Your 7 Steps to Graduation Action Plan: #GraduationWhatsNext

So you’ve made it! Congratulations! You have finally passed all of those exams, completed the last project, and have sworn off education for the rest of your life! You have graduated! Your family and friends are all excited for you. They are calling, texting, tweeting, and pic collage posting your successes on Instagram! You Made it! And for that day, well even that week you feel like the champion of the World. But then all of a sudden, the high comes down. You start to feel the sense of emptiness because you don’t have school to worry about now. You figure you will just jump right into the job market now that you have more free time to focus on finding a job. All of your family and friends keep asking you, “So whats your plans now that you’ve graduated!?” And all you can say is, “Well I’m looking for a job now.” It’s almost embarrassing. How do you go from being the Champion of the Universe to feeling like you ARE the BIGGEST LOSER? Easy. You didn’t have a plan. 

I did the same thing when I graduated with my undergrad degree from Southern University. I was so ready to be out of school, I didn’t care or focus on anything else in the last year except graduation. Since I have recently graduated with my Master’s in Entertainment Business from Full Sail University, I learned from my mistakes. Graduation is just the door that begins your new journey; It’s not the destination. You have to create a plan of action in order to be prepared for life after graduation.  Here is a list of things that you should be doing coming up to your graduation date. Even if you have already graduated, use this list to help get you on the right track. 

1. Network Network Network: I can’t stress the importance of this one rule alone. EVERYTHING in your life is influenced one way or another by your network. Get to know people that are involved in the industry that you want to work in. Create a list of influential people in your industry and see how many people you know may have connections to these people. LinkedIn is a great way to get started doing this. Talk to your family and friends. Let them know what type of work you are looking for. They will be glad to help connect you with the right people. 

2. Connect with Career Services department at your School. Every University has a career connections department that can help you with job leads. They have the inside scoop on many positions only because they have built relationships with many companies over the years with student placement. Make this office your best friend. Many students neglect this opportunity to connect with potential employers that come to the school looking for talented, driven individuals. 

3. Give out your Business Cards: When you randomly meet someone in the grocery store, or strike up a conversation at a party, don’t just walk away without finding out who you are talking to. This goes back to networking. Having a business card shows that you are serious about yourself and your career. It doesn’t have to be fancy or expensive. VistaPrint has some great designs you can use to start with. You will notice how people treat you when you present yourself in such a professional manner. 

4. Update your Resumé frequently: Keep your resume updated! Every time you take on a new job at work, or social club activity. LinkedIn is also a great way to keep your digital resume updated.

5. Monitor your Social Media Sites: Beware of posting negative comments and pictures on social media. More companies are looking at social media pages to see how applicants carry themselves in their personal lives. A strong, positive social media presence helps you stand out in a crowd of applicants. and proves that you are not likely to bash the company on social media sites. 

6. Start working on a side -project in your career field: If you are an artist, create art. If you are a filmmaker, than, work on your own creative film project. Employers want to see people who are ambitious, and self starters. By working on your own projects, you are creative content to add to your portfolio as well as becoming credible in your field. If I told you that I was a blogger, would’t you want to see blogs that I have written? Show, don’t just tell. 

7. Find a Mentor: Finding a Mentor is not always easy, but it can be the single most useful piece of information in this article. A mentor should be someone that you look up to and respect. Their opinion should matter to you. They should also be someone that you can email, call or tweet questions that you have about your career. If you need help with your resume, or questions about where to look for new clients. Having a mentor is a great way to stay in touch with someone that will keep you accountable for your decisions.
So tell me, what are your plans after graduation? Do you have your success plan together? Let me know by leaving a comment below!

@OTGriffin

10 Things That Stop AVERAGE People From Being GREAT!

Today was an amazing day for me! 3 great things happened to me today. This morning, I completed my final presentation for my Entertainment Business Masters Degree. Also, I got great feedback from my students about the last blog I wrote about how Hip Hop and Technology is affecting our culture. Third, My University @FullSail started following me on @twitter. These things collectively made me so happy that I decided to do more wiring and allow my blog to become my muse to get all of my ideas about music, education and technology.  And best news of all, I have been honored as the Advanced Achiever in my graduating class from Full Sail! This means I have to give a speech at graduation!!!

Currently one of the books I'm reading is Good to Great by Jim Collins. I really like this book. It was one of the amazing prizes that I won for being MA teacher of the month. The books basic premise is that good is the opposite of great. There are so many people in the World that settle for the good in life. But how many people are willing to take their good and turn it into great! How many good doctors can you name? Now how many GREAT doctors can you name? See the difference? So many times when I would get into conversations about money and success, I would hear these words: "I just want to be comfortable." I cringe every time I hear those words. Why are we so content with being comfortable? What's even worse is that we live in a society that praises the efforts of great people, yet we lack the discipline to create the same greatness within ourselves. I decided that I will not allow anyone or anything to make me good or average.

