Aghanomics

A successful man is one who can lay a firm foundation with the bricks others have thrown at him. -David Brinkley

I have noticed that whenever one attempts anything beyond the status quo in society that you are going to face a lot of doubt and adversity from those around you. There are going to be a lot of people who will tell you you can’t achieve what you are setting out to do and that you should just settle.

Recently, with my job search, I have been facing a lot of adversity for the decisions I have been making. At this point in my life, I would rather pursue my dreams and fail rather than work a stiff job for the rest of my life and wonder “what if”. I understand that I have loans and bills to pay but, as scary as this sounds, college graduation is the time time where we essentially decide the track for our life.

I implore all of you with an entrepreneurial spirt to pursue your dreams and do what everyone else thinks is a waste of time. It will be hard sometimes to keep believing in your dream with so much doubt coming from the people closest to you but achieving your dreams is never easy. As long as YOU believe in your heart that you are doing the right thing and you have some trusted advisors who believe in you as well then keep moving forward. It is going to be scary, volatile and outright uncomfortable but I challenge you to not settle.

As a side note, my definition of an entrepreneur is someone who can turn life’s obstacles into opportunities. Being an entrepreneur does not mean necessarily starting your own business. You can be entrepreneurial in your job search by searching for jobs that are a bit more uncommon such as a position within Rolls-Royce.  In order to make a difference you must see things differently and do things differently.  The world is truly yours right now and ANYTHING is possible as long as you are willing to get your hands dirty.

If there’s one thing I’ve learned in my life, it’s that when things seem like they are all good is when they go bad. Why is that? Why does a clear path create propensity for failure? The answer can be summed up in one word: complacency.

Struggle brings out the best in us. When the odds are against you and you have no choice but to hustle to make something of yourself, you are working your hardest. Once you achieve what you were working towards, a sense of accomplishment kicks in, which is simply a pre-cursor to complacency. Most of us are trying to get an internship for the summer or a job upon graduation. You have to grind, grind, and grind some more to beat the competition. But once you do it, it’s almost a natural reaction to coast and go through the motions. I am here to preach that that is the single most dangerous thing you can do to start your career.

Life is not easy. No one ever has nor will say that. You need to grind and hustle every damn day until you get your end goal. Dream, and dream BIG. Set a goal that you think is unattainable; this will keep fueling your hunger for more. Personally, I dream of being a billionaire. You might be thinking to yourself “Kareem, you’re crazy man. Billionaire? You’ll never get there”. You might be right about that. However, I will keep grinding it out every day and seek bigger and better opportunities to at least try to get there. At this age, it would be foolish to say none of us have the opportunity to be a billionaire or achieve our wildest dreams. On the contrary, we ALL have the opportunity; it’s just a matter of how bad you want it. In this competitive landscape we call earth, there is no room for complacency because someone is just waiting for you to slip up so they can take your spot and achieve their dreams.

To those who have jobs upon graduation- congratulations. You now have a leg up on 50% of college grads. If you want to keep rising do the following: relish it for a moment, drink an expensive drink, get a good night of sleep, and then wake up and figure out how you can move forward. Being stagnant is just as bad as moving backwards, so the only choice we have is to move forward.

Peace, my name is Chris Wise. I’m a writer, artist, and activist from Brooklyn, NY. Kareem is a great friend of mine and I’ve been a subscriber to Aghanomics for a few years now. I’m here to relay some of my life experiences, hoping to impart the spark for your personal evolution. Please give my latest single “Paradise” a listen and read about my motivation behind the creation of my favorite piece of work yet.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RQbp_BAl0Wg
November 20, 2012.
Brooklyn, NY.

If you knew me back in high school and then got to know me today, you’d absolutely be shocked by the transformation. Back then, I was pushing almost 260 pounds, pretty dangerously overweight; I was pre-Diabetic as a youngster but I beat that case. I was a staunchly committed academic, not too big on studying but always putting great time and energy into my homework- I believed that’s where the true learning experience was because I was probably talking in class and not paying attention.

