Tell this to that lazy millennial

Today, I'm celebrating a year in business. A full 12 months. YAY!

It's crazy how fast time flys and how it also seems just like yesterday. I walked out the security doors of the CDC (Center's for Disease Control & Prevention) for the last time. So what's happened between then and now?  

I've spoken at conferences all across the country, and as I'm traveling from one city to the next, I'm overwhelmed with a feeling that I'm making a difference in the lives of women and men by talking about the gender wage and offering solutions to solve it. There's something interesting that I noticed scribbled in my notebooks

I recently took a few weeks off to recharge and reflected on what I've learned from running a business. There's something interesting that I noticed scribbled in my notebooks. 

"Tell this to that lazy millennial"

Huh? 

What does that mean?

It's a message that people have given me to share with my generational group. You know, those lazy, job-hopping, entitled millennials. I just so happened to be one of those people. 

Since graduating with an MBA in 2009 I've worked for three companies before founding, Navigate The Career Jungle Services, LLC. Check in the job hopper box. I don't want to sit at a desk for hours after I've completed my work. Check the lazy box. I want to change the world. Check the entitled box. These are assumptions made by men and women who may or may not be a millennial (FYI Millennials by definition as people born between 1983 and 2000). 

Now, here is what I have to say to the other lazy millennials out there. 

You can change the world, and you don't need to sit behind a desk for 8+ hours a day to do it. But you already know that. I'd like to share with you what I learned from running the show. 

• Starting each day with a plan of action is the key to kicking butt and making a dent on the issue that is important to me. 
• Celebrate the big wins. Growing into your goals is one of the best ways to push yourself. I set radical business and personal goals, and when I reached them, I didn't celebrate. I just went right on to the next thing. When I finally took the time to reflect on what I accomplished it gave me the energy to keep on going. 
• It's OKAY to cry. Some days were hard. Things happened that I didn't like. Such as a deal not going through or a large client being late paying their invoice. 
• Pay attention to the details. Some of my bad days were totally my fault. I didn't read an email as closely as I should have or I was formulating a response instead of paying attention to what my client was saying in a meeting. 
• Competition is good. period.

•  No one achieves success alone. I worked with a ton of people, my business coaches, freelancers, mentors, clients, partners, and friends. Each one played a key role in helping keep the virtual doors to the business open. 

• Keep going.  The challenges and triumphs that I experienced have changed my life, and I'd do it all again.

I believe that the world we live in will be a better place when people are treated equally. That means that women are paid the same as men for the same work. Treating people equally also means removing stereotypes of millennials. I am not lazy. I am not entitled. I am not a job-hopper. I saw a problem, and I decided to do something about it.

If there is an issue you can not stop talking or thinking about it? If you just said yes, take it a step further and do something to make a positive impact. You don't even have to quit your job and start a business to do that. 

Do what you can, with what you have, where you are. Theodore Roosevelt

So, cheers to the past year. I'm just going to celebrate for the rest of the day! 

P.S. I'll be sharing more of what I learned on the Navigating The Career Jungle Podcast