Scott Ginberg’s Digital Devotional Series, Book 3: Hire Yourself

I never went to the career fair.

I just hired myself
and got to work.

                                                                                                

And after ten years, I still haven’t been fired. Which is
surprising, as I’m the most unemployable person on the planet.

The cool part is, taking the road less traveled doesn’t just make the
biggest difference in your life – it also enables you to make the biggest
difference in other people’s lives. And there has never been a better time to
be an entrepreneur.

There are forty-two million independent workers in this country. Why aren’t you
part of that number?

Instead of waiting to be plucked from obscurity, this book
will help you stick your fingers in your ears and create your dream job. It will challenge you to stop
asking, “Who’s going to let me?” And start wondering, “Who’s going to stop me?”

Ready to burn your resume?

Please welcome to the family:

Hire Yourself:

How to Burn Your Resume and Build a Career That Counts

If you don’t have a Kindle, here’s a downloadable version for free.

* * * *

Scott Ginsberg

That Guy with the Nametag

Writing, Publishing, Performing, Consulting

[email protected]

The Cost of Encouragement

In baseball, just over a hundred players hit a homerun on their first at bat.

Makes
sense. That’s a lot of pressure without a lot of experience.

Most players are lucky enough to eek
out single, barely get on first, maybe steal a base or two; then, with smart
running, a solid lineup and little luck – score – then hustle back to the
dugout in the hopes of having another at bat later in the game.

Artists and
entrepreneurs work the same. We publish our first book, put on our first show,
launch our first website, and we don’t expect fireworks. We’re just grateful
for the chance to play. And we’re hopeful that we might score enough to get into
the game and prove to the world (and to ourselves) that we’re capable.

That way, we
can start building a history that keeps our average up.

Still, every
once in a while, a player comes along that doesn’t just knock one out of the
park – he knocks the cover off the ball.

Like Robert
Redford in The Natural, he takes a swing and takes the world by
surprise.

And we’re
never the same again.

When this
happens, when we’re privileged enough to witness somebody’s homerun, it’s our
responsibility to show them the replay. It’s our responsibility to grab them by
the lapel and reveal what they can’t see for themselves. And it’s our responsibility to tell them what they’ve done,
why it matters, and why they need to keep swinging, every day, forever, until
it’s all over.

We need to
be a stand for these people’s greatness.

Because without
that brand of encouragement (which costs nothing, by the way) some people may never realize how bloody brilliant they
really are.

Going. Going. Gone.

LET ME ASK YA THIS…

What have you declined this week?

LET ME SUGGEST THIS…

For the list called, “33 Ways to Approach Unhappy Customers,” send an email to me, and you win the list for free!

* * * *

Scott Ginsberg

That Guy with the Nametag

Writing, Publishing, Performing, Consulting

[email protected]

My job is to help companies make their mission more than a statement, using limited edition social artifacts.

Want to download your free workbook for The Brandtag Strategic Planning Crusade?


Meet Scott’s client from Nestle Purina at www.brandtag.org!

Are You Diversifying Your Creative Approach?

Creativity isn’t hard.

It’s simply a matter
finding the best path for us.

We can ingest substances that lower our inhibitions, enhance
our creative flair and broaden our minds.

We can surround ourselves with creative, why-not-people
whose artistic energies echo into our world.

We can expose ourselves to inspiring materials that disturb
us to the point that we have no choice but to start creating something of our
own.

We can displace ourselves physically to break traditional
patterns and heighten our awareness to our surroundings.

We can build a stimulating environment that activates, taps
into and heightens our sensory experience.

We can inhale everything we encounter as mental omnivores, building
a bottomless reservoir of diverse ideas to fuel our artistic endeavors.

We can practice the art of solitude, isolating ourselves
from the distractions of the world to better hear the voice of our hearts.

We can play the numbers, commit to laying a certain amount
of creative track each day and build value through volume.

The point is, every path works. But the most successful artists,
innovators and entrepreneurs are the ones who diversify their creative
approaches, the ones who work from a combination of as many paths as possible.

LET ME ASK YA THIS…

Which creative paths will you choose?

LET ME SUGGEST THIS…

For the list called, “7 Ways to Out Experience the Competition,” send an email to me, and you win the list for free!

* * * *

Scott Ginsberg

That Guy with the Nametag

Writing, Publishing, Performing, Consulting

[email protected]

How boring is your company’s online training?

For
dozens of free video learning modules on sales, frontline service,
entrepreneurship and marketing, spend a few minutes or a few hours
growing your brain and growing your wallet.

Tune in to www.nametagTV.com!

Why Do I Resent Your Success?

Every time I read an article about
someone in my field doing something amazing, my heart always ends up in
conflict with itself.

The fundamentally affirmative part of
me encourages people’s success to inspire my own productivity:

Good for you. Right on, man. I am
genuinely delighted for your success, thrilled by your accomplishments and
fueled by your energy. In fact, I’m going to use your life as a glowing source
of inspiration for my own. Because if you can do it, I can do it too. This is
awesome. Where’s my notebook?

