise.

All in all, my trip to BlogWorld was quite an adventure. I can only imagine that my future attempts to keep up with all this new technology will be too.

+++
Final shout outs to Andre Ragni and Leslie Denson (from Porter Novelli) who helped me breeze through the expo and get access to all these wonderful folks in the first place. To Joe Morin who’s raging evening events made it tough for me to concentrate on my interviews in the mornings. My deepest gratitude to Brandy Feuer for the sweet sleeper bed I didn’t want to get out of at Planet Hollywood and the spectacular view of the Vegas strip. To bloggers Irene Koehler and Tiffany Monhollon and one of my oldest partners in crime, Jennifer Iannolo for the enlightening conversations. To Gary Ryan Blair (the beautifully suited author of Everything Counts in the video) for the great tips and inspiration and extra love to Mark Tafoya for the late nights he spent making sure this video captured the sprit and essence of BlogWorld 2009.

Hey everyone,

Well the beginning of fall has kicked off another non stop travel season for me here, and I’m sure the rest of you are feeling a similar sensation of ramping up in your own lives.

Last week I hit my first big conference in a while – BlogWorld in Las Vegas. It was such a blast and I can’t begin to type fast enough to share all that I learned, but rest assured, over the coming days you’ll be seeing a lot from me on it.  I’ve got a great video piece on technology coming first, then an article on the state of the bloggosphere, and one more on what you need to do to get the most out
of your next conference.

And since I’m now on another plane (albeit a little weary) to the Publicity Summit you can be sure I’ll have some juicy new tips for you on getting media attention next week.

So keep your eyes peeled and feel free to share anything you like or that’s extra helpful to you with your friends, followers or colleagues. (Just respect the rules of Creative Commons please).

Hope your Fall is off to a fab start. If not, stick close to us and we’ll help make sure your next success is just a few more steps away.

Here’s to your success,
Jen

PS: Don’t forget to ask us about the chance to have me speak for your group in Africa, Asia, Europe, Latin America or Australia for free before December 15th, 2009.

It’s that time of year again. 3 months to go before the end.  December 31: My annual day of air mile reckoning. Can I make it 100k miles again, or not?

For anyone who travels a lot, I’m guessing you’ll appreciate this.  If you don’t, humor me, and if you can help me, perhaps there’s a little something for you in it too.

A few months ago, I hit one of the biggest milestones I ever anticipated reaching as a road warrior: I flew one million miles on American Airlines.  Yes, I did it. At 36, I’m now a million miler.

Was it exciting? Well, yeah, sort of. Depressing?  A little.  But then I thought about all the incredible places I’d been, the people I’d met, the adventures on the road and was reminded that I have truly been blessed.  (I’ll just for a minute forget the hundreds of hours in airport waiting rooms,  delays, cancellations, ground stops, perpetual sleep deprivation, cranky passengers, cranky me, etc.  A modest price to pay overall.)

At this point in my travel career, my ability to maintain a certain level status with the airline – specifically, Executive Platinum – which took me forever to finally attain in the first place, makes a tremendous difference in how easily, comfortably, and sanely I’m able to traverse the globe and still keep our business at home going and growing.  So, at this stage, it’s 100k or bust.

Last year, to maintain my EP status I did a “mileage run” to Dublin, Ireland in the final days of the year.  While I hadn’t realized this before, there are actually a lot of frequent fliers traveling like mad on random trips in December just to accumulate their final qualification miles. Good news is, I had a blast, and even made a great new friend in the tech world.

So, now you see why I’m starting to sweat a bit.  Travel slowed down for all of us this year and now I’m going to pay the price if I don’t act quick.  I’m looking at somewhere around a 15k mile shortfall to make up for.

Always the creative problem solver, Scott came up with an intriguing idea: Offer to speak for free somewhere on the other side of the planet to a group who can’t afford your usual fees but would be happy to take care of your travel expenses.  Genius!

