Guest column: Dress for Success

My good friend over at the Biased Cut was generous enough to write a guest column on the importance of keeping a good image. As we all know, especially to entrepreneurs, image alone can sometimes make or break a deal.

Yes, I know I was supposed to post on Sunday...but hey, at least I'm fashionably late, right?

Without further adieu, here begins the guest column. It's a great read:


There are a couple things this post won’t do. First is to discuss how to appropriately dress for an interview. That can be done here. And here, here, and perhaps best of all, here. Second is to preach about (or even presume to know about) the latest fashion trends. For that, go to any one of the infinite fashion blogs in syndication today.

For entrepreneurs, there is a more generalist approach that needs to be taken, one that can be applied to and understood by every demographic in the budding-business world. To the extent that everyone has their own personal style, and every situation is unique, there is no perfect advice for how to truly “dress for success”. Because, as entrepreneurs, you may be meeting with high-powered Wall St. financiers in one hour, then, in the next, pitching to the mechanics at the local repair garage about the benefits of installing a new electric car plug-in station. What it ultimately boils down to is awareness: awareness of audience, awareness of setting, awareness of personal style. And, of course, understanding the affects of dress on each of these.

Nearly everyone appreciates the value of dressing appropriately. But too often entrepreneurs are unsure, or even sorely mistaken, about how to outwardly present themselves. To me, it all starts with observation. Wherever you are, begin to observe the setting around you. Who are these people, and what are they wearing? What does their choice of dress convey? How does each individual fit in with the larger group surrounding them? Training your mind to consciously think of how other people are physically expressing themselves is essential to managing the perceptions your audience makes when subconsciously sizing up you.

First, understand the setting. Clearly, suits are de rigueur in the boardroom (unless it’s your boardroom – then anything goes). But what about that alumni happy hour coming up where you hope to score potential customers? Or maybe you’re canvassing neighborhoods this weekend, and don’t know how professional to look?

Next, think about the audience. This often runs in parallel to the setting, but not always. Just because you’re going to a manufacturing plant doesn’t mean you won’t be meeting with senior level management. Also, understand the other person’s dress style, and consider shifting your own style tendencies a little closer to theirs. It helps to build comfort in a relationship. But maintain the integrity of your own image – who would you trust more to fix your computer, Bill Gates dressed as Bill Gates, or Bill Gates dressed as David Beckham?

Finally, think about yourself. What do you want to convey? What is the purpose of this meeting, presentation, conversation? What fits me well (figuratively and literally), and what styles / clothing should I avoid?

Unfortunately there is no universal piece of advice for each and every situation. Unless you’re lucky enough to have a personal wardrobe specialist (or a significant other that makes these hard decisions for you), you’re going to have to use your best judgment. And the only way to build that judgment is to educate yourself. Begin by observing. Learn what works, and what doesn’t work. If you want to become more ambitious, start reading up on the latest fashion. Whether you want to simply improve your corporate wardrobe or you’re seeking to spot the next best trend there are resources out there.

As entrepreneurs, you don’t need to be reminded again of the importance of first impressions in marketing. So be sure to put lots of thought into each and every one of yours. Be yourself, and don’t be afraid to be different, but in the business of sales, you MUST be aware of what image you portraying.

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Post courtesy of the Biased Cut

Get out of your comfort zone

Sorry, I found this picture to be too funny to not use, even though it's totally irrelevant.

On the subject of gold chains and mohawks, I pity the foo' who does the same things over and over and expecting different results.

If you look at any successful entrpreneur, they all have many things in common fundamentally. One of those things was the sheer determination to do things that most people would be uncomfortable or afraid to do. It is precisely because they do what most don't that leads to their inevitable success. Of course, that's not to say that these people never fail. In fact, all successful entrepreneurs will fail AT LEAST several times before finally succeeding.

Failure is uncomfortable. No one likes to fail. Many people will refer to the quote, "Play with fire and you get burned." Well...so what if you get burned a little? You become all the wiser. It is the fact that you made a mistake or failed that teaches you to appreciate not only what you have, but to appreciate what you're aspiring for.

