The Secret to Success In [whatever]

January 2, 2009 in Happy Links, Happy Quotes, Killer Advice

Chasej Chase Jarvis, if you haven't heard of him, is a very successful (by most any measure) commercial photographer. He's also a true mensch -- and as such -- the object of great admiration by many serious photographers.

He is frequently asked the secret to success in photography. I think his answer applies 100% to whatever you're trying to find success in. His answer?

  1. Be undeniably good (quoting Steve Martin).
  2. Dedicate at least 10,000 hours (quoting Malcom Gladwell from his new book Outliers: The Story of Success.)

[Full post by Chase]

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The top five mistakes entrepreneurs make when they market

August 17, 2006 in Killer Advice

Seth Godin is an entrepreneur's entrepreneur (spell that 3 times fast). A successful and seasoned entrepreneur himself, plus a fountain of excellent advice for other entrepeneurs. He's a renowned speaker, the best-selling author of the lionshare of my favorite business books, he has a very widely read blog, and is the founder of Squidoo.

As an exclusive here on WorkHappy.net, Seth generously shares with us the following truly killer advice: 

The top five mistakes entrepreneurs make when they market

by Seth Godin

  1. Expecting gratitude in exchange for having done something that was hard. Yes, you built a company, you might even have bootstrapped it. Yes, you've got the machinery and the packaging and the retail space. Yes, you've navigated hiring people and yes, you finally shipped. I couldn't care less. I'm not going to buy your brownie/consulting/services just because you worked hard on it.
  2. Spending money as a substitute for doing something great. Spending on marketing an average product isn't working anymore. You're far better off spending money on making your product better. A lot better.
  3. Not realizing that it's your company, and your marketing better be as good as everything else. It doesn't matter if you don't like marketing or don't think you're good at it. Figure it out or go home. Sooner or later, you succeed because you were able to spread your ideas. So go to school and figure out how it works.
  4. Listening to other people. If they're so smart, why aren't they running your company? Don't take a poll. Don't ask your mother-in-law, that's for sure. Cover your downsides, double your desire to take a risk and then just do it.
  5. Failure to measure. All this is worthless if you don't test and measure relentlessly. Do what works. Kill what doesn't. Repeat.

SitnbFor more nuggets of wisdom, make sure you check out Seth's latest book which was released today. Small Is the New Big: and 183 Other Riffs, Rants, and Remarkable Business Ideas

 

 

 

 

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