The Advice I'm Not Following

Seeing the marketing messages I get telling me how to be more successful in my business often makes me mad. So with all due respect to those who make a living selling us courses and programs, here's the advice I'm not buying.

• 10X Everything. The new buzzword is 10X. Books, podcasts, and newsletters are all dedicated to 10Xing your profit, sales, health, etc. Am I a fan of growth? Absolutely. But for most of us, a 10X goal is overwhelming. The business owners I know who are having success experienced steady growth over years of consistent work.

• 7 Figures Is The New 6-Figures. Remember when your goal was to get to 6 figures? Apparently, in some circles, $999,999 is no longer enough. Really?

• If She Can Do It You Can To. This message is that the epic success of a few rare individuals is within reach for everyone. Want to be a billionaire like Rihanna, Jamie Kern Lima, or Sara Blakely? Just do what they did we're told. Do I respect each of these women and find their stories of resilience and hard work inspiring? Definitely. But hearing others retell the stories of famous people and saying it's the blueprint for the rest of us doesn't make sense to me, especially since running a major organization and being a billionaire isn't the goal of anyone I know. I'm more interested in hearing relatable stories of growth that inspire me to take action.

How about you? What's the bad advice you're not taking?

I was deeply moved by this year's presentation of the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress. Five previous winners, including the legendary Rita Moreno, introduced the nominees with such love and admiration it was beautiful to witness.

The winner, Da'Vine Joy Randolph, gave a heartfelt acceptance speech and shared how she learned, "I just need to be myself." It felt like a direct message to everyone. Now, this is advice I'll take any day. I hope you'll watch or rewatch it and be inspired. 

Here's to just being ourselves!