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Stay ahead in business: strategies and insights for success

I began <a href="https://successcom.wpenginepowered.com/article/5-things-freelancers-do-that-you-dont-to-supercharge-their-careers">freelancing full time</a> in January 2017. Every day since has been dedicated to The Grind, “making that money.” Then a funny thing happened halfway through the year: I made more money in one month than I’d made in the entire first quarter of the year. Without financial demise looming over me, I felt <a href="https://successcom.wpenginepowered.com/article/how-to-find-your-drive-to-succeed">my drive to hustle</a> dwindle. I was no longer driven by necessity. Suddenly, wearing my pajamas past dinnertime seemed like a perfectly legitimate way to live my life. I responded to emails slower. I didn’t put any energy toward attracting new clients. I knew this phase couldn’t last, and that it was in my best interest to be proactive. Instead of coasting when times are good, I got to work finding things to do with my free time that would keep my career moving forward.

Related: <a href="https://successcom.wpenginepowered.com/article/4-ways-to-make-the-hustle-feel-natural">4 Ways to Make the Hustle Feel Natural</a>

<h2>1. Cut the boring. </h2>

When I first started freelancing, I said yes to anything that paid. But after I became more established and making better rates, I found that some of these low-paying or uninteresting assignments were a complete slog to get through and were making me miserable. Now was the time to <a href="https://successcom.wpenginepowered.com/podcast/ep-81-why-you-should-start-saying-no">start saying no</a> and closing out projects I wasn’t passionate about.

Even if you aren’t a freelancer, you can cut the boring from your list of responsibilities. If there’s a weekly networking series you no longer find beneficial, take back your Tuesday nights. Leveled up in your career? Talk to your boss about offloading some of your more entry-level tasks to others.

<h2>2. Check off stagnating to-do’s.</h2>

OK, when I was legitimately busy, it made sense for me to have months of mileage that I needed to log for tax purposes. But right now when I have time to binge-watch an entire Netflix series in single day? <a href="https://successcom.wpenginepowered.com/article/15-motivational-quotes-to-stop-making-excuses">No excuses.</a> It was time to knock out tedious admin tasks and things that were nice but not necessary like sending out thank-you cards to clients and mentors.

For you, this could mean you finally have the time to start carrying your weight at that nonprofit you’ve been listing on your resume for years. Maybe even finally dusting off that resume and LinkedIn, while you’re at it. Cleaning out your home office, canceling memberships you no longer use and getting your inbox down to zero would also be great uses of your newfound free time.

<h2>3. <a href="https://successcom.wpenginepowered.com/article/master-the-art-of-setting-goals-in-4-steps">Level up your goals. </a></h2>

In March, I bought a course to step up my knowledge. Then I got so busy I never actually completed the course. What better time to knock out those classes? Not only do I have time to learn something new, I also have time to implement that new knowledge to <a href="https://successcom.wpenginepowered.com/blog/5-keys-to-leveling-up-your-career">level up my career</a>. This information will hopefully make it possible for me to achieve my next set of goals.

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<h3 class="rtecenter">You’ve got this. Sit down, look at your goals and think about what’s possible beyond them. Set new goals.</h3>

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If you’re coasting, it’s probably time for you to <a href="https://successcom.wpenginepowered.com/article/3-steps-to-setting-goals-youll-actually-stick-to">revisit your goals</a>, too. It’s not time to let your career plateau. When you’ve accomplished the things you never thought were possible, it can be scary to ask, What’s next? You’ve got this. Sit down, look at your goals and think about what’s possible beyond them. Set new goals. You can be like me and take a course to put you on the path of achieving those goals, seek out someone who’s a rock star in your field and figure out how they did it, or it could be time to start plotting your course for success in a different arena. It’s up to you. Just remember, not even the sky is the limit.

<h2>4. Relax.</h2>

OK, let’s be honest, I didn’t fill up all of my free hours getting back on my hustle. These past few months I’d been doing early mornings and late nights to get my freelance business off the ground. That’s just not sustainable if you also want to be healthy and happy.

