Entrepreneurship

How To Climb The Ladder Of Success by Sonny D

Greetings From The Trenches

So you want to score that dream job? Are you looking for your next promotion? Or do you just want to know what job security really is? If any of these questions resonates with you then you need this formula. The steps which I'll outline below have aided me in my journey up the ladder and I'm positive they'll do the same for you. In every scenario these are the key ingredients.

money

1. Be Money Motivated. Baby from YMCMB the Young Money camps home of hip hop artists like Lil' Wayne and Drake says it best in the song "We Alright" "... Yeah its money over everything, we motivated..." So what does that mean? It means that you need to recognize that money or revenue is the lifeblood of any organization and without it the business will cease to exist. You need to become money motivated. You need to know what activities are money producing and which ones are not. You need to study money and learn how to use it as a tool. Money is considered currency and just like any current it needs to stay in motion so it doesn't die or become stagnant like a still pond. When you are motivated there is a clear agenda behind what actions you take. That doesn't mean that some of the work you will do won't be "free". It may appear "free" but when you're money motivated you have a long term outlook about your efforts and the results they'll produce long term is money. Plenty of the actions that I take in my company on a daily basis are "non-paid" but money motivated. Whether I'm paid for a job has to do with salary, wage, or commission which is part of the trade off. The mindset of being money motivated can produce revenue for you, the company or other individuals by the value added to the organization.

problem solver

2. Be a problem solver. One of the most valuable assists on the planet are problem solvers. Every great business or person that exists is considered great because they solved problems. A lot of the times these problems were very complex and had chewed up and spit out people that came before them. Think Henry Ford, the Wright Brothers, or Thomas Edison's 10,000 attempts before he figured out the light bulb. The bigger the problem the greater the spoils. Every organization has complex problems the need solved. If you enter an organization with the mentality that you're there to solve them you will become indispensable. Go to the CEO of a company and ask them what keeps them up at night. Once you find that out go to work on it. When I look at the number of able bodied people that are unemployed or say they can't find work I think it's ridiculous. Every company is hiring problem solvers year round. Become one and you'll go to the top in whatever field you're in.

hustle

3. It's show not tell. When it comes to hustle lots of people like to talk about it. The real hustlers are to busy taking over the world. The question is which one are you? Over the years I've interviewed tons of people who say all the right things to try and get the job but then when it's time to roll up their sleeves and do the work it's a different story. What happens from the moment the words come out the mouth until "showtime". I think when people talk hustle they get a little dopamine hit and feel good but when it's go time the action that's involved paralyzes them. It's almost like the more hustle talk is done the less actual hustlin'. So be on the look out for the big game talkers. Look at your own levels of action as well, do you need a boost? In an organization the results are what's measured.  If you plan to move up the ladder then you need to produce. Massive action and massive hustle is what it's going to take. If you're gonna be a real hustler you can't get it done with what I call a "clock punching attitude". That's the person who once they punch out they're done working. Real hustlers aren't done until the jobs done. The cool thing about this ingredient is that you can develop the mindset of a hustler even if you don't naturally possess it. It's a muscle and like any other muscle it requires constant exercise to develop. Once your hustle muscle is ripped then you're primed for the climb.

growth

4. Finders keepers. The final key ingredient for you to become the next hire, promoted person, or new cheif is your ability to find revenue around and in the organization. Remember we talked about the lifeblood of any company is money. Well revenue is the inflow of cash from the sales of products and services. Your job is to find missed revenue opportunities or ways to generate more revenue. That may be from new leads, dormant products or services or entering new sectors. As your looking to add value to an organization you can't be afraid to innovate. Do the things because that's the way they've always been done are the dying words of any business. You have to think different. When Steve Jobs and the team at Apple came up with the iPhone it was a result of this kind of thinking. There were plenty of people in the mobile phone space so to come in and take a piece of that business they knew was going to be extremely difficult but if executed correctly could produce a huge inflow of revenue. I think we can all agree they've done a pretty good job. Revenue is the name of the game and when trying to increase a companies revenue you have to innovate and be creative. Revenue is reflected on the scoreboard and if you're a scorer then you're a keeper. You have to be on constant offense if your gonna be successful in this area. 

So there you have it, that's the recipe. If you want to move to the top of your organization, want to secure your current position or just want to get a job practice these things well. Any company that's worth being a part of is looking for these skill sets in the people they are hiring. I'm looking forward to hearing about your results and seeing you at the top! 

Now let's get back to building our empires! Talk to you soon!

Is Loyalty DEAD? by Sonny D

Greetings from the trenches.

image.jpg

Do you believe that loyalty is dead? As I look across the landscape today its hard to tell. Whether its business, friendships, sports teams, politics it seems like we are in a nation of "fence sitters" and "I'm gonna stick my toe in it" mentalities. Where did we go wrong? Who betrayed who? When you are hit with over 3 million messages a day from different mediums, maybe it's all those distractions that cause people to change their minds? When I'm in different circles people always joke about having A.D.D (attention deficit disorder), but with all those distractions who wouldn't? I think we need to revisit LOYALTY in a big way! Here's a few items I think we need to adopt to move in that direction.

image.jpg

1. Develop a "burn the boats mentality". A story I heard once about Spanish conquistador Captain Hernan Cortés, who set out to conquer Mexico, as he was landing on the enemies land, grossly out numbered but determined to be victorious gave these orders to his crew.  Once they reached land he ordered them to light the boats on fire. He said "We either take the land or perish", as they charged forward. Demonstrating loyalty to his mission. What mission are you loyal to?

2. Give 120%. A lot of times we expect to get everything out of what we are doing before we give 120% of ourselves. If something isn't working out for you it's time to get real and face yourself in the mirror. Before you think about quitting or changing sides, ask yourself, have I given all that I can? This question if answered honestly can compel you to stay in the fight.

3. Recognize nothing good comes easy. From the outset recognize nothing good will be a cake walk. If you know it's going to be an uphill battle from the start, then when the going gets tough, you'll get going. Through the good and the bad. When you come out victorious, it'll be a sweet victory.

image.jpg

I want loyalty to be alive and well and I hope you do too. Hopefully it didn't die with Tony Soprano, the Godfather, Michael Jordan and Derek Jeter, a few characters who I think have demonstrated tremendous loyalty to their missions, teams, and causes. Demonstration of loyalty may be hard to find, but if you fully commit there's a future in it. Let not the bright and shiny object distract you. Stay Loyal my friends

Now let's get back to building our empires! Talk to you soon!