ONE QUESTION

Is the life you’re living now a result of your choices or fears?

ONE THING TO PONDER

Many times the first step to progress is admitting that ‘this is my fault.’

ONE PERSPECTIVE

There is no shortage of hardworking people, yourself included.

There is no judgment in this week's message, the full intent is to encourage you to be honest and gain clarity on what you bring to the table.

The world doesn't care how hard you work or how many hours you put in.

The market or industry you're in doesn't care how hard you work.

What they care about is the value you bring.

What they care about are the solutions you have for their challenges and problems?

All time is not equal.

I think it's unfair to tell children and young adults that hard work will get you anywhere you want to go. Hard work is definitely an ingredient, but let's not confuse hard work with an automatic pass to success, because it's not.

Too often, people are getting caught working hard on the things that are most comfortable to them, not on the things that are the most important or valuable to others. There is often a big difference here.  

You get paid in direct proportion to the value you bring to others.

That value encompasses a lot of things - saving time, providing opportunity, efficiency, cost savings, quality products, overall, making life easier and/or more enjoyable.

If you want to make more money - solve more problems.

In entrepreneurship, there isn’t a direct correlation between time and money.

There is a fallacy in entrepreneurship that if I spend an hour doing work that I should get paid for that hour. That simply isn’t how it works. You may work 30-40 hours and not get paid a dime. You could also work 5 hrs and get paid thousands of dollars…it depends on the solutions you're providing and the value you bring to the table.

Pay is predicated on value, not time. Once you make that mental shift, it will change what you focus on and the actions you choose to take.

Don't assume that because you showed up for work that you brought value to the company or consumer.

I’ll make a note here that I understand that the corporate world offers a different structure.

However, I’ll reiterate that even in the corporate world, you may be trading time for money, but without bringing value and solutions, the likelihood of any sort of promotion or advancement is limited at best.

If you choose to be mediocre, you’ll remain in the hamster wheel without a lot of upside.

If you want a promotion, if you want to make more money, don't worry about asking for it, bring the level of effort and value that prompts them not to want to lose you.

None of this is intended to be harsh, it's to shed light on the idea that time isn't the only barometer of what you deserve or feel you're entitled to, it's value.

One of the best things about being an entrepreneur is that you have all the power to change your outcome. There is no thing or no one that is holding you down.

The market determines whether what you do is valuable or not. Not your boss. Not a company. Not what you feel you're entitled to. Not what your parents think. THE MARKET.

You cannot be exceptional at any given venture by fitting in or by being mediocre. It requires you to be different, to bring solutions, to take on challenges others don’t want to….that is how you move forward.

Be so good that you can't be ignored.

Onward and upward!

PODCAST

Esther Perel on New AI – Artificial Intimacy

Unlocking Us with Brene Brown

BOOK RECOMMENDATION

Conscious Leadership: Elevating Humanity Through Business
by John Mackey