3 Habits of the Ultra-Successful You Probably Don’t Do

Granted, she works an ungodly amount each day (I’ve read that she starts the day at 4am and is in the office until 11pm)…

But aside from having a ridiculous work ethic – which you may or may not want to model – what is it that gives super successful people an edge?

And how can you become more successful… without working harder and putting in longer hours?

Well, after working for a couple of the top entrepreneurs in the world for a few years and studying the habits of successful people for the past five or so years, here’s what I’ve found:

Habit 1: Morning Success Ritual

Most people haven’t consciously designed a routine in the morning with the goal of making them as strong and energized as possible throughout the day.

Ultra-successful people have.

They’ll devote an hour or two each morning – first thing – to taking care of themselves.

Here’s just one example of an excellent morning routine:

• wake up (and get out of bed immediately)
• drink a glass of water
• do 20 mins of exercise
• shower and eat
• 20 min meditation/prayer/visualizing/journalling… (whatever works for you)
• 10 min reading something inspiring

So think about what you could do every morning that would help you feel more energized, and give you a boost throughout the day.

Try it out for a week, and see how powerful this is. Then, imagine the impact it could have on your life and career if you practiced it for a month, six months, a year, or more.

Habit 2: Master Your Mindset

There are a few things that are certain when it comes to your mindset affecting your life and the results you get:

Fear paralyzes you and prevents action.

If you truly believed that you wanted (and deserved) something, you’d have it already.

And if takes time, practice, and discipline to conquer the tricky, damaging thoughts that are holding you back… so you can unlock your true potential.

Ultra-successful people know this, and they actively work at improving their mindset every single day.

I know this sounds a little airy-fairy, so here’s a practical example from Arnold Schwarzenegger himself:

“When I first came to America (in 1968), I didn’t have big calves. In 1969, I visited Reg Park at his home in South Africa and stayed with him for a while. He would get up at 5 a.m. to train. So Reg, being my early idol, I got up at 5 a.m. to train with him. The first thing he did every session was 10 sets of calf raises. His calves were a huge 20 inches. I looked at them and said, ‘I want calves like that.’

So he put 500 pounds on the machine and started his first set. I screamed, ‘Five hundred pounds! I’ll rip my Achilles!’ He told me, ‘When you walk, with one foot in midstride, the other foot is supporting 250 pounds, so both feet can support a 500-pound workload. To really make the calves grow, you have to go up to 1,000 pound calf raises.’ I said, ‘No way!’ In one year, my calves grew two inches. They grew so quickly that some people began to say I had gotten calf implants…”

Had Arnold never conquered that belief, he may not have the massive muscles we all love him for today.

Habit 3: Carefully Choose Who You Spend Time With

“You are the average of the five people you spend the most time with.”

– Jim Rohn

The simple truth is that our environment impacts us more than we realize – and particularly the people we spend the most time with.

So, ultra-successful consciously choose to find ways to spend time with people they want to be like.

I’ve heard of some people splitting their time three ways:

First, with mentors, or people you aspire to be like (if not in person, than through reading or courses).

Second, with peers on your level.

And third, with people who aspire to be like you (so, acting as a mentor).

Each type of person adds value to your life, and helps you grow and achieve more success.

Great Ways To Answer A ‘Stupid’ Interview Question

Why do interviewers ask strange interview questions like, “What animal would you be?” They want to throw you off your game and get candid answers (they know you’ve practiced good answers to interview questions) and they really want a peek into your personality and thought process. Hiring you is a risk, and they want to make sure they make the right choice.

There’s no such thing as being over-prepared for any job interview, and that includes being ready for questions like this one. It’s actually a pretty good pre-interview exercise—thinking about the qualities necessary to do a job well can help you focus your thoughts on how to better answer all your interview questions.

All job interview answers should tie in to your ability to do the job—so when you think of an animal, think about the qualities or functions you can attribute to it that would be great for this job. Keep your answer simple and brief. Name the animal, and then give one or two qualities that you see in the animal that also describe you. (Don’t let them draw their own conclusions.)