Eric Thomas, the author of The Secret to Success, and Greatness is Upon You; says he hates average people. "They always pull you into their reality." And I agree. Often average people are so content with their surroundings and are never willing to work to make change in their lives. They don't have a sense of urgency. I noticed they waste most of their time sleeping, and complaining about how things never go their way. Great people are just the opposite.  They create their reality to be the best situation. They don't wait for someone to give them permission to be great, they just are. So I came up with a list of 10 things average people do that stops them from becoming great!

1. Average People Do Not Take Ownership

Average people love to place the blame on others for their problems. They can never see their own flaws for looking at someone else’s. Even if they know they are wrong in a situation; average people will try to make themselves seem right or create a diversion just to take the blame off of themselves.

2. Average People Don't Respect Time.

Time is money. And more importantly, time is TIME. If you waste money, you can make it back. If you waste my time, I CANT GET IT BACK. That's the difference.  Average people don't move with a sense of urgency. This is crucial when you have an employee, or group member like this. This energy can become infectious.

3. Average People Wish Instead of Plan.

I had to learn about the power of a plan the hard way. My whole life I would just go with the flow. And this always felt like the best things to do, as I got older I realized how much I wasn't getting accomplished personally and professionally because I wouldn't take the time to plan.  If you have a dream with no plan to get there, all you have is a wish.

4. Average People Reward Themselves Too Quickly. 

You ever meet people that say, "you have to just treat yourself sometimes"? I think that is a bunch of crap. Treating yourself is fine, AFTER YOU HAVE WORKED HARD TO ACHIEVE A GOAL. But just because it's Friday, or its your birthday is no excuse to abandon your plan for success. I believe in rewards, bit not every weekend.

5. Average People Never See The Big Picture.

Average people are productive. They spend a lot of time "multi - tasking" to look busy. They are always in a rush to do something needs to be done right this minute.  They don't stop and take a look back to see if all of their busy work is paying off for them in terms of their long term goals.

6. Average People Do The Bare Minimum.

I see this all of the time with my classes. If I say write 2 paragraphs, that's what I will get from most of my students. A great person will strive to do the best work possible; even if no one is checking.

7. Average People Are Jealous of Others Success.

I love the quote, " You're jealous of my success like we don't have the same 24 hours." Simply put, average people spend time hating on others success instead of learning what did they do to become successful. 

8. Average People Are Only Concerned About Themselves.

One thing that I have learned is that everyone feels that they are the most important person in the World. No one wants to follow you, or listen to what you have to say if you are not trying to help them. Giving is the best gift you could ever receive. I'm always trying to see how I could give more of myself to help others. This in turn ends up being more of a blessing to the giver than the recipient. 

9. Average People Are Reactive Not Proactive.

Average people react to situations instead of creating situations. Being proactive means to take initiative in a situation at work or at home instead of waiting for someone to ask you, or give you permission to act.

10. Average People Quit After They Fail.

Every GREAT person failed and kept trying. Failure doesn't mean defeat. Failure is meant to be learned from. The most successful people in the World failed many times over before they saw any success. You must learn to dust yourself off and try again. This one quality alone will separate you from most people if you apply it. 

Now, ask yourself; " Do I want to be average or GREAT? Tell me your thoughts about this topic? Are you stuck in the Average zone? Do you have what it takes to be great? Leave your comments below and follow @OTGriffin

Is Hip-Hop and Technology Killing our Youth?

The greatest part about being an educator is that I am adjacent to the pulse of pop culture. This is something I never intended to receive, as though I have been involved in the hip-hop and music industry for over 15 years. The culture is what awakens the spirit. The children that I teach each have a desire to be like someone they listen to, tweet about and watch on YouTube. Trends change so fast in today's society that adults can't keep up with what children are doing. You have to align yourself with the culture. I choose to do so by being a curator of culture. Helping them with inspiration and ideas. Once they believe in themselves, the sky is the limit. I have learned more from my students about digital media than I have taught. Sounds funny but true. I am learning every day about the new websites, media, habits and trends of our youth. I use it to educate them and expand their thinking. When they think something is boring, I show them how to use it in a different way. One example is how we follow events in real time using Twitter posts. This is just one example of how we use the culture to our advantage. 

Many skeptics may say that the world is too connected, or you have to be careful about sharing social media with young adults. I agree. However, kids should be educated on how to use these tools properly. It's not the tools; it's how they are being used. This is how Facebook became demonized amongst the educational community. People only wanted to talk about how kids were being bullied but not about how they were connecting with other students in ways unimaginable 10 years ago. Children don't know how to use libraries anymore, but is that a bad thing? When I grew up, 8 track cassettes were going out of style, but did I miss our on the joy of music? Times change and we all have to embrace it, and learn from it. The hard part is figuring out how to grow with the change instead of fighting it.

I am really excited to see how the next generation will look at technology in our information society. There is a shift that's happening now, and the way we teach our youth about the world will affect how they teach their youth. 

Do you think hip-hop and technology is ruining the future of our youth? How do you feel about the use of social and digital media in today’s classroom? I would love to hear your thoughts! If yyou liked this article, please share! (RT on Twitter Please) Follow me @OTGriffin

What Are Investors Looking For In Your BUSINESS PLAN?