Somewhere between June 2009, when I graduated Salutatorian from the High School of Sports Management and now, I grew up. The trajectory of my life’s course in the past few years has been absurdly amazing. I left Brooklyn for the University of Massachusetts, a two-year experience that opened my eyes up to plethoras of opportunity and equal parts debauchery. It’s naturally reflexive to look back on the grossly unwise decisions you’ve made in your life and be scornful of the mistakes and mournful of the time lost. Let’s visit the Erykah Badu classic, Bag Lady:

 

The baggage of an unsavory past will weigh you down and prevent you from soaring in the present. Purging is a healthy activity (if done healthily, of course) that frees the mind, body, and soul from the surrounding clutter and more importantly, the internal clutter. Through meditation and soul searching I understand that my mistakes contributed to making The Man I am today. I’ve achieved peace and happiness and I’m comfortable with discussing my past because it is theraputic; if it’s true and real, there is nothing to be ashamed of.

At UMass, I spent a lot of time smoking weed and playing video games when I was supposed to be doing homework. The negative view of that: I wasted away my very, very expensive education: The positive view: I learned that I didn’t care too much for homework! I was searching for community, a group of friends I could really connect with and have a good time. I found it for sure, it was just the WRONG community. I participated and became consumed in the drug and party culture as a means to assert myself socially (read: fit in with my peers).

I’m no longer looking for that thrill and momentary happiness that substance provides because my life has hit an amazing stride since leaving UMass and coming home to New York City. In summer of 2011, I made a vow to live by Biggie’s wisdom: “Only make moves if your heart’s in it, and live the phrase ‘Sky’s the Limit.’” I quit my stable summer job and started working the grindstone to find another opportunity. One week later, I was working for a marketing agency that had the Nike Basketball contract. I lost money that summer but I gained experience and connections that will last a lifetime. Trust your struggle.

In life, you MUST take risks. The safest paths, the roads frequently traveled have opportunities therein, but you must decide if you want to spend your life making the easy decisions. I’m only advising you to jump out of the plane if you’ve done adequate research on the fall and have your parachute prepared.

Are you happy with your current life situation, or are you starving for change?

Before this semester began, the summer was beautifully progressive and I was demoralized to return to school, even though I’d set up this great Hip-Hop Studies major which allows me to immerse myself in my passions academically. Once school started up, I was in a constant state of dread, switching back and forth between my student and artist records like Grandmaster Flash on the fader. As we’ve gotten deeper into the semester, I came to this immaculate crossroads, realizing that my academic endeavors were literally holding me back from my desired success as an artist, journalist, educator, and entrepreneur. “I just know when I’m getting one, the other’s getting away.” The candle was burning out on both ends and my hand was forced -by me- to make a decision:

Goodbye college. I can’t allow you to obstruct my dreams any longer. The window of success for me to succeed as an artist and entrepreneur will close if I do not dedicate my life to these crafts. I feel that you’ve helped me find my way and I am grateful for that. Don’t worry, I’ll pay you back soon.

I’m already meeting significant opposition to my decision, most notably from my mother. She’s telling me I’ll need to move out in a few months if I’m serious about this. That’s cool. I’m off to Paradise.

Sincerely,
Chris Wise

With senior year going by quickly it is about time to start searching for real life jobs. I have seen a lot of people posting statuses about interviews and their perils and successes. Personally, I have been fortunate with my interviews, but that is not simply because of luck. I have 7 things I make sure I do before and during every single interview:

1. Research.
Simply Google the company’s name and read every recent article you can find about them. Find out who is on their Executive Board. Find out as much as you can about the person interviewing you. Learn about the department you are applying to work in.

2. Research.
No, this is not a typo. You NEED to research as much as you possibly can about the company you are applying for. You should feel comfortable answering any question they toss your way. Figure out who the competitors are and how they differentiate themselves as well.

3. Dress Well.
You would think this is a given but it really isn’t. Iron your shirt and pants. Don’t wear scuffed or beat up shoes. WEAR A TIE. Don’t wear ridiculous colors (no fusia or magenta). Make sure your tie and shirt match. Make sure your belt matches your shoes..

