#asklindsay: 10+ Questions with Lindsay Mustain

I recently purchased Tim Ferris's book Tribe of mentors.

Tim asked the below questions to more than 100 mentors and compiled their answers in a book.

In order to ADD value to the lives of others i had an idea to tap into some of the greatest minds here on LinkedIn.

My next featured mentor is Lindsay Mustain  of Talent Paradigm

Lindsay Mustain is the formerly most visible employee of Amazon, #asklindsay author, and LinkedIn 'celebrity' with millions in readership. She most recently released a book on resume writing that is currently on the Amazon best seller list and holds the highest certifications in the HR industry (SPHR, SHRM-SCP).

Lindsay's background and ascent to becoming an authority in Talent Acquisition, Employment Branding, and Human Resources came from a humble beginning. She connects with HR professionals and job seekers around the world through her message of perseverance, inspiration, and using authenticity to build a personal brand that is true to your highest values and beliefs.

• 1. What is the book (or books) you’ve given most as a gift, and why? Or what are one to three books that have greatly influenced your life?

It seems convenient to say the 4-hour work week (though if you listen to the Novel podcast, you’ll absolutely hear me saying this as well) considering the source of these questions. This one book changed my perspective on how to live a life where you can help many others without subscribing to a life that requires you to work 40 to 60 hours a week. It is what I recommend to any new client that I’m coaching that aspires of being a consultant or starting your own business.

The book that I would say has had the most lasting impression on me in my professional life was the 7 Habits of Highly Effective people. Stephen Covey’s message is still just as relevant today as it was when he wrote the book. In particular, I find myself really trying to ‘start with the end in mind’ and make sure I’m addressing the ‘big rocks’ in life rather than the minutia that happens every day. 

• 2. What purchase of $100 or less has most positively impacted your life in the last six months (or in recent memory)? My readers love specifics like brand and model, where you found it, etc.

Rocketbook! I am from the “Oregon Trail” generation, so I absolutely love working online, but I find that keeping notes on paper is a mainstay for retention and quick reference. The Rocketbook is an erasable notebook that you can use time and time again. The best part is that the notebook itself has some machine vision which allows you to seamlessly upload your notes into the cloud with a quick scan.

This one tool is huge for me in making sure I do truly do ‘first things first’.

• 3. How has a failure, or apparent failure, set you up for later success? Do you have a “favorite failure” of yours?

Most of what I’ve learned in my life has been from failing royally. I spent a lot of time asking for forgiveness rather than permission because I found my gut instincts were almost always the best indicator of potential success.

There’s one that stands out for me in particular from when I was at Amazon. I had someone in a higher role specifically say to me that I was ‘using LinkedIn the wrong way’ and that it should only be ‘used professionally.’ To be honest at the time, I felt a little kick in the stomach. I paused. I really thought about it. Then I did what my gut told me to do. I blocked her (yup, while I still worked there!) and I kept writing.

On Sunday, I celebrated my 6 month anniversary from the time I left Corporate America to pursue my dream. In the last week alone, I’ve received more than 4.5M views on my content. Today, Talent Paradigm has 18 staff members and countless stories of inspiring hope and helping people achieve their dreams.

Do not be afraid to fail. Be afraid not to try. 

• 4. If you could have a gigantic billboard anywhere with anything on it — metaphorically speaking, getting a message out to millions or billions — what would it say and why? It could be a few words or a paragraph. (If helpful, it can be someone else’s quote: Are there any quotes you think of often or live your life by?)

I have two for two different audiences -

For those who are job searching without success:

This is temporary. I know that you are feeling discouraged, frustrated, and it is terrifying. I want you to know that no matter how your job search goes, it has nothing to do with your individual worth. You have something incredible to offer the world and the right opportunity is out there for you. This is not the end of your story; it is merely a chapter in your book of life.

For those who have a professional career:

Build a Brand and Change Your Life. Building your professional brand is the game changer in life. It creates limitless opportunities, increasing your influence, and can help you live a life that most people can only dream of. It is the single greatest investment you can make in yourself. 

• 5. What is one of the best or most worthwhile investments you’ve ever made? (Could be an investment of money, time, energy, etc.)

My personal website. Before I left corporate America, I built a (pretty rinky-dink) website and I believe this is the key investment anyone who wants to build a brand, you need to have a professional site.

If you want to build credibility, achieve expert status, and build your brand, a website is critical. What makes a website, even a rinky dink one, effective? One that highlights who you are at a core level and is aligned to your values.

Don’t worry about ‘fitting in the mold’ – in fact… you should break it. Your uniqueness and value should be showcased on your website, not something generic that doesn’t differentiate yourself. 

• 6. What is an unusual habit or an absurd thing that you love?

Bananas. There are banana stands at Amazon and I was in HEAVEN! I have an odd obsession with them that I’m fully comfortable admitting to it. 

Pans note: Please take the time to listen to the Dawn of the Devs podcast with Lindsay on Ninjas, Bananas, & Personal Branding

• 7. In the last five years, what new belief, behavior, or habit has most improved your life?

I have very humble beginnings, so the core of what I believed for most of my life was that you had to work your whole life, earn your way up in your company, and retire and have a peaceful final few years (if you’re lucky).

My belief now… that’s complete crap.

We train our children, our young adults, to be employees instead of empowering them to see the world as a series of challenges where they can build a life that is rewarding both emotionally and financially.

If you want to be abundantly successful, you have to journey the road less traveled. You must take risks, stand out, be brave. You will have to bear the burden of being different. But in the end, that difference is what will give you a life that is unlike others. 

• 8. What advice would you give to a smart, driven college student about to enter the “real world”? What advice should they ignore?

5 Tips for New Graduates:

1.    Don’t be tied to your major. Take on any opportunity that truly interests you.

2.    Ambition and high performance will set you apart from your peers.

3.    Don’t be afraid to speak up.

4.    Anticipate needs, find core issues, and provide solutions (rather than finding problems).

5.    Choose meaning over money. Follow what matters to your heart before settling for a paycheck. 

• 9. What are bad recommendations you hear in your profession or area of expertise?

Most of the career coaches and recruiters are working on antiquated advice that doesn’t work within today’s industry or is driven by an approach of what earns them the most commission.

It’s a bad combination that leaves most job seekers in the dark wondering how to navigate the mine field of job searching. 

• 10. In the last five years, what have you become better at saying no to (distractions, invitations, etc.)? What new realizations and/or approaches helped? Any other tips?

I am very selective of who I work with and decline to work with potential clients regularly. I am here to help people achieve success and those people that earn my time are ones who have similar beliefs about treating everyone with respect. They are ambitious without expecting to climb up other people’s backs to achieve their goals.

There are givers and takers, and I am the former and most identify with this archetype. I created an ideal avatar of my ‘dream client’ and that’s who earns my time because I know that they can in turn help others. I frequently decline large contracts that I don’t feel my personal values aligned to the individual or organization’s objectives. 

• 11. When you feel overwhelmed or unfocused, or have lost your focus temporarily, what do you do? (If helpful: What questions do you ask yourself?)

First off, meditation is a big staple. Managing chaos from a chaotic mindset is a losing situation. After I have some perspective, I then try to identify what is the root cause and it is usually a SINGLE thing. Everything else is a symptom of that diagnosis. If I can address that one problem, the rest can usually fall into place. 

Other articles in the series of 10+ Questions with..

1. Michaela Alexis
2. Dr. des. Natalia Wiechowski
3. Kristin Sherry
4. Aaron Orendorff
5. Amy Blaschka
6. Ebony Varney
7. Marios Skandalis

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