43

Just in Case You Weren’t Paying Attention …

Finally, I’d like to recap some of the lessons in this book that I’ve lived by and that I believe can help others—I mean you—succeed in business and in life:

     1. Creativity without knowledge and business skills is very limiting. Learn as much as you can about every aspect of the business and industry you’re in.

     2. Work is work if it’s work. If you love what you’re doing, you’re going to love your career. Find something you’re really passionate about doing and don’t be afraid to make a change if you don’t love what you start out doing.

     3. You’re not supposed to know what to do with your life when you’re starting out. Yes, some people do (or at least have some idea), and if you do, more power to you. The rest of you will reach your destiny by accident, as I did, and that can lead to success too.

     4. You don’t have to come from money or have connections or go to the best schools to succeed in your career. But you do need to figure out what’s special about you and find a business that will appreciate that skill or talent or quality.

     5. Be open to mentors wherever they present themselves. I firmly believe that you should always answer when opportunity knocks because you never know what or who is on the other side of that door.

     6. When you’re interviewing for a job, you need to work hard to understand who you’re going to be meeting with and what might be important to that person.

     7. Don’t choose or accept a job just because it pays well: money should not be the deciding factor. There are other, more important factors that should inform your decision: the company, your manager, your coworkers, whether you’ll be trained and have an opportunity to learn, and the potential for career advancement.

     8. Make sure the people you work with are helping you learn and advance in your job and the company. If they’re not, recognize that this job is just one rung on your ladder and start planning your next move—at another company.

     9. When you’re young, recognize that youth is on your side: you are the future of your company and your business. Youth is something older executives covet because you know more than you think you do.

   10. Decide what you really want from your career. Do you want to be a puppet, or do you want to be the puppet master, the person who pulls the strings? If it is the latter, keep in mind that you need to get interested in things that may not interest you; you don’t need to be proficient in everything, but you do need to learn all you can about as much as you can.

   11. Ask not what your company can do for you; ask what you can do for your company. If you help your company and do the right thing, your company will help you and do right by you too.

   12. Show your boss and the people around you that no task is too big or too small for you, that you are the go-to person they need. Even if you don’t know how to do something, you have to be seen as someone who is smart enough to figure out whom to talk to and find someone who can help you. Make sure your managers know you’re someone they can rely on to get the job done.

   13. Don’t allow yourself to get stuck in a stovepipe where the only way to advance is straight up; that’s too limiting. This is another reason you should learn as many other areas of your business as possible. Let people know you want to do more in other areas, because that’s the best way to advance up the ladder.

   14. Don’t accept the norm, or “that’s the way we’ve always done things.” Instead, be a disruptor: find a more efficient or productive or direct way of doing something, and if it’s good for your company—and if you present your case well—management will appreciate that you’re looking out for them and coming up with new ideas.

   15. Do what you’re great at, not what you think you should do to move up. This world is competitive, and you’re going to be competing with people who are the best at what they do, and so you need to be the best too.

   16. Don’t be a wise guy and learn to understand both the culture of your company and the cultures you’re working with. Many other cultures are more reserved than Americans are, and you need to respect that—and them—if you’re going to succeed, especially in international business.

   17. Never compromise your integrity or yourself in any way. Remember, even the appearance of impropriety is problematic. Don’t accept gifts of any kind from anyone, because when you do, that person owns you and will call in that favor at some future time.

   18. The way you deal with disappointments, setbacks, mistakes, and failures is more important than the way you deal with success. Don’t let your ego or sense of entitlement—or your emotions—get in your way. This is business, and your colleagues are not your friends or family. Be humble and work even harder to get what you want in your career. Let your disappointments fuel your desire to achieve.

   19. Learn the financial side of your business: you can’t get to the top without it even if you know everything else. Let your managers know that you want to learn more and ask them if they’ll help you. If they won’t, learn it on your own time, because you can’t run a business if you don’t understand how it makes money.

   20. Know how to package and present yourself. This means you first need to know how to dress appropriately for the business you’re in. Second, learn how to prepare well-organized, detailed presentations and how to deliver them confidently to large groups of people.

   21. Follow your instincts but back them up with facts. If you have a new idea, have the courage of your convictions and present it to your managers but make sure you can support it with solid factual details.

   22. Make deals and partnerships only if you’re sure they’re right for your company. Don’t let your emotions get in the way; don’t become blinded by the desire to do something. Sometimes the right answer is no, and sometimes the best deal is the one you walk away from.