Meanwhile, the resentful part of me
downgrades people’s accomplishments to justify their level of success:

You son of a bitch. You’re not as
talented as I am. You don’t work as hard as I do. You haven’t been around as
long as I have. You don’t deserve it as much as I do. You can’t do it as well
as I can. You don’t even want it as badly as I do. What about me? When is it
going to be my time? This is bullshit. Where’s my gun?”

Ah, the joys of being human.

LET ME ASK YA THIS…

How do you respond to other people’s success?

LET ME SUGGEST THIS…

For the list called, “134 Questions Every Salesperson Should Ask,” send an email to me, and you win the list for free!

* * * *

Scott Ginsberg

That Guy with the Nametag

Writing, Publishing, Performing, Consulting

[email protected]

My job is to help companies make their mission more than a statement, using limited edition social artifacts.

Want to download your free workbook for The Brandtag Strategic Planning Crusade?


Meet Scott’s client from Nestle Purina at www.brandtag.org!

The Cost of Following Your Dreams

The hard part about hiring yourself is, every paycheck is
different.

Some are big, some are small, and in lean times, some are
not existent.

But we asked for this. It’s all part of the job description.
The minute we go out on our own, we forego financial stability. We trade in consistent
and predictable compensation for the freedom to follow our dreams without
looking over our shoulder.

And in return, we have to get good at coping with and thriving
in that environment.

First, by strategically building a support system of
colleagues who know what it’s like to not know where the money is coming from. These
people are especially helpful when you’re trying to change the world and pay
the mortgage at the same time. Eek.

Second, by constantly sweeping our radars for passive income
and savings opportunities. These diversification options are abundant and
practical, and with a little research, can be the difference between a real
career and an expensive hobby. Phew.

Third, by carefully monitoring and documenting our spending
habits. These rituals keep make us as moneysmart as possible, reminding us that
we all have to wear the accountant hat, no matter how creative we are. Dang it.

Fourth, by honestly appraising our professional history.
This reflection fuels our instinct for the future and enables us to make
smarter, faster and better decisions, and not make the same mistakes twice. Thank god.

Personally, this is my least favorite part of the job.

I’m not a manager. I’m not a businessperson. I’m an artist. I just want to make
stuff.

But I’m also a realist. And I know that if I want to
underwrite my addictions and support my lifestyle, I don’t have much of a
choice.

LET ME ASK YA THIS…

What is the cost of following your dreams?

LET ME SUGGEST THIS…

For the list called, “79 Questions Every Manager Needs to Ask,” send an email to me, and you win the list for free!

* * * *

Scott Ginsberg

That Guy with the Nametag

Writing, Publishing, Performing, Consulting

[email protected]

Scott has written and published over 1,000,000 words.

But did you know that you could commission Scott to write custom content for your publication, newsletter or blog?

View a sample of Scott’s commissioned work with American Express.

What Happens Without Accountability

The hard part about working alone is the lack of
accountability.

With the exception of our clients, there’s nobody to say
when we’re toast. Nobody to hold our feet to the fire. Nobody to care if we
don’t execute. Nobody to yell if we stroll in to work at eleven. 

Nobody to bust our
chops when sales decline. Nobody to give feedback on a poor performance. Nobody
to offer encouragement in a time of struggle.

Nobody. It’s just us.

This causes two problems. First, there’s the issue of
productivity. With nobody but us to answer to, it’s easy to get distracted, hard
to stay motivated, easier to procrastinate and tempting to rationalize our way
out of feeling guilty for poor work ethic.

But the deeper problem, the one we hate to confront, is that
working without accountability makes us feel like welack direction and purpose. Ittrains us to selfishlydo
whatever is most convenient to get what we want, without taking others into
consideration, without keeping our eye on the bigger picture.

Fortunately for us freelancers,
there’s no shortage of coworking spaces, peer networks, trade associations,
artist collectives, mastermind groups and online programs to mitigate
accountability issues.

Still, it’s hard.

Sometimes hiring yourself can
feel like winking in the dark.

And with nobody to hold our
feet to the fire, it’s not always easy to get warm.

LET ME ASK YA THIS…

What’s your biggest accountability struggle?

LET ME SUGGEST THIS…

For the list called, “38 Ways to Make Customers Gasp,” send an email to me, and you win the list for free!

* * * *

Scott Ginsberg

That Guy with the Nametag

Writing, Publishing, Performing, Consulting

[email protected]

What happens when you wear a nametag all day, every day, for 4000+ days?

Strangers make fun of you, mostly.

Check out Scott’s comic strip, Adventures in Nametagging!

Scott Ginsberg’s Keynote Speech: Hire Yourself! Burn Your Resume & Create a Career That Counts

This clip is fromThe Go Network on Vimeo!

LET ME ASK YA THIS…
Have you ever thought about hiring yourself?

LET ME SUGGEST THIS…
For the list called, “16 Ways to be the Best,” send an email to me, and you win the list for free!

* * * *
Scott Ginsberg
That Guy with the Nametag
Author, Speaker, Publisher, Artist, Mentor
[email protected]

Never the same speech twice.

Now booking for 2011-2012!

Watch The Nametag Guy in action here!

How to Hire Yourself

I never went to the career fair.