4. Establish Eye Contact
As soon as you walk into your interview establish eye contact with the person conducting the interview. Introduce yourself and shake his or her hand. This sends off vibes of confidence and success.

5. Answer All Questions.
If you get flustered, do not panic. Compose yourself and just answer the question to the best of your knowledge. It’s okay to say you don’t know. Companies like to see how you perform under pressure and I have heard of people getting a Rubik’s cube put in front of them and being told to solve it. No one expects you to solve it, they just want to see how you handle that situation.

6. Ask Thought Provoking Questions
This ties into points 1 and 2. The amount of research you do will determine how good of a question you can ask. An example of a bad question is “How much will I be getting paid if I get hired”. An example of a good question is “I noticed that you recently hired a new CEO. How do you think that will affect company culture”.

7. Follow Up
This is a great way to remind the person of the positive points of your interview. Thank the interviewer for their time, mention something you learned and let them know that if they need any additional information from you that you would be happy to provide it. Being polite goes a long way.

For everyone with interviews coming up good luck! Remember, even if you don’t get the job it’s not the end of the world. Opportunity is always around the corner.

With Halloween weekend upon us it is only natural for people to want to party. It is the one time of the where you are allowed to party as hard as you want without having people really judge you. However, once Halloween is over, you can’t exactly show up half naked to parties and get “shit housed”. So I complied a list of the top 15 no no’s I have noticed while partying at the notorious UMass Amherst, better know as Zoomass. Even though we will all be guilty of something on this list at one point just don’t be the kid known committing party fouls left and right. #FreeClyde

1. Blacking out once in a while isn’t smart but it happens to the best of us. Dont black out at every party though. Then you’re an idiot

2. Don’t hit on every girl you see… No one likes that kid.

3. Don’t brag about how much you can drink. No one cares.

4. Don’t be that kid getting way too into beer pong. It’s not a real sport.

5. Save the dramatics for your house.

6. Don’t talk to your ex if he or she is at the party. Your going to have a bad time.

7. Don’t pick fights, especially with the people who live at the house. It doesn’t make you cool.

8. Don’t wear the same outfit 2 nights in a row. People notice.

9. If the cops come to the party and it’s not your house, don’t be a hero and try and argue with them. Just leave.

10. Don’t go up to people who you’ve met once and tell them your life story.

11. Don’t be that person crying at the party. Just step outside or go home.

12. Don’t forget to put on deodorant. No one wants to talk to someone who smells.

13. Don’t overdo it with the cologne. I don’t need to feel like I’m walking into an abercrombie and fitch store.

14. If you need to wingman/wingwoman, do NOT go in and “steal” the person your friend was gunning for. That is just grimy.

15. Don’t be the first one who wants to go home. Stop being lame.

For your listening pleasure….

Every single day, we have dozens of interactions with the people around us. Whether it be with friends, professors, colleagues, etc., in every conversation there is the potential to learn something- if you can catch it, that is. Personally, I go into every interaction with a plan, and that plan is to find out as much as possible about the other person without saying much about myself. That way, I am maximizing the amount I’m able to pick up about the other person without giving anything up myself.

You may be wondering, why do I do this?. The answer is simple; I want to learn more about you. I already know everything about myself so why waste my time talking about it? Rather, I am going to ask tons of questions and just listen the whole time. Incidentally, this is also a great way to make friends, as people really value a person with great listening skills.

Why not contribute to the conversation and talk about myself though? The way I see it, the less everyone knows about me the better. You will never see me complaining about anything in my personal life through social media, nor see me spilling my heart to an acquaintance at the bar. As a person who is in shape, there are a lot of pre-conceived notions about me, one of them being that I am a “meat head”. Go right ahead and think that… It doesn’t bother me at all. Frankly, I enjoy it, as it gives me a bit of an advantage. I would prefer most people underestimate me so I can surprise them with my capabilities and potential rather than have them already realize these things. As stated in Sun Tzu’s The Art of War, “In any battle the element of surprise can provide an overwhelming advantage”. In the battle to find a job upon graduation, I plan on using this element to its’ fullest.