Calling all non-profit leaders, school administrators, corporate trainers, student groups and community activists.  Want me to come meet with, speak to, or lead a workshop for a wonderful group, team or conference you’re planning between now and December 15th, 2009?  Let’s talk!  You cover travel and expenses and I’ll hop on a plane to come visit you in Africa, Asia, Europe, the Middle East or Australia, and waive my usual $10-15,000 US in fees. Seriously!

But the catch is, I can only do one or two trips, so get your pitch in quick so we can pick the most interesting one, book it and plan a fabulous experience all around.  We can also document the whole adventure from start to finish and share it online with our friends, fans and followers around the world.

Now how fun does this sound???

For more information or to explore some possibilities, please contact Monique Peltz asap!  I’ll be in about 5 different cities in the mean time.

It’s not easy to keep up with everything that’s happening around the world.  Especially these last few months when returning to the basics, to our roots, to what really matters most to us has become a pretty universal theme.

So why should we care about people on the other side of the planet when we’re all experiencing our own challenges and struggles?  Quite simply, because we’re all so much more alike than we give each other credit for.  And yes, we do need one another.  While our circumstances and environments might differ dramatically, we all (particularly those of us at YSN) strive for similar ideals: self awareness, perspective, understanding, achievement, innovation, and impact.  As creator of a global community of members and followers in over 190 countries, I’ve always felt a profound sense of responsibility to bring young people from around the world together in their pursuit of happiness, adventure and success.

If you haven’t yet experienced the sensation of true connection and bonding with people who couldn’t be more different than you, you’re really missing out on something so special.

The lessons we can learn from one another’s unique experiences around the world are priceless. The new sense of context we discover is invaluable. The feeling of camaraderie, compassion and of love for our fellow human beings is, in my opinion, the most extraordinary way to experience our planet.

Whether you’re making a comfortable living or scraping to survive, trust me, you’ll feel like a million bucks when you touch the soul of someone in a far off land.  We’re proud to have the ability to help facilitate too.  24/7 come find your inspiration though the journeys of others right here.  (Ask Katie if you want any help!)

That all said, here are a few new friends we’ve made who have inspired us.

Umeh Nwabueze (Portharcort Rivers, Nigeria) is a very sweet young man who is determined to find success in the midst of big obstacles. In his correspondences with Katie in our office he’s shared that while he has always been a disciplined student, the local academic union has been on strike for the past 3 months, so his education is on hold. The only success stories he sees friends enjoying are the result of crime or leaving the country in pursuit of opportunity abroad.  Staying positive and on his path is a challenge, but one he counters everyday with tenacity to success on his own terms.

Leo Noronha (Mumbai, India) was lucky enough to graduate from a good private school, and is now studying for the GMATs so he can pursue a graduate degree.  In the mean time, he’s just landed a job in marketing and public relations.  The job scene wasn’t easy to confront, but now that he’s landed employment, he’s question whether going back to school right now is the best idea.

One unnamed 30 something (Indianapolis, Indiana) is now incarcerated after getting lured into a gang while growing up in a tough inner city neighborhood.  Today, he spends his time reading and trying to better himself.  His goal is to study real estate, get a brokers license, then give back in spades to the community he robbed from as a troubled teen.

Esther Wambui (Kibera, Nairobi Kenya) founded the Huruko Children’s Center, a little orphanage that she runs with some modest help from her church.  Her passion to help abandoned children is endless. But keeping lights on, providing enough food and the very basic necessities has Esther eager to find support through caring individuals or sponsorship from a company or organization.  Talk about context, she says $100 a month could make all the difference in the world.

Michael Teoh (from New Zealand but living in Malaysia) is pursuing his own social start-up in the fields youth development and entrepreneurship. In a recent update, he just told us “I already clients lining up to engage me in project management services!”  My favorite part: “And look what YSN and yourself have (personally and through the book) created – A Youth Entrepreneur for Malaysia.  I am taking those golden lessons in your book and putting them into good use.”