Here are nine great animals to choose (and eight to stay away from):

Horse

These are strong, intelligent, fast-moving animals who are great working alone or as part of a team.

Ant

Ants are the ultimate hard worker and team player. They can be good for jobs requiring repetitive work, but they are also known for planning ahead—remember the fable about the ant and the grasshopper?

Monkey

Monkeys are energetic and quick learners.

Chimpanzee

Chimps are famous for their intelligence and their group dynamics. They work well in groups, are team players, are clever, and are socially sensitive (which translates to emotional intelligence).

Elephant

Elephants are strong, intelligent (they have a great memory), and group-oriented. They are also strong and unstoppable.

Dog

Man’s Best Friend is best-known for its extreme loyalty and protectiveness. A dog might be a good choice for someone in a support role.

Dolphin

Super-intelligent and intuitive dolphins could be a good example for problem-solvers.

Eagle

Be careful with this one—an eagle could be good if you are in sales or in a leadership position, because you can say that they are aggressive hunters, or they can see the big picture from up there, but an eagle could be seen as a negative if you’re interviewing for a job that needs you to be a team player.

Lion

Lions are great for leadership roles. They are strong, commanding leaders.

What animals should you stay away from? Any animal that has negative qualities associated with it.

Cat

Cats are independent, but they are also known for not giving a darn about you as long as they get what they want.

Whale

I personally like whales a lot—but when associated with personality, people tend to think fat, bloated, or slow.

Snake

Snakes are sneaky and inspire fear—maybe a great thing for a mob boss or drug dealer, but not you.

Spider

You set traps and wait for your prey to get stuck so you can eat it alive? Great.

Pig

You may love pigs, but the associations with it are lazy and messy.

Cow

Cows are slow and vulnerable.

Chicken

Chickens are not smart animals.

Fox

Foxes are smart but sneaky. Ask the chickens.

A fun way to end your answer is to ask them what their animal would be. It could give you your own clue into the personality of your potential future boss.

Job Interview: 3 Ways To Answer ‘What Makes You Unique?

For some, the job interview question ‘What makes you unique?’ can stop you in your tracks. You know you have the qualifications and the skills to do the job, but how are you supposed to know how you’re different than anyone else? The answer is: you don’t have to know, and you don’t have to be Superman to deliver a job-winning answer to this question.

Related: Impressive! How To Wow An Interviewer

To come up with a great answer, first you need to know how NOT to answer. The interviewer absolutely does not want to know that you play in a band on the weekends, you can solve a Rubik’s Cube in 30 seconds, or that you have a pet rat.

When interviewers ask, ‘What makes you unique?’ the real question is: Why should I hire you? Or, why should I choose you over the other people I’m interviewing? That’s what you should answer. A personal answer may be interesting, but it won’t help to convince them to hire you. All of your job interview answers should focus on telling them what they need to know in order to say ‘You’re hired.’

Think about what makes you valuable to have in this role and why it’s valuable. Those are the qualities you want to draw attention to, and now is the time to brag about them.

Here are 3 great ways to answer the uniqueness question based on things employers really care about—your background, your experiences, and your personality or soft skills (that pertain to this job):

Background

“My background is a little different from others in the field, which gives me a unique perspective that has allowed me to see solutions that are creative and resourceful. For example, I came up with X solution [tell what it was] to solve Y problem, and it worked out beautifully. [Use evidence in the form of numbers, dollars, or percentages that really highlight the success of your solution.]”

Experiences

“I believe that my education in X [name your degree or classes here] combined with my work experience in Y give me an especially great advantage when approaching [a typical or critical problem this job addresses]. I draw on both to solve everyday issues and special challenges. For example, in [name a situation], I took [name the action you took] and got [name the results you got—again, in the form of numbers, dollars, or percentages if you can].”