I just hired myself and got to work.

And after ten years, I still haven’t been fired.

That’s the cool part:

When you hire yourself, you stay free.
When you hire yourself, you call the shots.
When you hire yourself, you don’t have to wait.
When you hire yourself, you execute what matters faster.
When you hire yourself, you remove the threat of rejection.
When you hire yourself, you become a more educated entrepreneur.

Tired of waiting to be picked? Consider these ideas for hiring yourself:
1. Kick your addiction to permission. Permission is a spiritual revolt. It’s an inner imperative. A soulful drive for significance. And the bridge between mediocrity and remarkability. The problem is, permission is very real and pervasive in most of our lives.

And as such, there are two kinds of people: Those who sit back and ask for permission, and those who step up act without restriction. I wonder which one describes you. Truth is, it’s not a question of who’s going to let you, but rather, who’s going to stop you?

And the answer is: Nobody. Except maybe you. Because the only permission slip that matters is the one you sign for yourself. That’s your first challenge: Greenlighting your own work. Becoming your own authority figure. And sticking your fingers in your ears so you can hear the sound of your own voice.

Otherwise you get sucked into a life situation where mediocrity is exalted. Are you listening to your voice or a program created by someone else?

2. Mainstream is lamestream. Absolute unfreedom is allowing other people to chart the course of your life. But when you hire yourself, everything changes. Just ask Kevin Smith. After writing the screenplay for the movie Red State, the filmmaker promised that the rights to the film would be auctioned off to a distributor at the Sundance Film Festival.

But last minute, Smith decided to purchase the rights to himself. He then self-distributed the picture under an independent banner. And through his persistent social media efforts, he created a sold out traveling show in select cities before officially releasing the movie.

This process saved millions of dollars, reached millions of and elevated his online and offline platforms to stratospheric heights. Smith’s relentlessness is a shining example of what happens when you stay on the path of your heart. He proved that if you’re not making people react you’re not making a difference. He proved that anything worth doing is worth being attacked for. Are you willing to create something critics will criticize?

3. Being picked keeps you passive. You don’t need a resume. You don’t need an internship. You don’t need another degree. You don’t need more credentials. And you don’t need to attend another industry convention just to kiss the collective ass of a bunch of crusty veterans who still put the word “the” in front of Google.

What you need is initiative. What you need is an enterprise mentality. What you need is to stand on the edge of the abyss and choose to fly. What you need is the desire to take massive action combined with an abundance of chutzpah.

That’s how you say yes to your own value. That’s how you reject the tyranny of being picked, says Seth Godin. Because if you’re just waiting to be discovered, you’re just going to end up waiting tables.

Make yourself the default. Change the rules so you can win at your own game, change the game so there are no rules, or become the exception to every rule. Because you can’t hire yourself if you’re not interactive, reactive and proactive. Are you waiting for your big break, or manufacturing your own big breaks by making yourself more breakable?

4. Stable is for horses. According to the National Association of Colleges and Employers, only twenty-five percent of recent graduates who applied for a job had one waiting for them after graduation. It’s no secret: Hiring yourself is no longer a renegade choice – it’s a viable path.

First of all, the tools are accessible, affordable and have rapid learning curves. Secondly, offices are a thing of the past and mobile workforces the thing of the present.

Third, open-source software reduces or eliminate the need for consultants and tech support. And lastly, microfinancing, business incubators, peer councils and digital fundraising opportunities are abundant and available – as long as you know how to make a case for yourself.

Yes, half of all new businesses fail within the first five years. And yes, the entrepreneur life is filled with risks, stresses and sacrifices. But it certainly beats working a job that eats away at you just a little more each day. So maybe you take fewer vacations. Big deal. Isn’t it worth it to set up a life you didn’t need to escape from?

5. Farming isn’t for farmers anymore. As a writer, publisher and artist, I’ve learned that best way to bring home the bacon is to raise your own pigs. Think about it: No more traffic on the way to the store. No more inflated retail prices. And no more waiting in lines with the other carnivores.

If you raise your own pigs, and you want some bacon – you just grab a knife and walk outside.

That’s what impatient, persistent, heartstrong people do: They sing the song that is natural for them to sing, in the way that is natural for them to sing it, in front of the fans who most need to hear it. Then, they give their audience permission to be taken over by he performance. Even if they have to rent the theater themselves.

If you are fortunate enough to find the work you were born to do, find ways to do that work no matter what. No. Matter. What. Because the only thing worse than not having a song to sing is having a song to sing, but not giving yourself permission to sing it. The show must go on. May as well hire yourself as the headliner. When was the last time people watched you do what you do?

REMEMBER: It’s about fearing rejection – it’s about putting yourself in a position yourself where rejection can’t even find you.

Burn your resume.

Hire yourself.

It might be the smartest career decision you could make.

LET ME ASK YA THIS…
Why are you still waiting to be picked?

LET ME SUGGEST THIS…
For the list called, “14 Things You Don’t Have to Do Anymore,” send an email to me, and you win the list for free!

* * * *
Scott Ginsberg
That Guy with the Nametag
Author, Speaker, Publisher, Artist, Mentor
[email protected]

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