Now I’m speechless.  I love what we do here.  But anyone can make connections like these and discover different people with their own special stories around the world.  Step out of your own comfort zone and open yourself up to new people who could so wonderfully and unexpectedly change your perspective or even your life.

It wasn’t long ago that socializing with co-workers was limited to water cooler talk,  quick coffee breaks, the occasional dinner out, or the eagerly anticipated annual company picnic or holiday party. These days, there really doesn’t seem to be the same clear distinction between work and social lives that once was prevalent in the average workplace.  Today, we’re more prone to co-mingle the two, and our offices are often not just a second home to us, but our colleagues, often like friends and family.

What has caused this shift in perspective?  Could it be the Millennial and Generation X influence in the workplace?  Could it be the mass adoption of new technologies that keep us connected to work and life 24/7 constantly and fluidly?  Perhaps it’s because company benefits are creating more group perks – like in office gyms, stocked refrigerators and kitchens, group sporting events, and more?  Maybe it’s just a natural result of the macro transition from an industrial to a service economy.  My guess is that it’s a bit of all of these things. Also, a more entrepreneurial spirit that has become prevalent in businesses of all sizes.  Whatever the answer, our world and our work keeps evolving, and one of the greatest perks is hopefully a new sense of unity and community at your place of business.  I know it is at ours.  (Check out our blog post on Loving Who Your Work With. It Makes A Difference).

We asked a bunch of our friends and colleagues online and around the office about the pros and cons of socializing with co-workers to get a sense of how people’s thoughts on the subject have changed, and here’s what they said. (BTW, you can still share your perspective in the comments section below! And make sure to follow us at @ysn_careersos on Twitter so you can contribute your POV to our new article!)

@CareerRocketeer
Pro – Developing and maintaining strong social relationships with your co-workers is an effective way to build more cohesive and productive teams.

Con – You may not want your co-workers knowing everything about your personal life. While they may be your friends, they may also become your bosses or your references at promotion time.

@JaredOToole
Pro – If your friends with everyone you will get thought of for the best projects, opportunities, raises etc.

Con – “Secrets” could get out. Your not planning on staying at the company, past jobs gone bad etc. Too much info can be bad.

@britworld
Pro – It builds office unity.

Con – If it results in a more than friends situation or conflict over religion/politics.

@BradleyWill
Pro – Socializing with co-workers fosters creativity.  We achieve more in collaboration.

@corywatilo
Pro – Socializing w/ co-workers is positive thing, because it builds stronger relationships outside the workplace that can be carried over.

@katieysn
Pro – You get to work with your friends everyday!

Con – Sometimes you are around them too much because you work with them and go out with them.

@rashchris
Con – Future mgmt/leadership roles become awkward after years of socializing with current peers.

@ysn_careerSOS
Pro – If you have great colleagues (as I do), socializing enables you to bond and enjoy your time at work.

Con – When you’re friends with your colleagues it’s easy to get distracted or side-tracked in conversation while trying to focus.

Josh Hoppes
Pro – Our friendships are one of the driving factors of enjoying work.
Con – Unfortunately, the lines can become blurred between friends and colleagues.

Rieva Lesonsky
Pro – It builds camaraderie and teamwork and employees look forward to coming to work since they’re working w/ people they like.

Con – If a peer gets promoted it can be hard to manage your former peers.

Jane Pak
From a manager’s perspective the pros are of course building a rapport with your employees.  If they like you, they’re likely to work hard for you.  But it’s a slippery slope.  The boundaries become unclear and if there is a person in the position of authority, that person has to be able to exercise the authority and get support from their team in professional settings.

