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Articles from Young Kim | Selfgrowth.com
- 7 Deadly Sins of Networking - by Submitted on May 09, 2012 from Young KimHaving a good elevator pitch and a snazzy business card is not enough to network effectively. I am always surprised at the networking mistakes that both newbies and veterans make at networking events, like only focusing on making a sale rather than establishing a relationship, or going on and on ...
Views: 1316 - Volunteering Is Good For Business - by Submitted on Apr 19, 2011 from Young KimAccording to the book, "Millionaire Mindset" (Thomas J. Stanley) - as well as other books about how millionaires think - most millionaires are very charitable, sit on the committee of many non-profit organizations, and are actively involved in their community. The cynic in you might think its ...
Views: 2048(1 vote) - Informational Billboards vs. Sales Portals - by Submitted on Apr 19, 2011 from Young KimI've been consulting Twyla about her training business for quite some time. One of the first things that we talked about was converting her website from an informational billboard to a sales portal with automated business processing. An informational billboard only provides general ...
Views: 1055 - Invisible Crutch - by Submitted on Apr 17, 2011 from Young KimWhen I was on the high school Speech and Debate team, my specialty was Extemporaneous Speaking. Each speaker is given three topics to choose from, and is given 30 minutes to prepare seven-minute speech, which has to be delivered at the end of those 30 minutes. Although the speakers can bring ...
Views: 1721(3 votes) - The Myth of Multitasking - by Submitted on Apr 17, 2011 from Young KimCan you honestly say you can text and drive well, or do you find yourself swerving off to the curb once and a while? How comfortable would you be if your dentist was tweeting while she was giving you a root canal? How do you think your kids feel when you're texting on your Crackberry during ...
Views: 1213(4 votes) - Breakfast of Champions - by Submitted on Apr 15, 2011 from Young KimEver wonder why breakfast is called breakfast? It's called breakfast because you're breaking a fast. Think about it. Unless you actually eat a fourth meal at midnight, when you wake up each morning, you haven't eaten in almost 12 hours. You've been fasting. Your morning meal is literally ...
Views: 1130(4 votes) - Knowledge is Not a Skill - by Submitted on Apr 15, 2011 from Young KimI used to be friends with a guy, Chad, who was a big movie buff. He knew every thing about movies. He fancied himself to be on par with Martin Scorcese and Quentin Tarantino in terms of being an encyclopedia about film. Although he aspired to be a filmmaker, he actually never made a movie. He ...
Views: 1303(3 votes) - Facebook and Occam's Razor - by Submitted on Apr 15, 2011 from Young KimEvery month or two, the employees at Facebook run what are known as Hackathons. For 24 hours straight, all the participants try to work on a new project that could improve Facebook. The "Like" button and the ability to upload videos on Facebook were just two applications that were invented out ...
Views: 1370(2 votes) - Give Yourself Permission to Succeed - by Submitted on Apr 15, 2011 from Young KimMany of my clients seek approval from friends, family, industry leaders, and colleagues before pushing the "go" button. They feel they shouldn't move forward unless they have everyone's approval or permission first. Some feel they don't deserve success, which sounds odd, I know. They have ...
Views: 1927(3 votes) - Constantly Creating - by Submitted on Apr 15, 2011 from Young KimWhen I used to work for a photography agency, I'd get to sit in on a few meetings with photographers as they presented their books. Having just started in photography, I was always impressed with their photographs. My boss, however, was not. A comment she made frequently was, "Their photos ...
Views: 1439(3 votes) - Planning Creativity - by Submitted on Apr 15, 2011 from Young KimSomehow, the idea of randomness and freedom got mingled with creativity and artistry. Conversely, somehow, planning has become enemy of creativity. In truth, one has very little to do with the other. Large-scale art project, for example, take a lot of planning, and a lot of resources. Most of ...
Views: 1040(4 votes) - Just Five Ingredients - by Submitted on Apr 15, 2011 from Young KimOne of my tango instructors once told me that there are basically five simple step to tango: forward, side, backwards, cross, and ochos. If you can do these five steps well, you can dance with anyone. I am by no means the best tango dancer, not even close. But I do know that many women have ...
Views: 1136(3 votes) - Start Your Day the Night Before - by Submitted on Apr 15, 2011 from Young KimIt took me nearly thirty minutes to get ready for the gym this morning. Normally, I have all my clothes and gear ready the night before so that I can just grab them and go. It's a habit I learned from my girlfriend, who always lays her clothes out the night before. I forgot to do that so I ...
