Learning new skills is one of the best - and smartest - things you can do to not only make yourself more marketable, but also keep yourself sharp. I always make sure that I offer my employees the chance to learn new skills – take classes, try new software, experiment with new time management tools. So, what stops us from doing new things? Fear? Laziness? Apathy?

So, here’s a little truth about me, and it’s not something I’m always proud of. I have a problem with trust. I could try to unravel why, but no need to travel down a rabbit hole. Truth is, I can be a bit suspicious by nature. So, when an employee tells me their computer crashed, or they emailed something that I never got I often think: Hmmm. Truth or fiction? It’s not on them, it’s on me. I work with some of the brightest, most wonderful women. This is my issue. But I bet you too have been in a situation like this, no?

In my early 30s, a few years after I moved to New York, I found myself on the dole. I started my career working as a receptionist at an uptown fashion PR agency, and then became a PA for a rising star publicist. But I was fired from that job for total insubordination. I would have fired me. So, there I was with no job.

There are a lot of cool stats out there about the difference in generations and how they operate. Research shows us that ‘Gen Z’ is not as inclined to overextend themselves financially as millennials, or older generations….

It’s totally legitimate to ask someone for help - for ideas, advice or even a recommendation. But no one likes to feel used. Ok, what am I getting at? If you find yourself in a situation where you know some help would - well - help, then do take the time to figure out who might be the best person to approach.

My company has evolved and so has my style of working. In the old days it was, “My way or the highway.” Basically, you were paying the bills, your name was on the front door, you had all the control. Or power.

Life comes with a myriad of curveballs, setbacks, and the like. When starting something new, you’re going to need a bright spot on the horizon – something to keep your sights set on that can help take your mind off trouble and give you a boost when you need it.

Ok, I’m not a big fan of pithy statements. Kind of cheesy, right? They might be catchy, but they have a tendency of over simplifying things. However, I do believe this statement is true: sometimes to grow you need to let things go.

Yes, being first has its advantages, but even though the first are often lauded for their vision, tenacity, and general genius (if it’s a big idea), being first isn’t always best. Want to know why? It’s expensive!

Whether you are starting a new job, a new business, or a simple project, taking your audience into consideration should be consideration number one. The old adage of, “If you build it, they will come,” doesn’t work too well in a world set up for customization and lightning-speed lifecycles.

From the time I really dug into my career in New York City I put my “all-in” ethos to work. Basically, I’m a bit of a workaholic. I probably shouldn’t admit that. I love solving problems and getting things done but I wasn’t always like this. Growing up I was all about chilling, resting, daydreaming.

But New York tripped a wire in me, and it’s been all work all the time. Why am I mentioning this? Because I’ve come to see – and believe, that this isn’t the best approach to doing life.

Big ideas are awesome. For sure. But if they’re big, no way around it, they will require a lot of everything: money, time, people, vision. Is this a downer? LOL. I get it. But understanding your capacity will save you a world of hurt.

What Goes Up

There’s a lot of movement on the ladder. We live in a hyper-connected world, but more importantly (even with this pandemic, and maybe especially because of it) there is a lot of movement out there….

If you’re starting something new and you want others to learn about it, before you start planning your world-conquering program, get your friends and family on board.

They will surely be your best evangelists, spreading the news from a place of goodwill, and knowledge. They know and love you, after all. They want to see you succeed, and they will be the best recommenders.

There’s a lot of chatter out there about toxic positivity, and I get it. In the context of certain circles, this is valid and legitimate. Here’s what I found online: we define toxic positivity as:

The excessive and ineffective overgeneralization of a happy, optimistic state across all situations.

The process of toxic positivity results in the denial, minimization, and invalidation of the authentic human emotional experience.

Starting something new is never easy. Sorry. This is the truth. It doesn’t mean that it must be death-defying, but if you are setting out to do something fresh, something you’ve never done before (and hopefully rewarding) it’s going to come with a few sleepless nights and a good dose of self-doubt. Just read any bio on record-setting entrepreneurs, adventurers, or world changing do-gooders. Fear is a natural traveling partner.

I’ve been in business and creating for many years. My company is based in New York City and we’re brand strategists with an emphasis on comms. I started off in this business as a receptionist at a high-powered PR firm, answering phones.

Just because you can’t write, paint, dance or sing doesn’t mean you aren’t creative. Being creative doesn’t necessarily include having an ‘artistic’ bone; there are so many ways you can express your creativity.

Friends, one word of advice as you get ready to try something new: park that ego at the curb!

Whatever wonderful things you have planned, however cool and unique you think you are (and you most surely are!) there is always someone you can learn from.