The Best Tips for Success from Top Women in Business
Hosting this show has been the privilege of a lifetime. Each week we have travelled across America picking the brains of some of the nation's most successful and inspiring women- all with the goal of uncovering the secrets to their success to share with you. Many of us have heard of these women, we have seen the tremendous things they have accomplished and we might even have assumed that they got there by birthright or good luck. While each of these women do have something special what we discovered was that these women are no different to you or I. We are all special and worthy of great success.
Just like many of us, they weren't always the best at school; many of them came from humble beginnings. Some lost their jobs, husbands and even their struggle with self-esteem every now and then. Yet despite their humanity, or perhaps because of it, they developed strategies to combat life's many obstacles- both internally and externally. It seems no matter how different their industry or personal journey, their advice was eerily similar to one another. It appears there truly are some core secrets to success.
Today it's my joy to share these common principles with you. Absorb them, share them and most importantly live them…
GOLDEN RULE NO.1- PREPARE, PREPARE, PREPARE
Most successful careers begin with the job interview, so mastering this is key. All the women we spoke to emphasize the need to fully research as much as you can about the company where you're applying to work, the industry, and the person interviewing you.
Emmy winning journalist and NBC anchor, Jane Hanson, believes you should know enough to be able to walk into the room and say something that immediately puts the interviewer at ease.
Author Ellen Lubin Sherman says it's your job to walk into the interview full of energy and pizzazz and to talk about yourself in ways that make it clear that you will bring a lot to the company and will never drag it down.
GOLDEN RULE NO.2 - FIND A MENTOR
Nearly all of the women we interviewed revealed that having a mentor helped them not only stay motivated and on track but played a crucial role in getting them to where they are today.
Margaret Keene, Executive Creative Director of Saatchi and Saatchi, revealed that a good mentor often sees qualities in you that you may not have even seen in yourself and gives you the courage to try new things and grow.
Career expert Tory Johnson encouraged us to find a champion that has some political clout in your industry who can be your advocate and use their power to help you get that break.
GOLDEN RULE NO.3- CONFIDENCE IS KEY
Just like us, most of these women admitted that their biggest enemy- especially when they were surrounded by powerful people- was themselves. Here are some of the ways they overcame their inner critic.
Real estate mogul, Barbara Corcoran declared war on her negative self-talk. The minute those insecurities started come up she would say to herself, "You know what, I have the right to success here!" Once she replaced thoughts that she didn't deserve to be there with thoughts that she belonged there, she found that no one else ever accused her of not being good enough either.
Iron Chef, Cat Cora, relies on positive self-talk and simple mantras such as "I'm ok. I'm ok" and "It's not personal, it's business. It's not personal, it's business", to keep her cool and confident in heated situations.
I Am That Girl co-founder, Emily Greener, suggests writing down a list of all the things you love about yourself and using that to combat the destructive internal dialog.
Finally, never forget Principlal Lynn Irby-Jackson's wise words, "What you have is a gift to give and you're worthy of that, and so let someone else notice the good that you have and what you can give to someone else"
Now it's time to live out your own success story!
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Watch all our inspiring interviews for more amazing advice and please share any secrets to success that you've learnt along the way.