Although I found <a href="https://successcom.wpenginepowered.com/podcast/ep-83-the-best-apps-to-help-you-get-stuff-done">ways to stay productive</a>, I also took advantage of some much needed downtime. In our culture, it can be easy to be caught up in the busy for busy’s sake cycle, or to allow others to make you feel less than for kicking your feet up sometimes. By spending time with friends and family that I care about, and having new experiences, I feel more inspired and energetic about my work.

&nbsp;

<h3 class="rtecenter">Remain cognizant of how you spend your time. Do what you can to maximize it. Whether that means setting yourself up for success for the future or fully committing to relaxing and decompressing.</h3>

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If you have the time, take it. If you’ve wanted to sign up for a softball league or have been skipping out on one too many game nights, you no longer have a reason not to have a good time. Are you that person who believes you can survive on five hours of sleep? Wait until you <a href="https://successcom.wpenginepowered.com/article/61-interesting-facts-you-never-knew-about-sleep">see what eight hours can do for you</a>. You’re going to feel like a new person after just a week.

Just remember, good times won’t last forever. If you don’t want your days to slip by without accomplishing anything, remain cognizant of <a href="https://successcom.wpenginepowered.com/article/time-is-your-most-valuable-resource-dont-waste-it">how you spend your time</a>. Do what you can to maximize it. Whether that means setting yourself up for success for the future or fully committing to relaxing and decompressing.

Related: <a href="https://successcom.wpenginepowered.com/article/4-ways-to-maintain-momentum">4 Ways to Maintain Momentum</a>

If you’re flush with clients right now, maybe it’s time to level up your goals.

If you’re flush with clients right now, maybe it’s time to level up your goals. | SUCCESS

4 Ways to Hustle Even When Times Are Good

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4 Ways to Hustle Even When Times Are Good | SUCCESS

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In her 20s, Minda Honey wore business casual and sold smartphones and mop buckets. She plans on spending her 30s writing about what happened after 5 p.m.

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Minda Honey

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From Steve Jobs to Mark Zuckerberg, the success stories of entrepreneurs have been consistently inspiring. Many young people are following in their footsteps, turning—or planning to turn—to entrepreneurship instead of a traditional career path. But is there really shame in having a day job?



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-rise-of-the-millennial">The rise of the millennial.</h2>



“There is even more of a trend to encourage not just young people, but a lot of <a href="https://successcom.wpenginepowered.com/how-women-are-rising-in-business/">women in entrepreneurship</a>, a lot greater than when I graduated back in 1996,” says Maggie Georgopoulos, author of <a href="https://amzn.to/3PNDSJU" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Up the Ladder in a Skirt</a>. “The sell on it is that it offers you <a href="https://successcom.wpenginepowered.com/why-you-should-start-your-own-business-today/">the lifestyle that you want</a> and that working for someone doesn’t give you this.” But, she says, one of the main issues with this line of thinking is that it’s based off the idea that there’s no flexibility at a day job within large companies. “[In truth], organizations are becoming more flexible in order <a href="https://successcom.wpenginepowered.com/should-i-stay-or-should-i-go/">to meet the demands</a> of the millennial, for both attracting and retaining them,” she says.



Georgopoulos adds that not everyone has <a href="https://www.uschamber.com/co/grow/thrive/personality-traits-of-great-entrepreneurs" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">the right personality for entrepreneurship</a>. But Jerome Katz, Ph.D., disagrees. The professor and Robert H. Brockhaus Endowed Chair in Entrepreneurship Saint Louis University Richard A. Chaifetz School of Business says, “It’s not a matter of personality, it’s a matter of picking the right business.” He gives the examples of college dropout Rush Limbaugh and astronomer and Ph.D. holder Carl Sagan, both of whom built lasting media legacies.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-starting-with-a-day-job-has-its-benefits">Starting with a day job has its benefits.</h2>



As far as whether someone should wait or go into business for themselves fresh out of college, Katz says when it comes to developing apps and internet businesses, “young people have better skills and better personal experience on which to build a business.” But when it comes to brick-and-mortar businesses, being older is better, “particularly for high-tech businesses that generally require advanced degrees and experience,” he continues.



