Why my career pain will be your gain
There are many days where I feel that the clock is my enemy. From a little small mountain town in central Italy where I was born to now an accomplished American Dream in the United States, the sense of total fulfillment still escapes me.
The thoughts of many other possibilities to contribute to my family, the current career, and my legacy continuously
swirl in my mind. I am very thankful for the achievements to date: multiple university degrees in my adopted immigrant land; an amazing growing multi-cultural family (I am from Italy and my wife is from Hungary, both pre-teen USA arrivals); a successful career in technology and loss prevention; lucky to create a flourishing personal brand at the start of the social media era; immersive innovation experiences in Silicon Valley; multiple CEO leadership roles; the publishing of my first book; traveling to every continent except Antarctica for both pleasure and work; and a global highly supportive network of individuals in multiple industries.
My career pain, which I hope will be your gain, is that I could have accomplished much more, if I had understood earlier the following three unbreakable laws. This is mine and your wake-up call to never settle, no matter what the age and start sooner, rather than later in building lasting success.
Law 1: Commitment to Lifelong Learning
At age 11, when I arrived to the United States in the 1970s, English was a foreign language. My childhood exposure to America was from reading Italian western comic books with the work OK repeated many times.
The quick immersion into a new language and culture was initially very difficult. From a small town of 2,000 people to
Cleveland, a city of nearly one million people, was intimidating to say the least. The food was different; the pace of life seemed faster; entering a school mid-year with no English knowledge was challenging. Yet, it was that adversity that started and accelerated my passion for continuous learning.
Any level of formal education is not the end of the learning journey. Success is built on understanding and leveraging the changes taking place around you.
If you are settling with status quo, I have bad news. "According to a recent research study done by Accenture, the pace of change has increased 183% over the past four years and 33% in the past year alone. And the C-Suite Executives studied see no end in sight. The Accenture survey reveals that a striking 88% of those executives anticipate an even faster rate of change in the coming years."
Understanding the pace of change and the opportunities created is your ticket to success. As I specialize in the retail industry with the focus on technology, for the last 10 years, I have globally delivered and continuously updated a "Disruptive Future of Retail" keynote presentation.
The internet has made it much easier to follow and master trends to your particular interests. Regularly, I read articles that have built my personal brand on retail, technology, and leadership. Through a social media manager, I share daily favorite content on my channels and periodically on my YouTube and personal website.
My biggest regret is that I often settled in moments in time where lifelong learning was telling me more lucrative opportunities were elsewhere. Fear stood in my way in taking more risks to greater success. My wish for you is that you adopt NOW continuous learning and when opportunity knocks, you will open that door faster.
Law 2: Value Creation is the Currency of Success
Your personal and professional success starts and ends with value creation for others. It should never be just about you. Especially in your professional life, the more value you create for others, the more successful will be your career
In many of Simon Sinek's published works, you will find the concept that "Success is a team sport. You don’t have to know all the answers and you don’t have to pretend you do. Anything you want to achieve is going to take the commitment of other people – and you can’t buy commitment. No amount of money can buy loyalty. It takes committed and loyal people who are inspired by a vision and want to contribute their talents to see a shared enterprise advance."
From my earliest days in my career, I went the extra mile to add value beyond just working in a job. In a technology sales position right out of college, I was the first to create a personal customer newsletter filled with pictures of smiling happy customers that became an example for the overall company. My "hobby" of identifying retail technology trends to predict the industry's future led to being named a top influencer over multiple years. That same incremental value creation elevated my value to global retailers.
The most respected professionals do not focus on their 9-to-5 job. They elevate everyone around them. They stop asking, what is my to do list today? They instead ask, what results can I create today?
Be a great listener. Anticipate potential needs before they are asked. Educate yourself daily in whatever industry you are in. Mentor others on your career journey. Create a personal board of advisors that can coach you along the way. Write and publish blogs. Understand, volunteer, and even stretch to lead your company's growth initiatives.
Standing still and just putting in your time is a recipe for failure. Do not become one of those statistics where artificial intelligence (AI) displaces your traditional employment. Instead leverage AI to identify value creation ideas faster. Don't just read about AI. Value creation plus execution leads to the greatest success.
Law 3: Your Network is Your Net Worth
The skills you develop through lifelong learning and the focus on value creation are what gets you into the room. The network that you build around yourself is what keep you in it, and opens new doors.
At the bottom of my personal website you will find the words "Connecting People and Ideas for Profitable Growth." Throughout my professional career, I made it a priority to regularly network. LinkedIn became by focus and today 150,000+ followers and nearly 12,000 direct contacts are the result. It is not just luck. For many years, it has been a strategy to become one of those individuals who "always seems to know the right person."
Social media today makes it much easier to build a valuable network at global scale. No matter how skilled you are, your professional success will always be influenced by the people you surround yourself with.
Connect consistently across social media or at industry events. Give before you ask, offer to help, share insights, or make introductions to build trust. Stay visible internally in your company through networking and externally by sharing valuable content.
You do not need to be perfect in applying any of these three laws for success, nor should you fear setbacks along the way. Even today, I am still evolving and adapting the applications of these ideas.
My career pain is that there is so much more I still want to accomplish in my lifetime. From successfully completing
the current executive role, to writing three more books, staying healthy, spending more time with family, celebrating the blessings ahead in both the United States and Italy, and leaving a positive legacy for my children.
As you contemplate these three laws, remember to cultivate a positive mindset in their application. As I do every single day, practice gratitude which fosters resilience and motivation. Embrace challenges, by viewing them as opportunities for growth. Surround yourself with people that lift you up and inspire elevated energy.
Topping my LinkedIn professional profile is a quote from Mark Twain who once said "The secret to getting ahead is getting started." This is the magic in unlocking your potential with these three unbreakable laws of success. START NOW.