So what is there to gain with implementing this strategy?

1.You learn everything about the people around you
2.The people around you like and trust you because you are a great listener
3.Nothing has been revealed about yourself

I love using the analogy of a poker game to explain this a bit clearer: Poker is a very easy game to win when you know the cards everyone around you is holding. Poker is even easier to win when no one knows the cards you have. The only time you show your cards in poker is when you win the game, and I have a long way to go until my cards are on the table.

Lets not forget we were given 1 mouth and 2 ears for a reason. So listen up and always say less than necessary.

On a daily basis, we make thousands of decisions. Should I hit snooze? Should I go to the gym? Should I go out tonight? I’ve realized, generally, the harder decision is the right decision. There will always be smarter or more capable people, but there is one great equalizer, which in my opinion truly determines success: work ethic. It’s rare to see people with a terrible work ethic succeed (unless your last name happens to be Kardashian).

We’ve all heard the saying “go the extra mile”, but what does it actually mean? It means sacrificing for the greater good. We all can go out 5 nights a week and BS our work, but that just means you do not have your eyes on the end goal. The easiest way to get recognized by your peers, colleagues, and family is by going that extra mile, because that extra mile is a very lonely place. But why is the extra mile such an unpopulated destination? The answer is that most people do not see the purpose in exceeding expectations. It saddens me as to how many people I see not living up to their full potential. Do not just listen to orders and complete tasks; take initiative and work on projects that no one else knows you are working on. My great friend Robert told me something a while ago that really stuck with me. He said that most people do not realize how easy it is to fail. Right now we are in the most crucial years of development when it comes to our lives and careers. So, I implore you, please take full advantage of this time period and make some sacrifices for the greater good.

Here’s a tip: do something that no one else is doing. This separates you from the crowd, and gives you a lot more visibility. Offer to give lectures, work on things you are interested in for free (if that’s what it takes), and, most of all, make sure the relationships you have with your superiors are great. Always offer them a helping hand, and try and figure out what they need help with…then just do it. Sure these things are hard, and I never said it was easy. But if you live your life like this, over time it will make you incredibly successful. Absolutely anything is possible, people. Right now the world is ours, but it’s up to us as to whether or not we want it.

Determining your passions and how you can bring value to the table is fundamental for a happy life. However, figuring these things out is much easier said than done. Don’t get me wrong it is a hard path to figure out what you are truly passionate about but the last thing you want to do is get stuck sniffing armpits for the rest of your life (I can’t believe that’s actually a job). Personally, it took me over a year of experimenting with just about every position at Dailybreak (the company I intern for) for me to finally realize what direction I should take my life.

I went into my internship knowing a few things about myself: that I’m a hard worker, I’m personable, and I’m a conversationalist. However, I had no idea how those attributes actually translated into a career. All around me, I saw people with solid, defined skill sets. Work effort assumed equal, and whether they were quantitative geniuses, hackers, or skilled designers, everyone had something that created value for their brand. I knew one thing though: I had no intention of going into sales because of the stigmas attached to a sales career.

After trying positions with the marketing team, operations team, content team, and a brief stint in web development (what was I thinking), I had a long conversation with Ryan Durkin (VP of Operations). I explained to him how I was unhappy with what I was doing, and how I was confused about where I was going in life. Shortly thereafter, I was approached by the EVP of business development with a project. After working in the biz-dev department for a while, I realized that my communication skills and work ethic were perfect for a career in sales. I also learned that sales is a LOT more than just cold calling. There is truly a science behind closing a deal and figuring out the most effective way to reach your targets. To boot, closing a deal is one of the best thrills in the world.

What I like about sales is that there is room for fast improvement, work ethic REALLY sticks out and you get to talk to people all day long.

All in all, figure out what makes YOU happy. You don’t want to be stuck in a career you hate. Right now is the time you can afford to experiment with careers so use this time wisely. If you have any questions about how to figure out what your skill set is, let me know and I would be happy to talk through it with you.