Views: 1115(4 votes) - Not All Artists Need to Become Entrepreneurs - by Submitted on Apr 15, 2011 from Young KimI run into a lot of artists that want to sell their artwork, or to turn their artwork into a business. I am all for the idea of sharing creativity. I am not, however, one of those coaches that will tell every artist that I run into to turn their art into profit. Sometimes a hobby should just ...
Views: 1039(11 votes) - Not All Artists Need to Become Entrepreneurs - by Submitted on Apr 15, 2011 from Young KimI run into a lot of artists that want to sell their artwork, or to turn their artwork into a business. I am all for the idea of sharing creativity. I am not, however, one of those coaches that will tell every artist that I run into to turn their art into profit. Sometimes a hobby should just ...
Views: 1039(11 votes) - Not All Artists Need to Become Entrepreneurs - by Submitted on Apr 15, 2011 from Young KimI run into a lot of artists that want to sell their artwork, or to turn their artwork into a business. I am all for the idea of sharing creativity. I am not, however, one of those coaches that will tell every artist that I run into to turn their art into profit. Sometimes a hobby should just ...
Views: 1039(11 votes) - Don't Discount Your Value - by Submitted on Apr 15, 2011 from Young KimTwyla runs a training business. One of her biggest pet peeves is when potential trainees ask for a discount. But one particular trainee sent her over the edge. The trainee asked if Twyla would be willing to train five people for free if the trainee gave Twyla a free training space. First of ...
Views: 1183(4 votes) - Just One Ingredient Can Make a Big Difference - by Submitted on Apr 15, 2011 from Young KimA few years ago, I discovered that I was about twenty pounds overweight. Being who I am, I researched everything there is about nutrition and fitness. Then I made the decision of eliminating one artificial ingredient from my diet: high fructose corn syrup. I didn't realize just how many foods ...
Views: 1127(3 votes) - Imposter Syndrome - by Submitted on Apr 15, 2011 from Young KimThe "Imposter Syndrome" is when a person feels they don't deserve a title or identity because they are not the best in their field, or because they feel they lack some form of credential, whether the credential is necessary or not. They are the kind of people who say they are an artist ...
Views: 1976(5 votes) - Some Customers Are Worth Losing - by Submitted on Apr 15, 2011 from Young KimIn "A Bronx Tale" (dir. Robert De Niro), the main character, Calogero, befriends a gangster, Sonny. Calogero and Sonny are driving around one day, and Calogero spots a guy who owes Calogero some money. Before young Calogero goes running off, the old and wise, Sonny, stops him. Turns out ...
Views: 1181(4 votes) - Learn-On-Demand - by Submitted on Apr 15, 2011 from Young KimI love books, and I love learning in a classroom setting, but with time and money being finite, I’d rather learn-on-demand. If I need figure out how to add a feature to my website, I just look it up in user groups. If I need a bit of trivia, I search for it on the Internet. If I need some good ...
Views: 1168(3 votes) - Supporters vs. Cheerleaders - by Submitted on Apr 15, 2011 from Young KimYou will always run into people who will doubt your abilities and your talents. On one hand, you should never turn a deaf ear to feedback, even if it is destructive feedback. Their honesty might be the only way of making sure you're not being delusional about your talents. At the same time, ...
Views: 1275(3 votes) - Turning Trash Into Treasure - by Submitted on Apr 15, 2011 from Young KimMy father is totally hooked on golf. When he first started out, he couldn't afford to buy full club sets. Even used club sets were expensive. Then one day, while chasing down a bogey in the cabbage (whatever that means), he found a club head that had broken off from the shaft. These were ...
Views: 1316(9 votes) - The Restroom Test - by Submitted on Apr 15, 2011 from Young KimI walked into a big box office supply retailer the other day. It was possibly one of the dirtiest restrooms I’ve seen. It looked like a truck stop restroom. I decided to go to the restroom next door at a coffee shop. It was pristine. The cleanliness of a restroom tells me a lot about how a ...
Views: 1226(4 votes) - Taking Care of Yourself Just As Important as Taking Care of Business - by Submitted on Apr 15, 2011 from Young KimThere have been numerous studies that state that not sleeping in, or brushing your teeth twice a day, or making your bed every morning can add years to your life. It wouldn't be a stretch to say that these things also lead to a successful life. The kind of person that does these things ...
Views: 1123(3 votes) - The Dangers of Dreaming Big - by Submitted on Apr 15, 2011 from Young KimI first met Brian about a few years ago through a friend at a party. He quickly pitched to me a grand business idea that involved selling video games over mobile devices. I soon realized he kind of introduces himself everyone with a pitch rather than a simple greeting. His video game ...