Skill Sets / Personality

If the job description or things the interviewer has said so far let you know that softer skills like communication or organization are important for this job, you can say something like,

“I believe I have exceptional organizational skills. In my last job, I created a new system for task assignments that streamlined our productivity and improved it by 20%.”

This little bit at the end—“by 20%”—transforms what would be a good answer (‘I streamlined our productivity’) to a standout answer. It grabs attention and tells them exactly how much you mattered.

Overall Strategy

If you have any experience or skills that would make you valuable in this role, now is the time to mention it. Worry less about ‘uniqueness’ and focus on value. Add impressiveness to your answer and make them remember you by incorporating proof of how what you have is valuable, and describe it in terms of numbers, dollars, or percentages.

Here’s What You Say When An Interviewer Says, ‘Tell Me About Yourself’

You put on a smile and a happy face pretending like you’re having a conversation with your best friend, all the while participating in a process that could determine rather or not you get to eat, buy clothes, and keep a roof over your head.

It’s a mystery to me why someone thought that it would be a good idea to put two total strangers into a room and have one interrogate the other. Who in their right mind thought of this?

How about a date before heading to second base?

Nonetheless, it is what it is.

The one interview question most people say they have the hardest time answering is:

“Tell me about yourself.”

This is typically the first question that’s always asked in an interview. This question is asked because it sets the tone of ‘Brand You.’ It lets the interviewer know who you are, what you’re about, and what motivates you.

This question is important because the interviewer will use it as a control mechanism to determine your truthfulness and consistency in the way you answer the upcoming questions.

Here is an example of how you would answer this question:

“(1.) I’m a graduate of Tulane University. I majored in Business Management and I’ve always been intrigued by business ever since I read Donald Trump’s book The Art of the Deal. (2.) Since starting my career five years ago, I’ve worked for X Enterprise, Y Enterprise, and Z Enterprise. My proudest moment in my career thus far was establishing a joint venture with 123 Company. (3.) Moving forward I’m looking to further my career as a business analyst in an environment where my knowledge of joint ventures can be best utilized.”

If you answer the question ‘Tell me about yourself’ as outlined above, the interviewer may likely drop their pen and give you the job right on the spot.

Answering that question as outlined above establishes credibility, illustrates leadership, and it lets the interviewer know exactly what they’ll be getting if they hire you.

Here’s why answering this question as outlined above is effective:

1. Tell them a personal story – Point one quickly and succinctly lets the interviewer know who you are and why you chose your profession, while also backing up your story with a heart-warming, testimonial.

2. Tell them a professional story – Point two allows you to name drop and highlight your experience. This gives the interviewer insight into the results they can expect if they hire you.

3. Paint the future – Point three positions you as a leader who sees a clear path and knows how to get there.

Job interviews don’t have to be as painful as we perceive them. The key in answering any interview question is to provide answers that highlight your experience, expertise’ and leadership skills.

7 Tips To Best Utilize LinkedIn

Spend any time on LinkedIn and you’ll see that the site is constantly changing. I can certainly vouch for that, given that I recently spent hours capturing LinkedIn screenshots for a workshop, only to have many of them out-of-date by the time I presented them… only a week later.

But with all the attention LinkedIn’s look and features get, what may have escaped your notice is just how much LinkedIn is transforming networking and job searching. It certainly becomes apparent, though, when reviewing the recently-released findings of the fifth annual Global Career Brainstorming Day, a collaboration between more than 150 career professionals from across the globe. The event, sponsored by Career Thought Leaders, discussed the “new” and the “next” trends in the careers industry, including how LinkedIn is evolving.

Here are some tips to best utilize LinkedIn gleaned from the Career Brainstorming Day report:

1. You snooze, you lose.

More and more, companies are going directly to LinkedIn to find potential employees, thus cutting out recruiters. If you don’t have a profile, or your profile is—yawn!—boring, you’re missing out.

2. Save for a rainy day.

Many professionals don’t give a second thought to LinkedIn… until they need a job, now. A smarter strategy is to make sure you’re making great contacts and solidifying relationships within your industry before you start a new job search. That takes time.

