BUSINESS
Climbing
the Ladder
of Success
By Kelly Frost
M
ost things in life these days come with instructions or manuals. For example, when
you buy a car, it has a rather thick manual
to answer just about any question you have.
When you buy a trampoline, it comes with instructions
on how to assemble it. Even when you buy a tree, it
comes with instructions on how to plant it, and care instructions afterwards.
However, being successful in business…I have yet
to see an official manual or instructions for this. I suppose this is because there isn’t only one type of business
model or industry; therefore, there couldn’t be only
one cookie cutter business manual. In my experience
of working for and with successful people in several
industries—such as retail, restaurant, human resources,
non-profit, IT, multi-media, advertising and marketing,
PR, and event planning—I have found that they possess many of the same qualities and/or follow the same
steps or schools of thought. There are the same common
threads woven into their success.
Never Stop Learning
Having a degree is ideal. Often it will open doors and
opportunities that may not have been an option without one. Nonetheless, with our ever evolving climate of
technology and invention, a daily aging degree just isn’t
enough anymore. Every day there are new apps, tools,
websites, and discoveries that anyone who wishes to be
and remain successful in business needs to be aware of
and educated in. To be successful, you must be a lifelong learner. Attend retreats or seminars, if you are unable to be there in person, watch them on your laptop,
or listen to the recorded version. Always be reading a
book, and I don’t mean a Harry Potter edition, although
enjoyable I’m sure; always have an arsenal of educating
material on hand to further your education. Knowledge
is key.
Dream BIG & Set Goals
We hear this so often in life, but that is because it is
so true. Learn to dream big, look for the bigger picture,
shoot for the stars. These are statements that are in successful people’s vocabulary. As Michael Jordan once said
“You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take.” Take the
time to discover your gifts and develop them. Become
self-aware of your talents. Realizing that you are not
going to be stellar at everything is a positive attribute. It
will help you narrow in on what you are gifted at, and
what truly brings you joy. Develo