Forrest Gump: That day, for no particular reason, I decided to go for a little run. So I ran to the end of the road. And when I got there, I thought maybe I'd run to the end of the town. And when I got there, I thought maybe I'd just run across Greenbow County. And I figured, since run this far, maybe I'd just run across the great state of Alabama. And that's what I did. I ran clear across Alabama. For no particular reason I just kept on goin'. I ran clear to the ocean. And when I got there, I figured, since I'd gone this far, I might as well turn around, just keep on goin'. When I got to another ocean, I figured, since I'd gone this far, I might as well just turn back, keep right on goin'.
Forrest Gump: Now you wouldn't believe me if I told you, but I could run like the wind blows. From that day on, if I was goin' somewhere, I was runnin'!
"Overload is the way of work these days. It’s how the ambitious among us are hard-wired, and it’s quite dangerous, as my experience showed. But it’s also dangerous for us not to fully pursue — and give our all to — opportunities that move us forward. This is the dynamic tension we face in today’s creative economy.
If we want more, we have to give more, but we have to stay aware of what we might give up in the process. While it’s great to be ambitious, we must learn to listen for cues, step back and slow down the pace at times. We need to learn how to create space for both making a living and making a life."
"Success is almost totally dependent upon drive and persistence. The extra energy required to make another effort or try another approach is the secret of winning."
"One of the main things these women have learned by being leaders in their communities – it’s about collaboration not competition. The more projects embrace the “We” instead of the “I” the more everyone involved is able to succeed. This kind of attitude leads to the doacracy culture that we all so greatly appreciate." - JESSI 'SPROCKET' JANUSEE
"To every woman who gave birth, to every taxpayer and citizen of this nation, we have fought for everybody else’s equal rights. It’s our time to have wage equality once and for all and equal rights for women in the United States of America."
- Patricia Arquette, Best Supporting Actress, 2015 Oscar Speech
According to Fast Company, some might say that Patricia Arquette's recent Oscar speech bombed due to her narrow focus on only females' right to Equal Pay. However, her actions did spark conversation about the topic -- which I believe was her true intent.
The wage gap is a real thing, and it isn't just affecting affluent Hollywood stars.
While Patricia's speech could have been improved, it is important that the issue of Equal Pay be discussed openly with acknowledgment of facts. Those two simple words can cause major tension in a professional environment, so it's important to frame the topic around equal accomplishments and contributions without inflicting direct accusations on employers. In essence, it is a double-edged sword that will only be effective as a single blade.
"Research shows humans prefer cockiness to expertise. We naturally assume confidence equates with skill. Even the most skeptical will at least be partly persuaded by a confident speaker."
I am still riding high off of realizing what a badass my former public speaker is these days. Now is a great time to recall that vivid red ink from my persuasive speech reviews: "Be confident! I know you have it in you."
"When more women lead, performance improves. Start-ups led by women are more likely to succeed; innovative firms with more women in top management are more profitable; and companies with more gender diversity have more revenue, customers, market share and profits. A comprehensive analysis of 95 studies on gender differences showed that when it comes to leadership skills, although men are more confident, women are more competent."
"Sales Moves the World. And it takes some of the best, hard working, masterful men and women in business to excel at it. People of high integrity, intelligence, discipline and authenticity.”
"Repetition is one of the easiest and most widespread methods of persuasion." - Dr. Jeremy Dean
This is one of the most basic principles I learned as a student of Advertising, yet it seems to be underutilized in the word of Sales. Sales people only have so much time in front prospects, so being redundant seems counter-intuitive. However, so much gets lost between meetings! For this reason, I will strive to reestablish key points over the course of a sales cycle.