3. Contacts count.

In some industries, the size of your network really matters. Why? Potential employers are assuming you’ll leverage some of those contacts into new clients for their company. How big is big enough? Professionals in the careers industry recommend at least 100 people: roughly 25 family members, 25 friends, 25 former coworkers/contacts (people who may have knowledge of your prior performance), and 25 current business-related contacts, including colleagues, supervisors, customers, etc.

4. It’s all about the brand.

Your brand should be here, there, and everywhere… and taglines encapsulating your brand in a memorable, bite-size way are beginning to routinely crop up on all of a candidate’s career communications, from LinkedIn profiles to websites to resumes and cover letters.

5. Ditch the boards.

Job boards aren’t nearly as effective as networking your way into jobs you’re interested in. So if your time is limited, you’re better off leveraging LinkedIn’s networking capabilities than scouring the Internet for job postings.

6. Act the part.

If your target company projects a certain vibe with their communications, than you’ll increase your chances of success if you adapt the same tone in your documents and LinkedIn profile. A laid-back target company merits a more relaxed tone than a more, shall we say, distinguished employer.

7. Seeing is believing.

If you haven’t made the effort to incorporate visual pieces into your LinkedIn profile, you are wasting a terrific opportunity to catch the eye of potential employers or clients. You can include videos, presentations, written work, certifications, images, and more. Hey, if you’ve got it, flaunt it, right?

I share these tips with you because, as a career coach, I want job seekers to have all the tools necessary to find careers that they love. If the thought of trying to do all of the above is a little overwhelming, you’re not alone. Another finding of the Career Brainstorming Day was that, as LinkedIn and the job market evolve, many people need help in waging a strong campaign for that perfect job. Don’t hesitate to reach out to me or another job search expert to help smooth the way.

5 Tips For Effective Phone Networking

Here are five tips that can help you have meaningful phone conversations if you are cold-calling during your job search:

1. Speak In Terms Of Results

If you’re approaching a key decision maker in a company “cold,” you must learn to speak his or her language and understand the only reason anyone is going to want to talk to you is because you can make or save them money. Thus, you have to first understand and translate how your skills equal $$ and %%  if you’re calling a key decision maker.

Human resources does not speak this language; they are more oriented to matching skills and tasks. Think your work can’t be quantified? Think again. For most careers positions, no one would hire us if it couldn’t.

2. Front Load Your Introduction

So, the normal cadence of the back-and-forth, “may I say who is calling please” and so on, is broken. Say: “Hi, this is Mary Elizabeth Bradford, President of Career Artisan calling for John Smith in regards to our correspondence please.” Stay in control.

3. Overcome Objections

If your key contact says you need to talk to HR, say, “I respect what you’re saying, but HR is usually not interested in talking about how I might save or make you money; rather, they are focused on how my hard and soft qualifications match your open positions. I would like to focus on how I might actually affect your bottom line. Would you be open to taking a meeting with me to explore that?”

4. Begin With A Compliment

When calling someone for the first time, the single best thing you can do to ensure a good outcome is begin with a genuine compliment about them or their company. It shows you are focused and purposeful, you are putting the focus on THEM not YOU (always a smart move), setting a positive tone, and setting the person and/or company up as “the guide/mentor/expert.” Flattering.

5. Learn How To Leave A Message

When leaving a message, be sure not to be too brief or too long winded. Try something like “Hi John, this is Mary Elizabeth Bradford. It’s 9 am on Tuesday and I’m calling, as promised, to follow up on the correspondence I sent you last week. I will be in the office all day today and my number is 408-555-1212. Thank you and I’m really looking forward to talking with you.”

I feel that referencing how great your accomplishments are or how you can help them in a voice message is premature, and that your better bet is making a good first impression with a positive, professional, and friendly voice mail. You want to sound intriguing – like someone you would enjoy talking to (and maybe even interviewing and hiring!).