As an ex-bodybuilder, I’ve faced a lot of adversity from the public eye. I cannot begin to tell you how many times friends and random people alike have accused me of taking steroids. I never really thought much of it, and assumed it just to be the public’s perception of a bodybuilder. However as I have gotten older and begun sharing my knowledge with the world, I’ve now started hearing that some people think I am “smartass”, and that my opinions are flawed. This really got me thinking about why I I faced criticism whenever I tried to push forward, every step of the way.

The other night, when I was laying in bed, all of these negative words began swirling around my mind. “Nerd”, “jock”, “juicehead”, and “smartass”, just to name a few. I then began thinking about how the people who face the most criticism are generally those who are most successful. Presidents, CEO’s, legendary athletes all fall under the harsh criticism of the majority below them. Even Steve Jobs was criticized by everyone around him for investing a lot of his time and money into a little digital animation company that no one knew about. Everyone told him he was just wasting his time and that he was going to wind up broke even though he recognized the potential in Apple. That little animation company is called Pixar. Had Steve listened to all of his “haters” movies like Toy Story, A Bug’s Life and Finding Nemo would have never existed. Imagine a childhood without Toy Story!

Why is this? Why are those who are naturally gifted or successful often the most criticized? The answer is simple: society has created ways to ostracize those who are successful in order to make the average person feel better. When you call someone a “nerd”, you are merely making fun of them because they’re smarter than you. It’s simply a defense mechanism to hide one’s insecurities.

I constantly face criticism from peers for working too hard or hitting the weights too much. “Why do you spend so much time at work…Why won’t you just eat that cake stop being a robot…You’re just hurting yourself by spending all that time in the gym.” No, you’re just hurting yourself by sitting your ass on the couch and bothering me about my life.

When I was a younger and people to called me a “juicehead”, it would bother me. As I have grown though, I’ve realized that that is the best compliment I can receive about my physique. Someone is looking at themselves, then looking at me, and rationalizing why I am in better shape than they are. I guarantee their thought process went something like this: “Yeah he’s jacked and all but I would be just as big as him if I took steroids too. He must be on steroids it doesn’t make sense any other way”. What they fail to realize is that I have never taken a steroid in my life, and that I worked my ass off to get to where I am today. Instead of rationalizing someone else’s success, get off your ass and work. Now I’m not trying to seem self righteous but after years of receiving this pointless criticism from people who do not even attempt to be in shape it is just the conclusion I have come to.

The next time you’re criticized for working too much, reading a book, crushing weights, or just living a successful lifestyle, thank that person for the reverse compliment. All they are really saying is “I wish I could be as good as you”.

My name is Richard Chrisos and I am a recent graduate of the University of Massachusetts – Amherst (Isenberg School of Business). Initially, I began my academic career as an accounting major, however, I quickly realized that this was not the correct path for someone with my particular skill set. I’ve always been a “people person”, so I switched to marketing with the intention of diving into a career in sales after graduation. I am currently employed as an Account Development Representative at a VAR in the IT industry. Although UMASS proudly hosts over 15,000 undergrad students, meeting Kareem Agha is almost an unavoidable occurrence which is testament to his networking and relationship building skills. It only takes a few seconds in speaking with Mr. Aghanomics himself to realize that he’s not a typical college student due to his drive, passion, and vision.

Sales can be one of the most rewarding (both monetarily & self-gratifying) career choices a particularly skilled person can make. The reason I use the phrase ‘particularly skilled’ insinuates at the simple notion that sales is not for everyone. Sales people are a particular breed of working professionals. Their drive is self-motivated and motivated by the proposition of heightened earning potential based directly on performance. Which brings up another red flag regarding this profession, inconsistency. Knowingly entering into the realm of sales means many things, but one fact remains, you will have ups and downs. The difference between a great salesman and one who finds himself missing his quota and jobless is what you do during slump periods. Being afraid to fail is never an option in life and the same advice correlates strongly to sales. Take a period of decline as a learning opportunity. Ask yourself, ‘What am I doing differently? Am I making the best use of the resources that have been provided to me? What steps can I take to rectify the situation?’ It is often helpful to remove yourself from a problem, clear you head, and re-strategize an attack plan. If nothing else, reach out for assistance from your peers. Take a look into the mind of one of your counterparts who is hitting his/her number quarter after quarter. I can personally guarantee that they have traits which can be immediately emulated and implemented into your day to day behaviors.
So, what does it takes to be a successful professional in the sales industry?