When you can bring yourself to do things that most people won't (within reason of course...I'm not saying go walk naked out on the streets...) you will find that there's very little competition on the other side of the fence. If being an entrepreneur was easy, don't you think everyone would be one then?

I know I used this quote in a previous post, but it begs to be repeated. A successful entrepreneur once told me, "You know why people never get ahead in life? It's not because they set the bar too high. It's because they set the bar too low, and they keep jumping over it each and every time in a ritual of sheer habit."

As an entrepreneur, you will be faced with many unknowns. You will have to become something you've never been educated or trained to do. You will learn as you go, and you WILL make mistakes along the way. However, don't let it get to you, it's just part of the process of being successful. Starting something is always the hardest thing to do.

Take running for example. When you first start your run, your muscles burn and you're practically wheezing...because you've went from a state of comfort and low activity to a state of motion. However, you find that after the first 10-15 minutes, your body adapts to being in a state of motion...your breathing slows down and your muscles stop burning. It is a simple example, yes, but it is true of any endeavor in life. It will always be difficult at first to get out of your comfort zone...but when you do (and persevere), you will go far.

And with that, I shall leave you with a wonderful quote by Mark Twain:

"Whenever you find yourself on the side of the majority, it's time to pause and reflect."

Always see your customers' perspective

"Have you ever noticed that anybody driving slower than you is an idiot, and anyone going faster than you is a maniac?" - George Carlin

Perspective is a tricky thing. How you view something can either be similar or vastly different than how someone else views it. When it comes to business, perspective is everything. Successful businesses go to great lengths to ensure not only getting their branding right, but also develop and perfect ways to make things better for the customer.

To be successful in business, you have to be able to consider the perspective of others, and not just your own internal perspective (whether it is your company's or just yourself). I've touched upon this concept here and there in my previous posts, but I want to reiterate just how important this principle is.

Normally, every thing in existence will have its proponent and its critic. However, there is an issue of concern if something has way more critics than proponents. It is extremely vital to always be collecting feedback from external parties, whether it be friends, family or complete strangers (such as customers). What may seem "easy" "useful" or "affordable" to you, may not necessarily apply to others.

Failing to understand the perspective of your customers can cost you dearly. Therefore, there are two useful exercises you should do. This applies to whether you have a business already or you are planning to start one:

Exercise 1: Ask yourself 50 negative questions (i.e. "Why should I care about xyz product/service?") and then answer them. Don't worry if you can't reach 50, just try your hardest to get close to that number. The reason for that is that it will force your mind to think from an outside perspective. You may find this exercise a bit sobering, but it will save you later.

Exercise 2: Get your friends and even strangers to test out your product/service and collect their feedback. Make sure they give you HONEST feedback and have them elaborate on their feedback. For example, if someone says, "I think xyz is great." Ask them why. Why do they find it great? You need to understand exactly what you do well, and what you don't do well. Most likely, feedback will end up clumping into a handful of similar issues. People simply have different ways of expressing their thoughts. It's up to you to interpret feedback into coherent themes that you can act upon.

We've all seen businesses who have terrible customer service and/or weak value propositions. Usually, those businesses either suffer greatly or collapse completely. You won't share their fate if you always do your best to understand your customers' perspective. Whether someone loves or hates your business...they'll always be willing to give you a piece of their mind. Use that to your advantage. Most importantly of all, always be critical of yourself.

Always set goals

There's no journey without some sort of destination.

...at least that's what I keep telling myself ;)

But in all seriousness, as a future or current entrepreneur, you must get in the habit of setting goals for yourself. If you read the success stories of great entrepreneurs (both small and big), one of the key secrets to their success is that they set goals for themselves. In a way, we all set goals for ourselves, at least internally. However, that is not always enough. Often times, the goals we set for ourselves are not high enough either.

I was once told by a successful entrepreneur, "You know why people never get ahead in life? It's not because they don't set goals. It's because they set the bar too low, and they just keep jumping over it time and time again."