Tali Raphaely, president of the nationwide real estate title company Armour Settlement Services, advises graduates to “get a job in the field of their interest prior to starting their own business. Establish credibility in your field. <a href="https://successcom.wpenginepowered.com/8-proven-networking-strategies-of-successful-entrepreneurs/">Meet others in your field</a> while you’re collecting a paycheck as opposed to doing it while you’re getting your own company ramped up. Learn valuable lessons on someone else’s dime.”



Raphaely also points out that “seeing a company’s policies and systems as an employee will provide you with the opportunity to model your future company’s policies on proven models that work. Don’t reinvent the wheel when instead you can learn from others.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-don-t-fear-failure">Don’t fear failure.</h2>



Some people may skip climbing the ladder at a day job and go straight to building their own ladder because they see entrepreneurship as a shortcut to success. But David Waring, co-founder of FitSmallBusiness.com, says, “It’s likely far easier to get rich working for someone else than it is starting your own business.” After all, <a href="https://www.lendingtree.com/business/small/failure-rate/#percentageofbusinessesthatfailintheUS" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">many companies fold</a> within the first five years.



Bob Saunders, a general partner at OCA Ventures who has worked with hundreds of startups over the last few decades, says, “Entrepreneurship isn’t a path to success by any means. It’s a path to learning.” But fear of failure shouldn’t dissuade anyone from their dreams. Saunders believes there’s value in battle scars and that younger people have a lot less at stake when they start a business, such as children to support or mortgages to manage.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-find-your-own-path-whether-it-s-a-day-job-or-entrepreneurship">Find your own path, whether it’s a day job or entrepreneurship.</h2>



This may be encouraging for any young adult who’s dreamed of <a href="https://successcom.wpenginepowered.com/launching-a-business-against-all-odds-3-tips-for-startup-success/">launching a startup</a>. But young people who aren’t drawn to the startup life shouldn’t feel self-conscious about their choice to go a more traditional route by finding a day job.



Elle Mejia, founder of PrettyGirlsWork and owner of Elle Does Real Estate, addressed the self-employment hype: “‘If you don’t build your dream, someone will hire you to help build theirs,’ right? I think it’s quotes like this that have created this generation of serial entrepreneurs and wannabe bosses, and who have been shamed into thinking there’s something wrong with working the status quo Monday to Friday, 9-to-5.”



When it comes to finding success in your career, Mejia sums it up best: “Success is self-defined. If you’re working at a job that fulfills and satisfies you, then it doesn’t really matter that it doesn’t fall under someone else’s definition of success. There are a thousand different ways to be happy in this life—just pick yours.”



This article was updated August 2023. Photo by Zamrznuti tonovi/Shutterstock

Not everyone wants to be an entrepreneur and that's OK! Here's why some people thrive in a day job rather than starting their own business.

Not everyone wants to be an entrepreneur and that's OK! Here's why some people thrive in a day job rather than starting their own business. | SUCCESS

There Is No Shame in a Day Job Instead of Becoming an Entrepreneur Right Away

Day Jobs May Be a Better Fit for Some People & It's Totally OK | SUCCESS

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thesuccessfulpeopleyouneedtohaveinyourcorner 0

From the very first time I worked a drive-thru window at 16 years old and I began intuitively upsizing customers’ soda and soft-serve orders, I’ve been cultivating a career in sales. After nearly a decade of working for large corporations, I decided to enroll in graduate school and <a href="https://successcom.wpenginepowered.com/article/5-lessons-on-how-to-make-a-successful-career-change">begin a new career</a> as a writer. Less than six months after graduating, I became a full-time freelance writer.

