The DLTS is a profiling of the most influential people in Chicago's digital technology community.
I wish I knew from the beginning...
That promotion is not always a good thing. The notion that you can only succeed through climbing the corporate ladder is a fallacy. I now recognize that it is also best to “rise” while remaining close to the subject matter that produced the surge. Ironically, many companies and employees fall prey to the concept that in order to get ahead, you must be promoted away from the very responsibilities that got you promoted. Whether tantalized by titles or raises, the Average Joe inherently feels the need to elevate on the Org Chart (Full-Disclosure: I am a “Joe” yet now in a Recovery Program called “starting my own business”). Not everyone should be a Manager. I have seen many talented, vertical experts crash on the rocks of having to deal with other people’s problems. Lateral progress can be just as impressive as longitudinal; yet while succeeding sideways, remember to negotiate upside for your personal benefit.
The best advice I ever received...
To do in your professional life what you are passionate about, are good at and can extract profit from. All three of these components need to be in equal measure and should each have honest answers. For me, in launching The C4 Group, the fun parts were developing the passion points and of profit generation. The toughest conclusion was of coming to what I am “good at.” Which is a humbling exercise when on one’s own and therefore can’t embellish the truth, as hard as I tried. Without the right answer to this vexing “good at” question, the easy answers to Passion and Profit are irrelevant. Coming to terms with what you do well starts with the admission of what you are NOT good at (or better defined as what you could care less for). When you have all three answers equally aligned, then comes the part where you allow yourself the freedom to go after for what you have a natural ability.
A startup everyone should know about...
Graffle: A For-Profit venture dedicated to generating significant sums of revenue for Charities. Utilizing the power of Celebrities with their exclusive access and events, through an online raffle, both Global and Local Charities will benefit from Graffle’s reach and engine.
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