To really harness the power of goal-setting, you need to make your goals a realistic challenge to achieve. It's the same concept in sports or martial arts. If you want to get better, you need to challenge yourself and never be afraid of failure. Often times, you need to pit yourself against people who are "out of your league." It's the sincere effort in conquering that goal that makes you stronger.

Make sure that your goal is specific (put a number to it) and that it is within a self-imposed deadline. For example, "My goal is to make $100,000 a month by the end of 2009." Your brain, believe it or not, will subconsciously do whatever it takes to achieve that goal, as long as you are sincere and focused. WRITE your goal down and place it where you can see it everyday.

Well, off to my journey. I knew I should have made a left turn at Albuquerque...

Just as a reminder, the new blog update days are Sunday & Wednesday. See you then!

No one can provide for you except yourself

"What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us." -Ralph Waldo Emesrson

Ever since we were kids, we were taught to become increasingly self-reliant (...well...most of us anyway). We learned to go potty, tie our own shoes and many other things that for some reason I'm convinced some adults haven't learned properly ;)

Since childhood, we have come so far in our lives. We are able to do things that we couldn't possibly do by ourselves as kids. And you know what? It's exhilirating. As we grew up, our freedoms increased. Why? Because we became more self-reliant. Imagine if you always had to rely on others for even just the basics in life? You'd be a slave to your own inability.

We learn so much and have such a determination to be a unique individual...but why do most of us stop? How come most people have not learned how to provide for themselves without relying on someone else to cut them a pay check? Have our bosses become our new parents?

It is one thing to serve another in order to learn and grow. It is quite another when you serve in order to live.

It's true, you cannot become a great leader until you know what it is to serve another. Unless you apply that knowledge, however, you will become a slave. Just as you gained greater independence from your parents, now you must gain independence from your bosses. Just like most things in this life, self-reliance is earned, not given.

Great leaders are not superhuman. They are people, just like you and me. The only difference between a servant and a leader is that a leader empowers him/herself through action and the application of knowledge. No one has a "master plan" where victory is assured. Leaders are just as uncertain as everyone else. Like anything in life, sometimes you just have to take that leap of faith and hope for the best. You miss 100% of the shots you don't take.

One key lesson people MUST learn is that in business, nothing is personal. Your boss might be a great person, but don't forget: you're there because you're useful to your boss. You do not owe any further loyalty to your boss beyond doing your job well...nor does your boss owe you any further loyalty than rightfully compensating you for your work.

Adversity is a true test of one's character. I've witnessed and heard many stores of offices where everyone got along like a family. When tough times hit, all loyalty jumped out the window. One story was a boss who jumped ship to another company and left a bunch of good people in the lurch despite having a personal rapport with them. Rather than feeling a sense of loyalty to his employees and trying his hardest to keep the ship afloat and going down with it if necessary (like any true Captain would), he jumped ship. He took a handful of the most senior people who he saw as the most useful to him and left the rest to fend for themselves. Oh well, nothing personal, right?

Think that's pretty bad? Take a recent example in the news. Frank Scudere, a lawyer who survived the Hudson River plane crash, was let go from his job. Even though he almost died trying to do his job, he still got canned. His performance reviews were all very good. He was the model employee by many respects. The day he got laid off, his medical benefits were immediately cut off and was told he had three hours to leave the law firm's offices before security escorts him out. Of course, the business had to lay off people to cut costs. That is understandable. However, notice that even though he was a great guy, ultimately, it didn't mean anything. In fact, he was almost treated like a trespasser on the day of his lay off.

If you think that someone else is going to make you rich or successful, you are WRONG. Only YOU can make you successful. Only YOU can make you happy.

People want you to work for them because you are useful, not because they like you. While it's nice if your boss is taking you wherever he goes, it is in fact a curse. You are destined to be his servant, limited in your freedoms and exposure. Imagine if you worked for someone for most of your life, and then that person leaves? What then? It's just like the child who never learned how to tie his shoes. The child is at the mercy of others. When you rely on the mercy or provisions of others, you are not free, you are a dependent.

