Heartblog: Secrets To Being Successful
Everyday I wake up feeling like a failure at life and like the most unsuccessful human on the planet. Everyday someone write me a sweet tweet or email listing the reasons why they do not believe that is true, and I give myself 4.5 seconds to relish in how hard I have worked and the tiny successes I have been able to achieve because of that hard work. Usually, the next question is “How can I be like that?”
I’m no expert, but here are my core values for creating success in your life. ***Use them at your own risk.
#1- Do something you love. Don’t do something for the money, recognition, fame, free shoes. Lots of people are going to tell you to take the “safe route” or pick something else. Working, even on something you love, is less fun than eating pizza with your friends while watching “Girls Just Want To Have Fun” so make sure you are doing something you love.
#2-Be smarter than everyone else, or at least, as smart as you can possible be. Ask questions, read books, learn shit. Learn everything. When I started my blog, I learned to code. Next I read books and the “tech” part of Huffington post so I would know about new media as soon as I could. I learned about SEO, and GOOGLE TRENDS, and Photoshop. (my blog, this one right here, is pretty darn successful AND it goes back to rule #1- I love blogging, I blog because I love it.) Recently, I took a meeting with a fancy-pants TV producer man, and the conversation fell into allowing me to spit out my idea of how my generation will watch tv in 10 years and what networks need to do right now in order to make sure that the internet doesn’t eat everything. I literally watched his brains turned to mush. I either scared this man, or I left his office and he thought “damn, that girl knows her shit.” I don’t care about scaring people, ps.
#3-RESEARCH. Before every audition, each interview, any meeting. STALK ideas, people, your competitors online. Find your future boss on Linkedin, or twitter, know what you are dealing with. Figure out if your love of unicorns will scare them.
#4-Be prepared to answer this questions “So, tell me about you?” and have an answer that is so short, and fierce and profound that who ever asked it wants more.
#5-IF no one wants to help you, help yourself. Remember that time no one wanted to publish my book? I didn’t care. I had a stack of rejection letters and I did it myself anyway (with some help, of course) We live in the day and age where every single thing we need is DIY. Go create whatever it is that makes your heart bleed.
#6- Work harder than anyone else. Sometimes when you go on tumblr and twitter- you see many people who seem to be really cool, and always hanging around at parties and “being cool.” Cool doesn’t last, and also, being cool doesn’t actually give you a paycheck, which is the reason you never see me “hanging out” I don’t hang. I work. The most successful people do not have time for “lunches” and “parties” everyday because they are working. Make sure that is you.
#7- BE NICE TO PEOPLE. You guys, I cannot tell you how many times I have met, heard about, or worked with someone that was JUST awful. People notice this stuff. Be easy to work with, ask for what you are worth but do not expect anyone to treat, or pay you like you are the only person in the world that could do what you do (unless you are Steve Jobs, Madonna, or God) Be easy-going. Say yes, even when it totally sucks to say yes.
#8- Have clear ideas in your mind for what you want to create. Many people will say, I want to do music, I want to dance, I want to host, I want to write, I want to teach. Way too general. Decide what you really want to create and say it to everyone you can. “I want to move to Nashville and play bass in a touring band.” Whenever you go into meetings, lay out a super clear vision of who you are and what you could do for the other person. Also, GET TO IT. So many people have so many ideas, and the successful ones are the ones who actually just start DOING something. DO!
#9- Ask for less money that you actually want. We all like to think we are super special one of a kind beings who should get paid 250,000 a year to just roll out of bed.. I do too. But, money matters to businesses, and there is most likely, someone who can and will do the job for less. Be that guy, at the start and then land that chance to impress everyone.
#10- Look fucking awesome. I know, it’s totally vain. But guess what, the world, is totally vain too. That is why people spend billions of dollars every year on clothes, and creams and fancy hair-do’s. People like people that look good. Rock on with your signature style, and awesome self. Work out, eat right, dress cute. (Wear one of those big Victoria Secret adding 3 cups bras if you need to, I have.) It’s totally gross and vain and terrible and it’s the way the world works.
#11- Send thank you notes.
So, I hope this helps you. Let me know what you are working towards in the comments below, I’m interested in knowing what my readers are creating!