But I didn’t do it alone. I had three people in my corner who helped make my employment freedom a reality. Here’s who they are and how to add them to your network.
Related: <a href="https://successcom.wpenginepowered.com/blog/10-ways-to-find-your-ideal-mentor">10 Ways to Find Your Ideal Mentor</a>

<h2>Who: The Connector</h2>
Why: To make it as a writer, I left Southern California and moved back to my hometown. I had been away for eight years and was no longer “plugged in,” but I had maintained some of my friendships from high school and college. One of those friends was Zack. Zack had become heavily involved in the startup scene—a group I had had zero contact with.

When one of the startups he was friendly with mentioned they needed a content writer, Zack was happy to put them in touch with me. I did the rest. Zack and I still frequently run into each other at <a href="https://successcom.wpenginepowered.com/article/the-7-types-of-people-you-meet-at-networking-events">networking events</a>, and he regularly introduces me to new people. Not only is Zack a Connector, he’s a cheerleader who promotes my value to others.

How: Connectors are easy to find. They’re that person you see at every networking event around town. They’re open and friendly, so <a href="https://successcom.wpenginepowered.com/article/introverted-use-these-tips-to-rock-networking">don’t be shy</a> about approaching and introducing yourself. You can try to get to know them better by offering to take them to coffee or lunch, but be warned: They typically keep a full schedule. You might be better off <a href="https://successcom.wpenginepowered.com/article/the-science-of-friendship">starting a friendship</a> through social media while you wait for an opening on their social calendar.

Don’t overlook the Connectors you might already have in your network. Another friend of mine, Drew, works in hospitality. In a former role, he’d connected with a woman who was launching a new online media outlet and he knew the perfect writer to add to her roster (me!). You never know who might have a lead for you, so let all of your friends and family know what you’re doing for work and that you’re taking on new clients.
<h2>Who: The Two-Steps Ahead</h2>
Why: When people hear “<a href="https://successcom.wpenginepowered.com/article/why-mentors-are-vital-to-your-success">mentor</a>,” they imagine tracking down the Oprah of their town to learn all of their secrets. But you probably don’t have that access. Plus, there are likely a few hundred steps between your career and Oprah’s career. What you really need is someone who is just a few steps ahead of you and who can help guide you down a similar path.

My first regular column was the result of a friend of a friend, Alex, who wrote for the local publication in San Diego. She asked me if I’d write a piece for them about Beyoncé. Her editor liked my piece enough to offer me a regular column. We became fast friends. Alex is not only a San Diego columnist, but an established journalist who’s had work published in large national publications. Throughout the past year, I’ve turned to her for advice and following her career trajectory, making notes of steps I should take.
Related: <a href="https://successcom.wpenginepowered.com/article/6-mentorship-dos-and-donts">6 Mentorship Do’s and Don’ts</a>
How: Social media and <a href="https://successcom.wpenginepowered.com/podcast/ep-64-how-to-rock-a-networking-conference">networking events</a> are a great place to spot a Two-Steps Ahead. It’s easier to approach someone who’s just a little bit further along in his or her career than to summon the courage to reach out to a CEO.

I belong to several writing-focused Facebook groups, and I reach out to writers I admire, and writers who admire me often find their way into my inbox, too. When you become a Two-Steps Ahead, put in the work being someone else’s Two-Steps Ahead. <a href="https://successcom.wpenginepowered.com/blog/true-success-begins-the-second-you-start-giving-back">It pays off to pay it forward</a>.
<h2>Who: The Parallel Peer</h2>
Why: I met Kaitlyn at a networking event for creatives (see a theme developing?). She’d recently taken the plunge into <a href="https://successcom.wpenginepowered.com/article/5-things-freelancers-do-that-you-dont-to-supercharge-their-careers">full-time freelancing</a>, too. Although she was a writer, many of her clients were editing and public relations services, as well as a business she’d started with a friend.