Don't stop learning. Your quest for self-reliance is not over. Until you can live a life where your destiny and well-being is entirely driven by you, you will never live the life you always wanted. You will look back, and instead of remembering the triumphant victories of your own efforts, you will remember the time your master gave you a pat on the back when you were forced to miss your child's birthday.

To wrap up, I want to leave you with a poem from Saxon White Kessinger called "Feeling Important?"

Sometimes when you're feeling important,
Sometimes when your ego's in bloom,
Sometime when you take it for granted,
You're the best qualified in the room;
Sometimes when you feel that your going
Would leave an unfillable hole,
Just follow these simple instructions
And see how they humble your soul.

Take a bucket and fill it with water
Put your hand in it up to the wrist,
Pull it out, and the hole that's remaining
Is the measure of how you'll be missed.
You can splash all you want when you enter,
You may stir up the water galore;
But stop, and you'll find that in no time
It looks quite the same as before.
The moral in this quaint example
Is to do just the best that you can;
Be proud of yourself, but remember
There's no indispensable man.

Be "selfishly honest"

For this blog's more "refined" audience (myself included):

"It is impossible to calculate the moral mischief, if I may so express it, that mental lying has produced in society. When a man has so far corrupted and prostituted the chastity of his mind as to subscribe his professional belief to things he does not believe he has prepared himself for the commission of every other crime." - Thomas Paine, The Age of Reason

For everyone else (myself included):


It sure is!

In fact, I posted up this picture because it brings about a fond memory. Anyone who lives in New York City will almost always see a panhandler on the streets or in the subways. Some are genuine, a lot of them are BS'ers. In fact, some of the younger ones on the street are actually film/acting students (How do I know? Word on da street...nukka.)

It is no mystery that the most successful panhandlers are the ones that earn their money. What I mean by that is that they either A) Seem honest (either they look really beaten up, etc.) B) Are funny or C) Demonstrate a talent of theirs. What do all 3 options have in common with each other? They're honest.

One night, I was walking in the streets of the city with some friends when a funny-looking man with disheveled hair and clothes walked up to us with a toothy smile. He stopped in front of us and said, "Hey brothas, could you care to make a donation to the United *insert N word that ends with "a" and an apostrophe* Pizza Fund?" We laughed of course. I then ask the man, "And what's that for?" Without skipping a beat he said, "It's a donation for pizza and beer, for *insert plural N word* "

I gave him money, and so did my friends. Rather than BS us about coming out of prison or feeding 6 kids, he honestly told us he was going to spend it on pizza and beer. It was a refreshing dose of honesty in a craft that is so often deceitful. Now, I'm not saying I'd have given the guy money if he said "Hey man, can I get money for some blow?" There are exceptions to every rule, of course! Being honest is one thing, being foolish is quite another ;)

So, what lesson can entrepreneurs learn from this? That you need to be "selfishly honest."

The beauty of moral values is that they are not only what make us human and noble, but they are also in our own best interests. Morality is why society is able to exist. If people didn't know right from wrong, you'd have chaos and destruction everywhere. You shouldn't feel bad if an act of kindness was "selfish." And yes, even getting "an emotional high" can be seen as a selfish motive. Whether you're religious or not, it is an undeniable truth that your actions eventually catch up to you. If you've done good things, good things will come to you. It is a simple law that for every action, there is a reaction (but not necessarily equal or opposite, as evidenced in physics!).

There are people out there who have either a persistent (or sporadic) world-view of, "Good people finish last. Only corrupt and ruthless people get ahead in this life." That's a dangerous belief. Subscribing to this belief corrupts you as well. Remember, while it may seem like we live in jungles of metal and stone, it doesn't mean we have to be one of the "apes" in it. Human beings are, by nature, good. That's why we have a natural compass between right and wrong and why we have a natural propensity towards order.

As an entrepreneur, you want to run an honest business. Why? Because people appreciate that. Think of the friendly waiter who doesn't recommend you the most expensive dish for example, but one that is actually cheaper but much better. Because of his honesty, you tip him more. The waiter in that example was selfishly honest. By being good to you, you reciprocate and be good to him. The waiter knows this. Besides, being nice to restaurant staff also ensures that your food doesn't come with any "extras" if you know what I mean...