Views: 1554(9 votes) - Boundaries a Necessity to Sustain Family Businesses - by Submitted on Apr 15, 2011 from Young KimLilly and her boyfriend work together. It's really his business, and she's his marketing manager. One of the ways they are able to maintain a healthy relationship and run a successful business is because they establish clear boundaries. They try not to talk about work after-hours, especially ...
Views: 1017(4 votes) - Andy Warhol and Scalability - by Submitted on Apr 15, 2011 from Young KimAndy Warhol introduced the idea of modern pop art, where a piece of artwork could be replicated over and over again using silk screening techniques. In a way, Andy Warhol made art scalable, but only up to a point. There's a reason why couture dresses sell more than the ones you find at a ...
Views: 1251(9 votes) - Surround Yourself With Successful People - by Submitted on Apr 15, 2011 from Young KimSeth works at a camera shop. Seth isn't a photographer. Seth actually majored in graphic design. He had difficulty finding work as a freelance designer, and couldn't find any work in the corporate world either. So he took jobs in retail and eventually ended up at the camera shop. Seth's ...
Views: 1440(3 votes) - Don't Be Evil - by Submitted on Apr 15, 2011 from Young KimThe founders of Google have a motto, "Don't be evil." There are people who have good intentions, and want to make a lot of money. But there are also people with bad intentions that want to make a lot of money. The latter are the people being evil. When I was in college, I ran into a high ...
Views: 1857(10 votes) - Saving Money Can Lead to Business Opportunities - by Submitted on Apr 15, 2011 from Young KimWhen he was a teenager, my brother was a huge tennis freak, and he would have to get his racket restrung all the time. It started to cost a considerable amount of money. One day, while getting his tennis racket restrung, my brother asked the guy at the sporting goods store all sorts of ...
Views: 1047(9 votes) - Believe in What You Sell, and Sell What You Believe In - by Submitted on Mar 21, 2011 from Young KimI ran into an old friend of mine, Brian, at a nearby bookstore, and we immediately went through the pleasantries of finding out what the other had been up to. Brian started telling me about how he and his wife were struggling financially, but that he was hopeful about a new business venture he ...
Views: 1496(6 votes) - No Job is Worth Losing Your Health Over - by Submitted on Mar 21, 2011 from Young KimI once had as an account manager for a dotcom company, back when dotcoms were still new, and just before the bubble burst. I was single at the time, and I worked close to 12-hour days, seven days a week, by choice. I was on a steady diet caffeine, and fast food. I had no time to exercise, and ...
Views: 1942(3 votes) - Passion Fuels Success - by Submitted on Mar 18, 2011 from Young KimWhen I was in college, I knew a guy - we'll call him Robert - who was obsessed with the Denver Broncos. That's all Robert ever talked about. Now, perhaps I think Robert was obsessed because I don't really follow sports, and perhaps he wasn't any more obsessed than any other Bronco ...
Views: 1262(4 votes) - Constructive Feedback vs. Destructive Feedback - by Submitted on Mar 18, 2011 from Young KimFeedback is a tricky thing. First of all, a critique or criticism is not necessarily the same things as feedback. What separates criticism and feedback is the intent. The intention of a critique or criticism is to convey an opinion. Some critiques are negative, some positive, some articulate, ...
Views: 9512(5 votes) - Be Productive Rather Than Busy or Active - by Submitted on Mar 18, 2011 from Young KimThere is a difference between being busy and being productive. Being busy just means you have a lot of tasks you need to get done. Being busy says nothing about what you actually accomplished other than checking-off a task list. Being active is also not the same as being productive. Being ...
Views: 1696(3 votes) - Be Where Your Buyers Are - by Submitted on Mar 14, 2011 from Young KimOne of my clients, Anna, recently tried to sell her photographs at a concert that one of her friends held at a hotel. Anna's friend, Johnny has a small jazz band and was able to get his band booked for gig at the bar/lounge inside the hotel. Johnny also asked the hotel if they could have ...
Views: 1246(3 votes) - Multiple Identity Crisis - by Submitted on Mar 16, 2011 from Young KimI have an associate who introduces himself in the following manner: "I'm Jack. I'm a photographer, a massage therapist, and I'm also a programmer." His business card actually says all three titles as well. Talk about having a multiple identity crisis. Jack is hoping that the person he is ...
Views: 2112(8 votes) - Born with Creativity - by Submitted on Mar 18, 2011 from Young KimI was at the bookstore the other day, and I noticed two kids running around playing some kind of game while their father shopped for bargain books. I couldn't quite figure out the rules of the particular game the little girls were playing. I soon realized that it was a game of their own ...