   23. If you’re up against strong competition, find an unconventional way to compete. Zig when the rest of your industry is zagging; do something counterintuitive and you may be surprised by the successful results.

   24. Be open to meeting anyone and everyone you can because you never know how those relationships may pay off either in financial terms or in friendship; both are equally valuable. Go out of your way to help others because that also benefits you in the long run.

   25. Count your blessings—even if you’re terminated. Celebrate your successes and recognize that even though your company has taken your job, it can’t take away your skills. There is a new and exciting opportunity out there if you plan properly.

   26. Bear in mind George Patton’s words: “The test of success is not what you do when you are on top. Success is how high you bounce back when you hit the bottom.” If you lose a job or face some other setback, don’t let anyone grind you down; work harder and smarter to climb back up. Call everyone you know to see if anyone can help you and don’t take the first thing that comes along. Instead, wait for the right position for you.

   27. When you’re looking for a new position, don’t think only about the companies you want to work for; in addition; think about what companies need your background, experience, and know-how.

   28. Looking for a new job is a complicated, painful process, and it’s very easy to lose confidence in yourself. Fight that tendency: don’t forget who you are and how competent, skilled, talented, and experienced you are. This is another time in your life when you know more than you think you do; don’t let anyone tell you different.

   29. When you’re between jobs, you should be willing to recalibrate in terms of what you’re earning or your job responsibilities or your title or position. That doesn’t mean you will accept less, but you have to be willing to. Don’t let your ego get in your way.

   30. Don’t let anyone in business push you around: if you’re well trained and know your business, your track record will speak for itself.

   31. Keep in mind that managing is a multidirectional process. You need to manage up to your bosses, down to your staff, sideways to your colleagues, and outward to your partners, vendors, suppliers, and customers.

   32. Love the one you’re with unless there’s a good reason not to. Don’t replace people just for the sake of having someone new or because you want your own people. Instead, take the time to find out why they haven’t been successful yet, and if you can fix that problem, you may not need to replace anyone at all.

   33. Never forget that you’re in business to make money. Yes, there are other reasons as well, but if you don’t make money, you can’t achieve any other goals. Set appropriate financial goals and do everything you can to meet the projections you set.

   34. Find partners who believe in your vision and share your goals. This is extraordinarily important in working with licensees, but it’s also critical in every aspect of business. Don’t settle for good enough because that isn’t good enough.

   35. Behind anyone with vision, there are 50 well-intentioned people undermining that vision. Don’t let them get in your way if you can prevent it. My favorite word is “no” because it opens up so many doors, so many ways to think creatively about how to turn that “no” into a “yes.” Don’t take no for an answer (if you have the data to back you up): you need to have the stamina, willpower, and drive to persuade people and fight for what you know is the right thing to do.

   36. Developing new ideas is what drives the fashion business. If you work in this industry, you need to recognize that your company or your products need to always strive to be different. No one needs new fashions; it’s our job to create products that people want.

   37. The fashion business is all about product. You can run from product, but you can’t hide: sooner or later you need to understand what makes a good product.

   38. There’s no substitute for good taste in any business, not only fashion. If you don’t know the difference between good and great, you don’t belong in the fashion business.

   39. We now live and work in an instantaneous global society, and if you want to compete in that world, you must think globally and develop a product line that works around the world. Many companies make the mistake of thinking they need different product lines for different regions, and ultimately that hurts them; don’t make that mistake in your business.

   40. You can have whatever point of view you want; it’s how you express your viewpoint that matters. Don’t get excited or angry or scream at people. People in business want to see you as someone who understands what the important issues are and who can handle problems while maintaining control.

   41. When you’re interviewing someone for a job, know what you can and can’t ask to avoid getting into legal hot water. Learn how to interview well, because hiring the wrong person is bad for both of you: remember, you’re playing with someone’s life.

   42. As you climb the ladder to success, try to help others climb it too. Mentoring is important both when you’re working your way up (as a recipient) and when you’ve achieved enough that you can become a mentor and share your knowledge, training, and experience with more junior people.

   43. Don’t forget to thank anyone and everyone who helps you in business (and in life). Don’t burn your bridges by being careless or thoughtless: follow up.

   44. Take time to appreciate what you’ve achieved in your life and career. The hardest math you can master is learning how to count your blessings, and it’s important to do that.

   45. Be considerate of others: it brings rewards far greater than any you can achieve in business. It’s the right thing to do and the best way to live.