Your Life Is Controlled by Your Decisions and Your Commitment to Them
Over 20 years ago, I was at a relative’s house in the country, and he made a crazy statement (which he appeared to believe) that all Japanese were Jewish, and that was why they were in the process of controlling all the car manufacturing in the world just like they were controlling the entertainment and banking industries. My relative was a truck driver in his 50s, and he made this statement as if what he was saying had a certain level of profoundness to it. Under normal circumstances, when not involved in “intellectual” debate, he was a very nice man and good father. The statement was offensive [Read more]
Finish What You Start
If you drive less than an hour outside of any major city in America, you will very quickly begin to see a different world. Typically, in the best neighborhoods and areas, the lawns are well maintained and there is not much to see beyond trees, flowers, and shrubs. When you start getting into poorer neighborhoods outside of major cities, however, you begin to see things like automobiles on blocks rusting in front yards and the landscape looks a lot different. I’ve ridden through these neighborhoods with wealthy people from larger cities. At least once I heard someone say something like, [Read more]
The Lesson of the Maharaji
Several months ago I was at a party and found myself seated next to a world famous media personality and star. This person is so famous that I see them on the magazine covers all the time, on television all the time, on bill boards in malls and pretty much everywhere I look. I’m not in the entertainment business and by no means travel in that crowd; however, the short conversation I had with this person was extremely elucidating. The person told me that they owed all of their success to listening to and [Read more]
How to Make Any Change You Want
When I was around 14 years old I spent several months going to a public high school on the outskirts of Detroit. Within a short time, I met a couple of kids I liked. These kids had all been using “snuff”—or chewing tobacco for years. Initially, it was a way to fit in; however, within months I was using this snuff daily—and needed it to function. I would get up in the morning and put a pinch of this between my cheek and gum and use it all day. I would use it while I studied at [Read more]
The Importance of Being Extraordinary
Several years ago I was giving a speech at a law school that I think is ranked about number 25 or so in the United States. I was the only speaker and at least 100 law students had turned up to hear me speak to them about the job market. At the time the legal job market in the United States was doing very well. Law school applications were up and lots of people coming out of law school were doing very well. However, as I looked at the kids in this audience I [Read more]
Ass Face, a Retired Actress and a Horny 41-Year Old: Respecting Yourself and Your Job
Last week I had to let go a woman working for me for reasons that were a little disturbing to me. This was the culmination of three bad hires –one right after another- that elucidated to me that great interviewing skills are less important than how much people respect their jobs. The woman (I’ll call her “Rachael ”) was a former actress and now in her early 40s – still attractive enough to make $5,000 a day modeling for major brands now and then. Despite this, her work had largely dried up and she [Read more]
Look at Your Job (or the Job You Are Seeking) from Your Employer’s Point of View
One of the highest performing dental offices in Australia is that of Patty Lund, who takes his job very seriously. Some years ago, Dr. Lund studied the dental market and identified what people considered to be the three worst things about going to the dentist. These were pain, smell, and waiting time. After identifying these three things, Dr. Lund and his dental hygienists did everything in their power to ensure people were extremely comfortable when getting dental work done. His practice included making muffins and cookies for patients, which led to a small bakery being [Read more]
How to Choose a Recruiter Based on Recruiting Style
Every recruiter’s individual style has certain merits. However, there are recruiters who are truly exceptional at what they do. Choosing an exceptional recruiter is even more important in a bad market because the methods he or she uses determines if a candidate will find employment. As the CEO of a recruiting company, I am constantly astonished by the methods many recruiters use. We train our recruiters very carefully to recruit in a certain way and we are always very aware of how they are performing. I have been in the recruiting industry for a long time [Read more]
Protect Your Reputation At All Costs
“A risk to reputation is a threat to the survival of the enterprise.”
-Peter J. Firestein
I read an article once about Blackstone executive David Blitzer, whose father-in-law he once charged with trying to shake him down for $7.5 million. The man was ultimately arrested after Blitzer, 38, made a $500,000 payment as part of a deal to get the harassment to stop. Blitzer’s father-in-law had originally requested that Blitzer loan him money, which Blitzer did. However, when Blitzer refused to relinquish more money than originally requested, things turned ugly. According to the article:
In June, Ross demanded more money and began harassing Blitzer with phone calls and emails, according to the district attorney’s office. Ross allegedly said if Blitzer did not give him at least an additional $50,000, Ross would contact Blackstone executives and law enforcement with accusations he said would ruin Blitzer’s career.
In one voicemail message, Ross threatened to “commit open warfare” against Blitzer if he didn’t send money, the district attorney’s office says.
When I read that article, [Read more]
Be Proactive in Business and in Your Job Search
The gloomy estimates you’ve heard about business failures are not exaggerated. As many as half of all small businesses launched in the United States this year will not be around by the end of next year. These businesses will remain as little more than painful memories in the minds of the people who launched them. The big question is why do so many businesses fail? Is it because of lack of venture capital? Bad location? Inexperienced ownership or management? Simple miscalculation of market demand? Every week for as long as I can remember, there is a giant [Read more]
