Tag: business coach

Are You a Confused Millennial?

Scott AsaiLeave a comment

rachel-ritlop-confused-millennial

I’ve always believed LinkedIn and other social media platforms are about making a virtual connection in hopes of connecting with people you would never meet normally in person. That’s how Rachel & I met. Since we write about similar topics and have mutual friends, we got on the phone and chatted. After talking with her I was impressed with her takeaways and business acumen so I decided to interview her so that you, my readers might be inspired.

1) Tell us briefly how you successfully transitioned from counseling to a business/career coach.

Well initially I started out as a general life coach. I worked with people of all ages, from 17 to 80! My real passion started to come out as I taught twenty somethings how to find their purpose and “adult” effectively. During my first year in business I started getting approached by local businesses to consult on their behalf with program developments, social media marketing, and employee satisfaction. At around the year mark of my business is when I decided to rebrand my business to focus more on business and career coaching.

2) What advice would you give someone who is unhappy in their career?

I would probably ask them to explore what is causing the unhappiness to figure out if its something that could change with some inner work or if the person is in the wrong career all together. For example, someone can be really unhappy because they aren’t used to a certain type of structured work environment or having a boss, but love the work they are doing. In that situation the person should probably work with a coach or counselor to figure out what changes they can make to create more autonomy for themselves in the workplace. However, if someone actually dislikes the work they are doing, then I would have them write out the characteristics of their dream career and start working on an entirely new career plan based on whats missing for them and their intrinsic and current skill set.

3) Your alter ego, The Confused Millennial, has gained a lot of traction as of late. To what do you attribute this growing following?

I think it’s really relatable for people. I constantly get emails and comments from people saying how much they can relate or love the blog. I think most of us millennials are multi-passionate and the idea of narrowing our focus to one thing can feel pretty claustrophobic. The blog is a place to read and watch other millennials journeys, plus get actionable advice based on personal experiences. I think we all crave community and thats what The Confused Millennial is really doing.

4) I’ve noticed a big part of your brand is your complete transparency. Was that intentional or just you being you?

I’ve always been the type of person that what you see is what you get. I have a real hard time with RBF and hiding my emotions. When I moved my business on-line I made the decision to be “more polished” as a business/career coach since that’s what I thought I needed to do in order to be “successful”… but a month after the launch of rachelritlop.com I felt like I was a total fraud. I realized how much fluff I had consumed on the internet and I felt taken advantage of and just wanted to do something different than what all the “big coaches” were doing with their perfectly polished personas, and be true to me… which led to the creation of The Confused Millennial.

5) Recently you launched an Instagram E-Course. Tell my readers more about this great resource!

Yeah! It’s been great! It decided the last week of March to grow my Instagram following and in just three months I saw an increase in engagement from 0% to 8% and from less than 300 followers to about 6,000! I decided to put all the information I learned and tips into a course! Basically it takes you through the basics of Instagram, how to optimize your Instagram for engagement and conversations, how to take Instagram worthy photos with your iPhone, how to grow an engaged following and so much more! The course is available for sale here!

Why You Shouldn’t be a Leader

Scott AsaiLeave a comment

Nowadays “leader” is a term thrown around too loosely. I come from the school of thought that leaders are born, not made. That doesn’t mean a leader can’t be developed. I just don’t think anyone can be a leader just by acquiring the skills. Whether you agree or disagree, hear out my reasoning behind this theory:

leadership is hard walk the plank pirate

Potential – Leaders are born into this world with intangible qualities that attract others to follow them. I’ve seen it on the playground as early as 2 years old. It’s not something they’re trying to do. It just comes out. When you were young, were others attracted to follow you?

Responsibility – Everyone loves to get praise when things go right, but can you handle the blame when things go wrong and it may not even be your fault? Leaders take ownership for poor results by themselves or others under their supervision. Being a leader isn’t as glamorous as advertised. It’s about deflecting the praise towards others and shouldering the burden when people are complaining. Are you willing to take the fall, under your watch, even if you’re right?

Profile – Leaders usually aren’t the outspoken, extroverts that the media portrays them to be. They’re usually the quiet, soft spoken ones who do things “under the radar.” Leaders don’t purposely seek attention. If it comes their way, fine, but it’s not something they desire. Leaders earn the respect of others by their example of consistent behavior(s). Do you “fit” the profile of a leader?

Results – One of the most important traits of a leader is the “fruit” of their labor. By definition, leadership is getting things done through people. One part task. One part relationship. Leadership is about what you’ve accomplished with and through the efforts from others. It’s like a personal resume of achievements over time. Do you have the “resume” of a leader? 

Confidence – Leaders don’t need the title of leader, they’re voluntarily given it by others. If you’re driven to lead by your ego, you’re going about it wrong. Leaders are confident, but not arrogant. Confidence is usually based on past successes, but a leader has an inner confidence that isn’t shaken easily by circumstances. Everyone loves “strokes,” but leaders don’t need them. Is your confidence level unflappable, even during scrutiny? 

If you answered “no” to any of these questions, consider this a realization. Everyone isn’t cracked up to be a leader. In fact it’s better that way. If there are too many leaders on a team, nothing gets done. Leaders are invaluable, but that doesn’t mean you need to be one. In my opinion, the best leaders aren’t the most dynamic, but they are great at developing the people around them. So by this definition, are you a leader?