Project Exponential

Tag: confidence

  • The anti-resume

    The kind of people you want to work with don’t want to see your list of interests and accolades. They don’t care about your work history, what schools you’ve attended, what awards you’ve won. They want to know what work you’ve put into the world, what you’ve left behind, where you’re going. The best work stands for itself.

    Your resume is the communities that miss you after you’ve left, the imprint you leave behind. The relationships you’ve forged, the lives you’ve touched, and the work that sparkles with your finesse — this is your resume. When you realize this, you’ll be filled with freedom and independence: titles no longer matter, job descriptions are irrelevant, length of employment fails to indicate your loyalty and value. Your success doesn’t rest in the hands of another.

    Why spend another moment waiting for the phone to ring? You’re worth more than that. What if you created your own tribe, shipped your own art, designed a viable solution? Don’t wait for opportunities that may never find you. Create them for yourself and change lives along the way.

  • Connect today

    Pick up the phone and ask someone to meet you for lunch. Invite someone you’d like to learn from, someone you could get to know a little better. Choose four questions to bring along with you:

    • What advice would you have given yourself five years ago?
    • Favorite aspect of your work?
    • Most challenging part of your job?
    • You can pick one person to have coffee with. Who would it be?
    • Where do you go for inspiration?
    • What do you do to recharge?
    • Last meaningful book you read?
    • If you had an extra hour each day, how would you spend it?
    • If you were gifted one million dollars, what would you do?

    Tomorrow, send a thank you email with two things you learned.

  • 10 questions to the best version of yourself

    1. Are you surrounded by people who encourage you to step up your game?
    2. Does your work excite you?
    3. Do your daily priorities align with your grander visions and dreams?
    4. What do you gravitate towards during unscheduled time?
    5. Have you set subgoals that tee you up for greater success?
    6. Do you schedule time each day to recharge and create?
    7. Have you written your dream list?
    8. Do you actively step outside of your comfort zone and seek adventure?
    9. Do you scare yourself regularly?
    10. Are you proud of the story you tell? (Is it positive or discouraging?)

  • Find people better than you.

    He always makes the deal. She finds coveted inside information. He lands top meetings and befriends the opposition. Her comments catalyze progress that proceeds company-wide change. These folks are not your competition. Their work, their composure, their grace under fire, their successes are not your threats. In fact, these people are your greatest allies.

    People better than you offer a tremendous opportunity. They are resources to help you up your game. Their excellence can challenge you to learn the tools and techniques you need. Their greatness can inspire you to ask difficult questions. Their wins spur self-assessment. Their honesty can remind you that little steps and a slow start is what is needed until answers become clear. Their bravery and fearlessness can spark your own leap into the unknown.

    Extraordinary individuals provide an outside window into your own work. If bridged properly, these relationships will lead you to goals you have yet to dream of.

    Forget comparisons. Use the gifts of others as a personal springboard, and align yourself with those you admire as you continue to polish your own story. Delight in the company of those who push you.

  • You belong in this room.

    Don’t sell yourself short. You aren’t to be ordered about. You are here as a professional. Everyone else is as uncertain as you are. They may even be more afraid. Yet they’ve made the decision to not let any of this get in their way. They’ve made the choice to show up and be present, regardless of insecurity and fear.

    You have a choice to make. The first few times might be a show. You may have to talk yourself into it. Once you’re there, you may whisper hurtful names to yourself — pretender, phony, fake. Ignore that voice. Slowly, gradually, that whisper will fade and be replaced with an unmistakeable assertion. A knowing, a conviction, a sense of belonging that will lead you to places you had never before considered. Tolerate discomfort.

    The journey often starts with a moment of anxiety, terror, self doubt, even despair. It’s temporary. In time, you’ll look back and see how far you’ve come. The decision to put yourself in the game will become easier, and the unknown will appear less of a threat. Accept the invitation.

    Claim your space. Believe that you can hold your own. Ask questions that can’t be avoided. Demonstrate why you must be reckoned with. You must show up.

    If you’re not in the room, we can’t listen, we can’t watch your magic, and you won’t get any better. Tell us — show us — why should we stop here, with you, and not continue on.

  • The magic of introductions

    If you’ve been the recipient of a polished introduction, you’ve probably failed to recognize its subtle magic. An introduction is a moment of alchemy; part ceremonious, part craft, part prologue. It’s quick, seemingly effortless, and gracefully leads you into an engaging discussion. In the blink of an eye, you’re feeling confident, interesting, interested, and at ease.

    A savvy intro builds a bridge between two strangers and shows them a path worth exploring. Most people know how to introduce. Few people know how to turn an introduction into magic.

    Improve your next introduction with these tips:

    Know who you are connecting and why. Your familiarity with both parties gives you the upper hand. Use this knowledge to help strangers find common ground. Add flavor and insert facts that raise eyebrows. It’s difficult to remember names, but providing a memorable story or colorful detail creates a current for conversation to sail upon.

    Most people have a gaggle of items running through their mind at any given moment. Your introduction should make it easier for two strangers to engage, not more difficult. Be explicit, direct, and clearly state the intention behind your introduction.

    Build a platform. Your introduction sets the tone for conversation to follow. Help those who are meeting each other for the first time enter a comfortable, balanced space. By speaking confidently, clearly, and warmly, you’ll create an environment that’s prime for establishing rapport.

    Exit gracefully. Sometimes an introduction is so fantastically successful, you’re doing a disservice by sticking around. Other times, two individuals might struggle to get conversation off the ground. Tune into what’s needed for genuine connection — and know when to leave.