Career Archives

How Jennette McCurdy’s Acting Became a Nightmare

How did Jennette McCurdy’s acting career take off? What role did her mother, Debra, play in getting her the role of a lifetime? Jennette McCurdy is best known for her role as Sam Puckett in the Nickelodeon TV shows iCarly and Sam & Cat. But getting those roles meant heavy sacrifices, including the relationship with her mother. Discover more about how Debra made Jennette McCurdy’s acting career less fun than it should’ve been, according to her memoir I’m Glad My Mom Died.

The Third Door: Alex Banayan Uncovers the Mindset of Success

How do people like Steven Spielberg and Bill Gates succeed? What lessons from their lives and careers can you apply to your own? In The Third Door, Alex Banayan writes that success is like a nightclub with three doors. He argues that the third door is the best—and really, only—route to getting ahead of the crowd. He learned this from interviewing (and trying to interview) several wildly successful people. Continue reading for an overview of Banayan’s book, and find out what “the third door” is.

Work Hard to Achieve Your Goals—and Know When to Rest

Do you have defined professional and personal goals? How much work are you willing to put in to reach them? How much effort are they worth? Tim Ferriss collected advice from experts in various fields, and many of them spoke about the importance of hard work, especially in the pursuit of worthy goals. Some also highlighted the importance of working smart and not overdoing it. Read more to get inspired to work hard to achieve your goals and to find wisdom about where to draw the line.

Why a Core Purpose Is the Foundation of Your Career

Do you want to take your career to the next level? Do you have a core purpose? Your core purpose is your overarching goal for your career and the “why” behind everything you do in your leadership journey. In Discover Your True North, Bill George examines why a core purpose is important for those looking for a management position in their career. Continue reading to learn how to identify your purpose and set your career on the right path.

How Asking People for Help Can Lead You to Career Success

Are you hesitant to ask people for help at work? What about reaching out to people who are working in a company or a field that you aspire to? In the process of writing his book The Third Door, Alex Banayan discovered something over and over: To become successful, you need to reach out to others for help. He shares what he learned about this from entrepreneur Elliott Bisnow and director Steven Spielberg. Read on to learn why it’s important to tap into the expertise and connections of others.

Should You Follow Your Passion? A Tribe of Mentors Weighs In

Should you follow your passion? How important is it to have a career that excites you? Should your vocation be central to your identity? In Tribe of Mentors, Tim Ferriss shares input from experts in various fields to address these critical career questions. Together, their advice can help you think through the questions and settle on the answers that are the right ones for you and your path in life. Keep reading for insights on whether you should follow your passion.

How to Be Persistent (Without Crossing the Line)

When does persistence go too far and become harassment? How might you be persistent in an appropriate and measured way? Alex Banayan wrote his book The Third Door to share what he learned from interviewing several wildly successful people about their paths toward getting ahead in life. In the process of writing it, he found that persistence (even his own) was important—and that it’s possible to take it too far. Read more to learn how to be persistent without crossing the line, with advice that Banayan learned from inventor Dean Kamen and boxer Sugar Ray Leonard.

The Top 5 Bad Leadership Qualities: Avoid Doing These Things

What are bad leadership qualities that can ruin your business? What is the common theme in these toxic behaviors that destroy a leader’s potential? Bill George’s book Discover Your True North claims it’s important that you identify your core purpose and ethics to become an effective and resilient leader. To illustrate the importance of having these guiding principles, George identifies the five qualities that commonly cause leaders to stray from their core purpose and ethics. Keep reading to learn why these bad leadership qualities are a leader’s worst nightmare.

Your Path to Success Might Not Be the Traditional One

Is a low-risk path the right one for you? Would you take more risk if you had less to lose? Many people follow the traditional path to success—slowly ascending from one secure job to a slightly better-paying one. However, as recorded in Tribe of Mentors, some of Tim Ferriss’s experts note that constricting yourself to this path might keep you from building a career you’re passionate about. Continue reading for some advice that can help you figure out your path to success.

Follow Your Own Path: Tips From Larry King & Warren Buffett

Is it a good idea to try to copy someone else’s journey to success? What can you do that will leverage your particular strengths, skills, and circumstances? Alex Banayan interviewed several highly-successful people to learn how they made it to the top. One lesson that he repeatedly came across was that, even if you copy everything someone else has done, you can’t expect to replicate their success. Continue reading to learn why you should follow your own path and get advice on how to do it.