From an employee’s perspective – the pros are getting in good with your boss.  When you feel comfortable enough to socialize with your boss, you will likely enjoy work more (assuming you LIKE your boss).  But this too can lead to blurred authority lines and boundaries.  As an employee are you mature enough to put aside how you feel personally when your boss (who sometimes feels like your friend, maybe someone you’ve confided in) comes down hard on you about your work? Will the quality of your work be effected because, maybe, you’re upset at them?

Will Tam
Pro – Socializing with co-workers can develop unity and help build a richer relationship with each other, which in turn will strengthen the team’s morale. When everyone in the team is united and feeling good about what they are doing, success will follow.

Con – I don’t really see any Cons in socializing with co-workers since I’m still good friends with many old co-workers after I quit. But I can imagine disliking a co-worker MORE after getting to know him/her better. Some people also have different personalities at their workplace versus their real life, and these different personalities might not be as compatible and comfortable as the one you see at work.

Christopher Gooley
Pro – Socializing outside of work can help to build stronger and more complete relationships with the people whom you spend all day working with.  This is a good thing because it’s likely that you see your co-workers more than you see most other people.

Con – But on the other hand, sometimes in the workplace you need to take a stand and make hard decisions and hand out tough criticisms.  If you feel like your co-workers are close friends, then you may not want to point out when they do something wrong or require them to do something unpleasant but necessary.  This can hurt the company if nobody puts their foot down. Conversely, if you are friends with co-workers and you _do_ make work-appropriate comments about their work, for example, your friend-co-worker is likely to interpret your comments personally since you are “friends” and they expect you to be “nicer”.

I love my co-workers.  Seriously – it’s one of the perks of being an entrepreneur. You have the freedom to surround yourself with people you like, respect, admire and even find really cool.

Aside from genuinely liking what you do for your J-O-B, it’s just as important to like the people you do it with.  In fact, many recent studies show that Millennials also known as members of Gen Y, place liking their co-workers as one of the top most important considerations for them at work.  And people of all ages report that liking their boss, can make all the difference between professional bliss and misery as well.

Over the past few years, we’ve had some extraordinary people work with us and some amazing times hanging out together. Some of the times we were working, others just hanging out and having fun.  But because this concept of socializing with co-workers has been such a controversial topic over the years in offices across the world, I thought we’d share how embracing this has shaped our culture and made us a stronger team, that often feels more like a family.

When I look back at all the highlights with our staff, I can’t help but remember the time the Yale A Cappella group came to perform for us at the office, the field trips to Chicago and Dallas where we flew the team out to run speed networking events with hundreds of students, the time we jetted off to Singapore to survey kids from 50 countries then danced all night at the hottest club in town. Learning to throw a nerf football down our long corridors with Josh using a sidearm throw so it didn’t smash into the fluorescent lights.  (Which only happened that once.) There was that time we all gathered at Christopher’s loft for a private Jazz night with some stellar local musicians, and the crazy adventure Scott and I went on after with Katie and Monique to their favorite karaoke bar until 1 in the morning. Then there was the venture to Hollywood to see Joey’s 10 piece band perform where we finally got to see what the Capitalist Hippie Complex buzz was really all about. Holidays we try to make fun too.  Once we hosted the whole team at my house for dinner and I spent two days cooking up a storm.  Just before Christmas, we had Jessica’s mom Pam come in and set up a totally decked out gingerbread house workshop in our conference room.  Last year we took off to a local pumpkin patch at Halloween and carved pumpkins all afternoon. (Just for future reference, don’t leave them in your office window unattended for too long though, since as we discovered, they eventually dissolve into a soupy mess!  Gross.)

Even during crazy intensive product development “symposium weekends” we have fun.  During the last one, Monique kept us laughing (and awake) every few hours with a series of different challenges, games and prizes (we’re still wondering how Will won so many). Another time we practically collapsed at Jerry’s Deli at 3am with Russ and totally overloaded on blintzes, onion rings, matzo ball soup, and loads of ice coffee as we deliriously debated whether to go back to the office and pound through a few more hours or break to sleep then meet up a few hours later to keep going.  Speaking of work benders, I’ll never forget the time Katie, Bianca, and Jessica came in on a Sunday at noon and worked through the night (with a 2am run to Denny’s) to get our new site launched, only leaving the office after the switch was flipped at around noon on Monday.  Believe it or not, other people who weren’t there said they were jealous that they missed all the fun and made us promise to let them in on the next all nighter, even if they were just there to hang out and support us.  I’ll never forget that one.

