The Best Advice I Think I Gave

In late May of this year, I had the privilege of speaking to a group of students at my alma mater, McMaster University. These students were part of a unique group called Spectrum, an extracurricular program encouraging, developing, and supporting all McMaster entrepreneurs, including students at all levels of learning.

By no means would I call myself an 'entrepreneur' per se, but like most entrepreneurs, I have failed enough times in life to have learned a few lessons along the way. (This is particularly true when it comes to the creation, development and eventual launch of STATE OF MIND.) During my talk I was sharing these lessons and the experiences behind them. I suppose with every lesson comes along some friendly advice. In general, I am somewhat apprehensive in regards to giving advice to others, let alone telling others how to navigate their professional lives as each person's journey is unique and unto itself. With that said, I think we can all agree that some lessons are universal. As such, they should serve more as a reminder of what we already know. So without much further ado, please find below the best advice I think I gave!

"Getting people in front of other people and making connections: that's universal." - Woody Allen said that 80% of life is showing up. Bringing people together and being a facilitator of relationships is a skill-set that will never get old or obsolete.

"You have to believe in what you're selling to people because they have to ultimately believe in you. Sell yourself first, then sell your project. That's entrepreneurship 101." - The majority of the time in life, you're not really selling people on a product or service. You're selling them on yourself and whether or not they want to work with you. That's the real differentiator!

"Don't listen to the challenges except to acknowledge them. Then use them as motivation." - Life is a series of highs and lows. Challenges come with both. Like road signs on the highway, be mindful of them but don't let them stop you from getting to your ultimate destination. Remember that you're the one in the driver's seat.

"If you don't have options, take what you can get. If you have options, capitalize on them." - There has to be a healthy sense of reality in life. Sometimes we find ourselves with only one path to take. In those cases, take it and keep moving forward as it will keep your journey going. You will inevitably find yourself in a different place than where you started and potentially in a position to have those options you were initially looking for.

"If you can bring something to the table, someone will value it. Find those people and don't let them go." - In life, as in dinner parties, never come empty handed. We all have intrinsic value and the key is to make sure that we bring that value to the table every time we engage with another human being. Inevitably, you will meet someone that values what you're offering. Those people are keepers!

"It's not always about how smart you are. It's about how versatile you are. What are you willing to do that others won't?" - A couple of years ago I was mentoring a student at Penn State University's Smeal College of Business. He was feeling sorry for himself as he wasn't succeeding academically, let alone professionally. Instead of throwing him a pity party, I reminded him that he was exactly where he was supposed to be in life. Every choice, every decision, every action he took led him to that point. But that wasn't so important as to what he was willing to do going forward to get from where he was to where he wanted to go. Don't worry about whether or not the person next to you was born with more intelligence, skill or fortune. Outwork him or her every single day and you will ultimately find the success you're looking for. It comes down to a simple question: How bad do you want it?

"Success has a timetable on it. You have to plan for those rainy days when things don't work out and the window of opportunity closes." - The unfortunate truth is that for every successful idea, there are thousands that failed for various reasons, be it luck, timing, resources or the idea was just plain bad. In the bell curve of life, chances are you're going to be in that group of thousands. As such, plan accordingly as life keeps going whether you like it or not. It's a marathon, not a sprint.

"You've got to be mentally strong. All challenges will eventually pass." - To quote Rocky Balboa, "You, me, or nobody is gonna hit as hard as life. But it ain't about how hard ya hit. It's about how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward. How much you can take and keep moving forward." I can't begin to tell you how many times I've watched this scene and used it in speeches and presentations...powerful stuff.

"In entrepreneurship, things are going change all the time. The more you hold on to things, the harder it is to let them go." - The original working title of STATE OF MIND was 'Education In America'. For four years I used that title in every pitch, presentation and powerpoint. I LOVED that title! I thought it was clever, alliterative and cathartic to say. Unfortunately, it wasn't the title that was going to get my educational talk-show off the ground. As such, I learned to leave it behind in order to push the project forward. Don't lose sight of the big picture by getting lost in the details.

"When you speak with passion, people will listen to you." - There are times when structure and order are incredibly important. Then there are times when what you say has to come from the heart. Always remember that human beings are emotional creatures. Speak to their hearts and you will win over their minds.

So there you have it. Lesson's learned in one man's journey of life. I'd love to hear your thoughts and of course, feel free to add on. And as always, do remember that, "Every life is a book...make yours a bestseller!"

(A special thanks goes out to Karen McQuigge, Anne-Marie Middel, Scott Mallon, Justin Policarpio and Tyler Welch of McMaster University and the Spectrum Program.)

Krishna C. Nadella
Host, STATE OF MIND with Krishna C. Nadella
Every Life Is A Book...Make Yours A Bestseller!