Views: 1517(4 votes) - Beating Yourself Up for Mistakes is Like Pressuring Yourself to Fail - by Submitted on Mar 12, 2011 from Young KimMy client, Lilly, came to me recently came to me feeling defeated. Her job with her boyfriend is going fine, but she said that she feels like a failure. I asked her what made her feel that way. Lilly talked about describe how frustrating it was that she hadn't paid off her students loans yet. ...
Views: 1439(7 votes) - Become Who You Are - by Submitted on Mar 12, 2011 from Young KimOne year, I decided to try food photography. I loved food, I loved local restaurants, and I loved photography. It seemed like a perfect fit for me. One problem... two actually. The first was that I had no experience in product photography; my style was more akin to photojournalism, which is ...
Views: 1364(8 votes) - Just Write - by Submitted on Mar 11, 2011 from Young KimAlex came to me for some coaching on writing. I asked him how often he wrote, and Alex said maybe once a week for only a few minutes. He also said he was writing less and less. I asked him about his writing process. Alex said that he tries to imagine a story from beginning to end in his mind ...
Views: 1146(2 votes) - All I Got for My Membership Was This Lousy T-shirt - by Submitted on Mar 11, 2011 from Young KimNot so long ago, I used to be part of a photography organization that had a space where members could hang their work for sale. The space also had lighting equipment and printing equipment that members could access. The organization also had a magazine where photographers were challenged to ...
Views: 1293(1 vote) - The Food Burner: A Parable About Unconventional Thinking - by Submitted on Mar 06, 2011 from Young KimInside an ancient bear cave, around "the dawn of man"... or, um, actually, around dinner time... LARRY: "Hey, Bob. Your caving paintings are looking awesome." BOB: "Thanks, Larry." LARRY: "So, what smells so good in here?" BOB: "Nothing. Just getting ready for dinner. ...
Views: 1349(3 votes) - 9 Tips on Conducting Productive Brainstorming Sessions - by Submitted on Mar 06, 2011 from Young KimBrainstorming by yourself is one thing. Brainstorming with a group of people has its own challenges. I personally love facilitating brainstorming sessions. It's like orchestrating a chaotic storm of ideas. The excitement and the energy generated during a great brainstorming session are ...
Views: 3892(5 votes) - The "Starving Artist" Meme - by Submitted on Mar 05, 2011 from Young KimArtists seem to avoid entrepreneurship like it is the plague. Many artists think making art for money is "selling out," or that money will somehow pollute their artistic integrity, or that great artists have to suffer in poverty in order to produce great works of art. Where did the "starving ...
Views: 2411(4 votes) - Apple's Business Unit Strategy - by Submitted on Mar 05, 2011 from Young KimAdmiring Apple for only its well-designed products and clever commercials is only scratching the surface. Apple is actually a great case study on brilliant business modeling. Apple treats every product as its own business unit. What this means is that every product line could exist as its own ...
Views: 9842(4 votes) - Half-Baked Ideas Are Better Than None - by Submitted on Mar 04, 2011 from Young KimI hate wasting food. Rather than allowing food to rot, I have to become an Iron Chef sometimes, and think of some way of salvaging the food. Sometimes I perform miracles, and sometimes my creations end up in the trash anyway. Regardless of how many times I've overcooked the fish, under baked ...
Views: 1244(3 votes) - Avoiding Failure Does Not Lead To Success - by Submitted on Mar 01, 2011 from Young KimA common theme among my clients is the fear of failure. They are so afraid of failing that they are unwilling to press the "go" button to get their lives started. Ironically the fear of failure usually leads to more failure. The fear of failure can lead to procrastination, perfection ...
Views: 2126(5 votes) - Self-Accountability Empowers Solopreneurs - by Submitted on Mar 01, 2011 from Young KimHaving a strong sense of self-accountability is the cornerstone of success and productivity. Self-accountability simply means you are holding yourself responsible for your successes and failures. Most of us feel a sense of accountability towards our managers, co-workers, clients, customers, ...
Views: 2003(4 votes) - 7 Step Perfect Elevator Pitch Program - by Submitted on Mar 01, 2011 from Young KimI once had a client, Zach, who wanted to start some kind of online auction business. He would describe to me in detail how the auction software worked, and the different kinds of products that would be auctioned off, but he could never articulate how his auction site would be any different from ...
Views: 1801(5 votes) - 7 Basic Daily Disciplines... Military Style - by Submitted on Feb 27, 2011 from Young KimMy father gets his sense of discipline from the military; he's a retired veteran. I never had the urge to join the military - goes against my pacifist nature - but I do have to admire the discipline that the military instills in its troops. Along with the weapons training, and war games, the ...
Views: 16685(5 votes)