YSN is different for a lot of reasons.  But when you’re in the business of helping people explore, grow, indulge in their passions, pursue their dreams, and find true joy in their jobs and careers, it really is critical to walk the walk. People can tell the difference, especially when you write and speak and evangelize these ideals in blog posts, articles, speeches and on TV all the time like we do! (And you all know me and integrity – I would NEVER preach all of this stuff if I didn’t think it was true!) Plus, why hate going to work if you don’t have to?

Jovie, Bob, Nancy, Randy, Samantha, Jake, Lauren, Jen, Ian, Nori, Sony, Yiannis, Amber, Beth, Mark, Hary, Peter, David, Chris, Linda, and Amanda…The group has morphed, grown and contracted over the years, but we stay connected to most, love them all, and will always think of them as family.

A few weeks ago Jen wrote an article on personal branding for our friends at Brand-Yourself.com (a site dedicated to help you analyze, manage and monitor the components of your web presence and create an online identity you’ll want employers to find). In case you missed it, we wanted to make sure we shared Jen Kushell’s 10 Tips to Supercharge Your Personal Brand with you!

Remember the last time you cringed when you heard the way someone described who you are or what you do? Maybe you’ve found yourself sweating over how to describe yourself or your latest project. How about those business cards of yours, that bio, your website or that promotional reel you created? Those giving you any stress? All of these instances and elements are part of your professional branding.  How effectively you brand yourself has a lot more to do with your success than you might think.

Companies focus on branding when marketing new products or businesses to consumers because they know that public perception can make or break their success.  In your career, it’s helpful to consider yourself as a product that you have to sell or promote to clients, employers, admissions boards and colleagues. Try describing your brand out loud. How does it sound? Are you impressed or bored? What do you want other people to think of when you pop into their minds?

How you are perceived by others should of course be proportional to your success. But in reality, it often isn’t.  Far too often we see people who are painfully unknown or struggle to get the word out, even though they’re highly accomplished.  Even worse, is when some build strong compelling brands and convince others that they’re top notch, when they’re really just a bunch of smoke and mirrors.  I always like to think that integrity, honesty, substance and providing true value are the foundation of any great brand.

Here are a few tips for developing a solid brand of your own:

1. Think about the things you want to promote about yourself and start to build a list of things you need to communicate or bring to life for others to recognize why you’re worth paying attention to.

2. Start to gather a wide range of assets you have that illustrate your history, experience and success to date.

3. Create a branding statement: Include the answers to the following questions: Who am I? What am I proud of? What am I good at? How am I unique or different?

4. Gather endorsements and quotes from notable people, admirers, fans or ideally happy clients.

5. Forget your resume and build your bio, on a single sheet of paper in paragraph form, that tells your story in a compelling way.

6. Build a professional online profile (YSN.com is great for young professionals and entrepreneurs!), your own blog, or web site so you can leverage all of these great assets, elements and descriptive info, not to mention be easily found online.

7. Make sure that you have an impressive presence on the top social networking and other sites prominent in your industry.

8. Keep well designed business cards with you everywhere you go.

9. Make an effort to leave a lasting impression on most everyone you come in contact with – even the ones you don’t meet in person. Pay attention to your grammar and tone in e-mails and phone calls. (One of my favorite tips for very important calls or phone interviews: Look in a mirror when you are speaking and smile. Your smile can translate into a positive impression to the person on the other end!)