Kaitlyn and I would discuss our financial goals and the steps we were taking to hit them, and we encouraged each other to push for bigger bylines. We weren’t competing directly for opportunities, so there wasn’t any secrecy or jealousy. Kaitlyn helped me out with pointers when a client of mine needed some light public relations work. And I forwarded public relations clients to Kaitlyn.

How: Technically, Kaitlyn found me. After we met, she emailed me an invite for coffee. We’ve managed to <a href="https://successcom.wpenginepowered.com/article/top-of-mind-5-better-ways-to-connect-with-people">stay in touch</a> since then, despite both of us juggling hectic workloads. My advice for finding a Parallel Peer is when you meet someone new and have the polite, “Let’s grab coffee!” invite is simple: Go and grab that coffee.

The best Parallel Peer is someone whose drive is similar to yours so you can hold each other accountable, but what they’re attempting to achieve isn’t directly competing with what you’re attempting to achieve. You can genuinely <a href="https://successcom.wpenginepowered.com/article/4-reasons-you-should-celebrate-others-success">cheer each other on</a> without envy tainting your happiness for your peer.

Taking on a new career is scary. Having the right people in your corner can help you realize your potential and get you there faster.

No one does it alone. So find yourself a set of Zacks, Drews, Alexes and Kaitlyns, and watch your career take off.
Related: <a href="https://successcom.wpenginepowered.com/article/8-ways-to-create-a-killer-relationship-with-your-mentors">8 Ways to Create a Killer Relationship With Your Mentors</a>

They can help you realize your career potential and get you there faster.

They can help you realize your career potential and get you there faster. | SUCCESS

The 3 Successful People You Need to Have in Your Corner

The 3 Successful People You Need to Have in Your Corner | SUCCESS

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On March 8, 1917, female textile workers in Petrograd, Russia protested for better working and living conditions. One hundred years later, women in the U.S. and around the world are striking and protesting for the same. <a href="https://www.internationalwomensday.com/About" target="_blank" rel="noopener">International Women’s Day</a>—once known as International Working Women’s Day—has a long legacy of bringing women together to demand the world to recognize and value our contributions.

Related: <a href="https://successcom.wpenginepowered.com/blog/6-things-successful-women-have-figured-out">6 Things Successful Women Have Figured Out</a>

As a millennial woman who graduated college during the Great Recession, I’ve watched myself and my friends scramble to seize any opportunity that came our way. We tucked away our diplomas to don the uniforms and name badges of low-paying, hourly jobs that college was supposed to insure against. Twenty-somethings like me went straight from the dorm room to the childhood bedroom.

These dire times gave employers and managers incredible leverage over us. Unpaid internships became plentiful. We worked long hours, hesitated to <a href="https://successcom.wpenginepowered.com/article/how-to-ask-for-more-money-and-get-it">ask for raises</a> and promotions, eagerly signing on the dotted line for depressed salaries. I knew women who cried in their cars or in bathroom stalls during lunch breaks because they hated their jobs or their bosses but didn’t feel as if they could quit. It was the equivalent of staying in a bad relationship because you didn’t think you could find anyone better to love you. It stifled our creativity and made us <a href="https://successcom.wpenginepowered.com/article/afraid-of-risks-how-to-be-bolder">risk adverse</a>.

The recession might be over, but the mentality persists. Employers continue to have the expectation that younger employees must make do with whatever circumstances they provide us. I know. I’ve been there. After a fulfilling career in sales and marketing, I left to get my MFA in creative writing. When I graduated, I desperately wanted a copywriting position. I also desperately needed a job because two years in grad school completely decimated my savings account.