1. Competitors Only.
Sales is not a place for the easily rattled. In fact, there is a strong relation between successful salesman and a history of competitive sports. Think of sales as a competition in which you are competing against everyone around you. You can guarantee that any opportunity that had been fed down your pipeline is being actively pursued by an opposing company. Everyone wants a slice of the cake and nothing will be simply handed over to you.

2. Work SMART, not HARD.
My director of sales has this written on his whiteboard. Working in an efficient manner is an ideal trait in a salesperson. It doesn’t matter how many hours you put into something if it is not an effective use of your time. Avoid doing ‘busy work’ which won’t bring you closer to generating a sale. Generate an effective game plan, constantly adjust it based on the results you find, and continue hammering away.

3. Follow Through.
In the business world, following through is one of the most important characteristics. If you tell a client that you will have a quote or report to them at a specified time, you better make sure you have it to them by or before then. There are no more excuses, this isn’t college anymore where professors will adhere to your methodically explained excuses.

4. Can’t Be Afraid To Fail.
If you are afraid to fail, you’ve already lost. Think of baseball, Ted Williams is perceived by many as the greatest hitter to ever play on the diamond. Yet, in his best season ever, he was getting a hit approximately 4 out of 10 times. This means he was failing 6 out of 10 times. Sales is similar to baseball in that regard. Odds are you will fail far more frequently than succeed. However, it’s all about maintaining your composure because when you do get that hit, the cognitive dissonance in your choice to become a salesman immediately vanishes.

5. Self-Motivated. One of the major appeals of the sales professional is the flexibility it allows you. Many companies, including my own, do not require you to be in the office much and even stress the fact that they would rather have you out of the office in meetings, with clients, etc. This takes a certain degree of discipline and self-motivation. At the end of the day, you don’t have someone providing you with a linear path of what your day will consist of. Instead, you must construct a schedule which maximizes the use of your time. Do not take the freedom for granted, rather, think of it as an agreement of trust between you and your employer.

6. Listen.
Stop trying to sell your customers with a pitch or what you think they want to hear. Close your mouth and open your ears. When on a conference call or at a meeting, a prospective client will often tell you EXACTLY what problem they are facing and WHAT THEY WANT to solve it. While having a 15 second elevator pitch is always handy in quick encounters, the most important habit is becoming a strong listener. Stop thinking about what you’re going to say next and take a true interest in what the person you are speaking to is verbalizing.

7. Network, Network, Network.
Building up your pipeline is the most valuable tool a salesperson has. When interviewing with companies, they will often ask you if you have a target account list or list of pre-existing accounts that you have done business with. These accounts / contacts add value to you as a person. Your personal network adds value to a company potentially interested in hiring you. This is why taking advantage of sites like Linked In and local networking groups are an absolute MUST in sales. Nowadays, following up with a client is not simply an email anymore, adding them on Linked In is a huge advantage readily available. By connecting with that person, you now have access to their network. Continue this process and in a matter of months, your connections will dramatically increase and hopefully yield increased sales as well.

The list of characteristics could surely go on with no apparent end, but those are a few which stand out in my mind. Don’t take my writing as a deterrent to entering the sales professional because as I previously stated, it can be one of the most rewarding jobs out there. The flexibility and freedom, combined with the limitless earning potential makes it an attractive option to anyone that has the properly aligned salesman skillset. In wrapping up this post for Aghanomics, I will provide you with one final recommendation; always remain informed and aware of what’s going on in the business world around you. Take advantage of sites like Forbes.com / INC.com / businessinsider.com / etc. Spend at least a few minutes each day sifting through the articles, it will only help you in the long run in creating a more highly sharpened business professional.

Cheers,
Rick
http://www.linkedin.com/pub/richard-chrisos/45/485/435