10. In person, make sure to smile often, look other people in the eye, and offer a confident handshake. Pay attention to the way you dress.  Speak loudly, confidently and with certainty. Carry yourself with your head up, shoulders back and with quiet confidence.

And lastly, be someone that you and everyone you know can be proud of.  Be the kind of person others are eager to spend time with and introduce to their friends and biggest contacts.  Keep getting the word out and building your platform too.  Follow these steps and I guarantee you and your brand will really start to shine!

As you become established in your career, opportunities start to arise for you to get involved in organizations, civic groups and even corporations related to your industry or expertise.

Being asked to join an advisory board is a real sign of respect and accomplishment for you, your company, and what you’ve achieved to date – particularly if it happens while you’re still in your twenties or thirties. But it’s certainly a significant career milestone at any age.

The first time you’re invited to join a board, you’re filled with pride and excitement.  As you get active in other organizations, you’ll find that it opens up whole new worlds for you to wonderful people, experiences and causes.  If you’re really smart, you’ll figure out how to tie in into your work in some way.  After a few years, dedicating your time and energy to worthy causes and initiatives just becomes part of who you are, and what you do.

One day, your volunteer work may even become as significant to you as your job (or even moreso). Don’t be too surprised or even dismayed if this happens, because it can signal a real turning point – opening you up to bold new ideas about what really matters to you and what you should in fact be doing with your life.  That’s one of the unspoken truths about volunteering – how it has the power to transform your way of thinking.

From tons of personal experience, having serving on almost 10 different advisory boards now, I have to say that they have given me some of the most rewarding experiences of my career. I’ve had the ability to work side by side with brilliant leaders and business icons.  I’ve witnessed some of the greatest minds debate strategy and analyze challenges.  I’ve been exposed to the inner workings of fascinating organizations.  Attended events I never would have had the chance to see.  Interacted with entrepreneurial and cultural icons. I’ve helped make an impact on many more than I ever could have affected alone. And I’ve learned more than I can even begin to account for.

There are fantastic benefits to joining boards, but also responsibilities. Starting with the benefits, here are few of the biggest perks:

Connections – You can meet some really fascinating people.  Board meetings, events, marketing initiatives, not to mention doing the actual work of the organization opens you up to whole new networks.

Credibility – When an organization entrusts you with a position like this, it is like an public endorsement of your value.  It is also an affiliation you can be proud to share and promote.

Recognition – Your involvement on a board can result in great attention, marketing, and publicity for you and your company.

Training – Some organizations will require that you obtain some level of certification or training as part of your board commitment.

Exposure -  It’s fascinating to see how different organizations (like non-profits or big corporations) operate on a much deeper level. You learn so much and get exposed to a myriad of new things that make life more interesting and your experience all the richer for it.

Context – Boards give you a new level of appreciation for the different types of groups and people that make any society strong.

Impact – You’ll help make a difference in a company, a community, an industry, and quite possibly, in a lot of individual lives.

Despite the significant list of plusses, volunteer work of this kind is typically not easy. The commitment to engage at an advisory board level shouldn’t be taken lightly. There is serious business to be overseen. You become part of a small team responsible for guiding the strategic vision and direction of the organization.

As a board member you review financial statements, make hiring/firing decisions for major executives, help raise and/or make money, build relationships, come up with solutions, pursue stability in downturns and sustainability in upturns.  Bottom line, you become part of the team responsible for the success of the organization.

There are significant responsibilities ranging from time commitments, to financial contributions, to fundraising, and even potential legal liabilities.  (These all of course vary by organization, but should be disclosed and discusses before you sign on.)

All in all, next time you learn about someone’s work with an advisory board, hopefully you’ll understand more about what that really means. Ask them about their involvement on them.  If you’re interested, inquire about how you can help. Ask their advice on how to get involved in other groups that interest you. And, when the time in your career is right to start getting involved on boards yourself, jump at the chance. The responsibilities are great, but the benefits to you can be immeasurable.