For the first time, I found myself facing the disappointing reality my peers had faced in 2007, except it was nearly 10 years later. As I prepared to move back to my hometown and in with my mother in Kentucky, I scoured job boards trying to <a href="https://successcom.wpenginepowered.com/blog/how-to-start-a-freelance-writing-career">secure something in the writing field</a>. The job I landed paid $15 an hour, less than what I’d made selling cosmetics at Nordstrom, and I’d have to wait three months for my health insurance to kick in. But they were excited to have me and I was told if I “knocked it out the park,” I’d be given a raise in December along with everyone else.

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<h3 class="rtecenter">I’ve always been an achiever, someone who constantly strives to be greater at their work, but now it was as if I was being told to shrink myself.</h3>

&nbsp;

In less than two months I was told I was the best writer they had on staff, selected over more experienced team members to train a new hire. I had ideas, and I was there whenever my boss needed me. But when I asked about the raise during my review, my boss seemed taken aback. I wasn’t asking for anything more than was promised, but it was as if he was offended I’d even mentioned it. I didn’t know what to do. If he’d simply said I hadn’t earned it, I could work harder. But it was clear I was worthy of a raise, he just didn’t think it was my place to bring it to his attention. I’ve always been an achiever, someone who constantly strives to be greater at their work, but now it was as if I was being told to shrink myself.

Related: <a href="https://successcom.wpenginepowered.com/article/why-women-struggle-with-confidence-more-than-men">Why Women Struggle With Confidence More Than Men</a>

I clasped my hands together in front of me on the table and smiled. He made feel small, like a little girl. A little girl who didn’t know her place. The conversation continued, but my mind was stuck on the raise. Without even knowing it, I began to channel those 1917 women, the Russian textile workers who wanted better, who knew they were worth more. I started to mentally list my strengths—my work experience, my professionalism, my skills as a writer. I knew I had to leave because this man was never going to honor my value.

Over the next few months, I took on freelance copywriting assignments, established columns with local newspapers and pitched my work to national outlets, eventually making as much on the side as I was at my low-paying day job. <a href="https://successcom.wpenginepowered.com/blog/how-to-quit-your-job-and-still-win">So I quit.</a> It wasn’t easy. Freelancing is hard. I never understood the “No Days Off” fanatics until I started working for myself.

But I determine the value of my work. I don’t watch the clock to get through the work day. I choose when and with whom to work with, and ensure that I’m being respected for what I bring to the table.

Things are changing. Women, it’s time for us to honor our own value, to own it and to demand more from our employers, find new ones or <a href="https://successcom.wpenginepowered.com/article/top-of-mind-6-undeniable-benefits-of-being-your-own-boss">do it ourselves</a>.

But before you can, you must believe you can. Sit down and make a list of your profitable skills. Get together with your friends and honestly evaluate each other’s résumés. <a href="https://successcom.wpenginepowered.com/article/8-ways-to-create-a-killer-relationship-with-your-mentors">Reach out to your mentors</a> and ask for an appraisal. If there are weak spots in your résumé, take classes or teach yourself the skills you need to increase your value and network with other women who can help you move forward in your career.

If you’re being undervalued in your role, explore other opportunities that might be available to you, or create your own—<a href="https://successcom.wpenginepowered.com/article/introducing-the-youeconomy">the YouEconomy</a> is growing. You don’t have to quit your job today, but it never hurts to start putting a plan in motion. For more than 100 years, working women have had to agitate for respect in the workplace. Now it’s our turn to join the fight.

Related: <a href="https://successcom.wpenginepowered.com/blog/15-traits-of-unabashedly-successful-women">15 Traits of Unabashedly Successful Women</a>

The moment I stopped settling for less gave me the greatest freedom of my life.

The moment I stopped settling for less gave me the greatest freedom of my life. | SUCCESS

Women: Know Your Worth in the Workplace

Women: Know Your Worth in the Workplace | SUCCESS

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Minda Honey

Latest Articles

4 Ways to Hustle Even When Times Are Good

There Is No Shame in a Day Job Instead of Becoming an Entrepreneur Right Away

The 3 Successful People You Need to Have in Your Corner

Women: Know Your Worth in the Workplace