In psychology, this phenomenon is called the "reciprocation" principle. By making a "sacrifice" or doing someone a favor, it triggers a natural instinct in the other person to repay the "debt" We have a fundamental revulsion to being indebted to someone and seek to repay the debt however we can. That's why even to this day, people who can't pay their debts are punished and looked down upon. In fact, it is no mystery that if you do someone a favor, they usually repay the favor in kind far beyond the actual favor's value. Why do you think we revere heroes so much? Think about that.

So...as an entrepreneur, you want to be honest to your employees and your customers. Care for them, and don't try to BS your services or products! You can fool some of the people all of the time, and all of the people some of the time, but you can not fool all of the people all of the time. (That's coming from Honest Abe...or was it also Bill Cosby? JELLO!!!)

If you cannot run a business without resorting to BS, then you should reconsider why you're in business. It is not sustainable. Listen, that's not to say you shouldn't be very enthusiastic and sell your service or proudct like it was the best in the world. However, there's a difference between enticing people and misleading people.

There have been many studies done that show that what people appreciate the most are responsible businesses. Businesses that care for their customers and have strong values. It is because of strong values that these companies provide excellent customer service. You'll find that even if you're not the highest quality or lowest price player out there, you'll still have many loyal customers. Surveys of employees also favor an employer who embraces strong values and honesty. What matters most to us as human beings have always been those things that are intangible.

It is in your best interests to be honest and good. So go ahead, be selfish about it! We are all selfish. It's in our nature. There are REAL benefits to embracing goodness and honesty. That's the beauty of it all! We're not beasts of burden or sacrificial lamb! Even if being good causes you to lose out on something in the short-term, you will gain much more in the long-term. Be good, be patient and always perservere! That is the hallmark of a true entrepreneur.

Oh cool, my pizza and beer are here. Later!

...(just kidding ;) )

How to find inspiration for your future venture

Artist: Bruce Clarke

"Whether you believe you can do something or not, you are right." - Henry Ford

As you may have read in the post before, one of the first steps you need to do before starting a business is to think about what interests you first.

The next few posts are going to expand on each and every step. Today starts with finding inspiration. There are a number of ways to do this:

1. One of the best ways I've found is to learn from the example of entrepreneurs who have already made it. Publications like Inc. Magazine are a great source of success stories. In fact, these success stores can often trigger a creative spark and allow you to think of a great idea you never thought of before.

2. Talk to people! Whether it be friends, co-workers or people you meet at networking events or parties. Often times, people are glad to give you ideas...usually because they don't want to do it themselves! Obviously, I'm not saying you should steal ideas from others, that's not cool. Make sure you're not stealing an idea that someone is already working on. Although we live in a jungle, that doesn't mean you have to be one of the apes in it.

3. Sit in silence and just let your imagination run wild. You'll be surprised what your mind can conjure up when you allow yourself to silence your thoughts and distance yourself from un-needed distractions. When you put yourself in the right mindset, you'll find that ideas will come to you rather than the other way around.

4. Closely observe your surroundings. Usually in the chaos of everyday life, we forget to just step back, take a deep breath and notice what's going on around us. You may overhear your friends or even complete strangers say golden things like "God, I wish xyz could be done better" or whatever. Not only that, you may find how things could be done better in the very industry that you work in (if you work at a job).

5. Learn new skills. By expanding your capabilities and horizons, you will most likely develop a great idea....or finally be able to execute on an idea you already had.

6. Approach someone you know who has a great idea and offer to help. You don't always have to be the one who thinks of the idea. If you think an an idea is great, be part of its success! It's much like someone who becomes an entrepreneur through franchising. You don't have to be a grand visionary, you just need to have the determination. Like Edison once said, it's 99% perspiration, 1% inspiration.

7. Keep reading this blog...unless of course my mentioning of taking a dump in your boss' top drawer didn't already give you a business idea related to human resource counseling or waste management ;)

Stay tuned for the next episode. We'll discuss how to organize your ideas and focus on the best one.