After doing the research from the first blog assignment, I have a better understanding of what investors are looking for, and how I can incorporate those lessons into my own personal business plan. Business mogul Carlos Slim talked about keeping a company lean, without complicated structures and hierarchy. I decided to adhere to this advice by keeping my company small at the top. My business background has always involved me wearing many hats in an organization. I think starting small but thinking big is the key formula to success. People get too caught up in titles, power and authority. If you are truly committed to changing the World, being VP of whatever doesn’t really matter as much.

Slim also talks about creating a culture of “Corporate Creativity.” This means making an impact on society as well as the company. I feel the best companies understand that a company is made up of non-business factors. Employees are people first. Taking care of their needs personally, yield greater results for the company.  I have incorporated this mindset into my business plan by creating a space of absolute creativity, positivity and empowerment. The GMAS office is fully equipped with a gym for yoga, meditation and exercise; a gaming station and lodging quarters. Meeting rooms are also called “Think Tanks”, equipped with whiteboard space for creative sessions. All employees are covered with 100% health insurance. We also have 2 non-workdays per month, where we do absolutely no work, rather talk and listen to each other on a personal level. 

Source: http://steveblank.com/2010/05/17/no-one-wins-in-business-plan-competitions/

Chuck Blakeman is a businessman who believes that the word employee should be buried. He talks about a movement of the participation age, where people work together in a company with no titles, rules or structure. They are all invested in the business because they want to be there. I decided to incorporate this type of thinking into the company structure. Even though my company still uses titles minimally, each team member is personally invested into the company. We look for people who believe in seeing the company grow as they grow personally. This creates a sense on belonging to something bigger than you. 

Blakeman also does not believe in creating business plans. He feels that time and energy should be used to create the actual business. Business plans are used to predict the future, which cannot be foretold. His strategy is to implement now, and correct course along the way.  I have employed this strategy in my business as well by not waiting until the business plan is complete to start focusing on my projects and products for the business. I employ more of an implement and go mindset myself, however I do understand the need for a plan if you are looking for investor backing.

The most important section of any business plan is the financial analysis. Investors will not invest in a company; no matter how much they like the concept, if the numbers don’t work. This leads me to say that much time can be saved if you look at the product or service first, and figure out if there is a way to make a profit. Then find out at what scale can you operate to keep overhead low and make a profit on each unit. This is what investors want to see. After that, they will be looking for all of the pieces to be aligned.

Source: http://chuckblakeman.com/2012/8/texts/how-the-worst-most-asked-planning-question
Source: http://whyemployeesarealwaysabadidea.com/?referrer=CHUCKBLOG

What do you think the most important part of a business plan is?

Do you NEED a Business Plan???

Writing a business plan has really opened my eyes, and answered many questions that have been left unanswered in my mind, trying to think about my business without actually planning.

My family is full of self-employed owner-operators. Entrepreneurship seems to just run in my blood. The interesting thing is, I don’t know if any of my family businesses has ever had an actual business plan. Running a business has always been something they did because they were just good at their profession. Even though I have seen these businesses flourish, and some even gross Millions of dollars, I notice there is a point where businesses stop growing if there is no clear plan or path to make room for growth.

Enter Chuck Blakeman. A serial entrepreneur that has creates 8 businesses in 7 industries on 4 continents. He has a very unorthodox approach to the way in which he approaches business. He is the author of many books; one of which is entitled, “Why Employees are Always a Bad Idea.” Blakeman believes that a business plan is a waste of time. He thinks that energy can be better spent actually working on the business. Business plans want you to predict the future, however you can’t because the future is untold.

Source: http://chuckblakeman.com/2012/8/texts/how-the-worst-most-asked-planning-question

Carlos Slim is a business magnate who’s built a 35 Billion dollar valuation for his companies. His fortune has been amassed mainly from Telmex, the largest telecommunications company in Mexico. He has very concise and simple rules when it comes down to business plans.

·      Create a simple organizational structure.

·      Don’t be a big fish in a small pond.

·      Keep your objectives clear and concise.

·      Reinvest Profits.

·      True corporate creativity helps business and society.

·      Have optimism, work hard and leave with nothing.

Source: http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2009/06/01/090601fa_fact_wright

Source: http://steveblank.com/2010/05/17/no-one-wins-in-business-plan-competitions/ 

I think investors are looking for these key ingredients in a business plan to see what type of person they are dealing with. If I was loaning my money to someone, I would want them to tell me what, when, how and with whom they plan to spend my money. Investors are looking for business owners who are passionate about what they do. If they don’t sense the burning desire that you are willing to put your life on the line for the business, most won’t invest in you.

I believe when you show an investor that you have a firm understanding of not only the market, but also the customer, and then you have a greater chance of success. Also, an entrepreneur has to know when to adapt to frequent changes within the chosen industry. Showing investors you easily adapt to the environment makes them feel more comfortable.