Category: Productivity

  • Five years after dropping out of college

    Five years after dropping out of college

    “You know what this means, mom?”

    She was in tears.

    “What, Zach?” She mustered.

    “You’re going to have to start cooking.”

    She looked at me with a blank stare. My comment wasn’t what she was expecting.

    “Meth, mom. Cooking meth. Like Walter White in Breaking Bad.”

    After those words left my mouth, I started balling and fell into her arms.

    It’s a tough pill to swallow, but we’re all dying. If you’re an optimist, you might say we’re all living (and you’d be right!) however, with each breath we take we’re one step closer to the end.

    When you’re diagnosed with stage IV lung cancer the reality of death becomes much more tangible. When you’re healthy, happy, and in your routine, you rarely think about your own demise. Who would? Why would you?

    When an oncologist tells you that a six month timer just started counting down, you have no choice but to face the gravity (and unmistakable reality) of your situation.

    On December 22nd 2014, at nearly 2pm in the afternoon, my mom, Suzanne Shefska, shared with me her diagnosis. Her life had forever been changed (and shortened), and against her wishes, mine had too (she desperately didn’t want her diagnosis to affect the lives of her children — my sister and I).

    “Stay in school, Zach. You know I want you to get your degree. Please, continue your studies.” I remember her words so vividly. My mom was a teacher after all, so higher education meant a lot to her.

    “The community college is really well respected, mom. I promise, I’ll continue taking classes there. I can’t go back to Pitt though, it’s just too far away. I’d rather be here with you.”

    A few weeks later I left my “studies” at The University of Pittsburgh and enrolled at Anne Arundel Community College. Pitt was a plane ride away from home. AACC was a five minute drive. My stint at community college lasted a few months. Calculus 2 was dropped from my schedule before the semester was over. I was done with higher education.

    Four years ago I shared an update of sorts. One year after I resigned from the University of Pittsburgh I drafted up notes about where I was, what I was doing, and who I had become. Now, as I’ve experienced the five year anniversary of my mom’s diagnosis, and my decision to postpone my academic studies, I’m back with another “here’s what has happened since quitting college,” blog post.

    If you know me personally, I trust you’ll find this update interesting and informative. If you know me from afar, maybe you’ll think I’m really strange (sidenote: I am). Or, if you’ve stumbled across this from somewhere on the internet, my hope is that you can learn how being resourceful, self-starting, and entrepreneurial can “pay off” in terms of starting your career (ie you don’t need a college degree to make money, be happy, learn, and live your life.)

    I’ve organized my update into two categories; personal and professional. Feel free to click on any of the links below to jump to a specific section.

    Personal

    Family

    • I bought a house. My purchase happened six months after my mom passed away, nearly two years ago. My dad, sister, and dog (Cinnamon) moved in with me. Then my sister moved out, we put the dog down, and my dad decided to live at his condo at the Jersey shore year round. Woo! Something tells me I’ll be selling the house sometime in the near future. There’s no logical reason for a 24 year old bachelor to have a five bedroom home in the suburbs. If nothing else, going through the purchasing process was an incredible learning experience. In retrospect, I can hardly believe how naive I was going into the process. Knowledge for next time!
    buying my first house
    Me, my house, and my dad’s fingers.
    • My dad retired shortly after my mom passed away. Ironic, isn’t it? He had worked in the car business for 42 years, consistently pulling 60-70+ hour work weeks. As of today, he’s happy, healthy (for the most part), and relaxed. It’s nice to see, although I do get nervous about cognitive decline in retirement. Fortunately he works remotely and part-time for his old employer. He enjoys what he does. I have a few ideas for some projects I want to work on with my dad as well. Neither him or I have a compelling business background (he went bankrupt operating a retail golf store in the ‘90s, and I’ve never gotten my own business off the ground), but something about working together with him is top of mind for me.
    • My sister has been excelling in her role at the National Academy of Sciences. She recently received a promotion, and she is coming up on her own five year milestone with the organization. In parallel with her full-time work, she has also been pursuing her masters in public policy, although we’ll see if she finishes the program or not (it’s not particularly challenging or interesting to her which is unfortunate and frustrating). It’s a good thing she decided to enroll though. She met her boyfriend, Zack (with a “k”), and they’re the happiest couple I’ve ever seen. Win-win.

    Health

    • After years of being too stubborn (and embarrassed), I started seeing a psychologist. Dr. Cohl has been instrumental in my capacity to grow personally and professionally.
      • I had been embarrassed at the idea of seeing a professional therapist. In retrospect, I don’t understand why. A therapist or psychologist is similar to a coach on a sports team. You don’t see any professional basketball teams without a coach, do you? Why not enlist the same support in your personal life too?
      • To be fair, facing your insecurities is not trivial or easy. Having Dr. Cohl on my ‘team’ has been highly beneficial in developing strategies to combat my unhealthy habits and make progress in areas of utmost importance to me. Mental health for the win.
    • There is a crazy gym, called SoliderFit, that I started going to, and I’m hooked! After years of lifting the heaviest weights I could get my hands on (and my body not always feeling great as a result), I have my sister to thank for getting me to try something different (and seemingly healthier). SoldierFit, a small collection of gyms whose workouts are in the same vein as their name (military-themed with instructors yelling out commands and instructions), has drastically changed the way I approach fitness.
      • The workouts are circuit-based, and I still recall the first “trial” class I went to. My sister invited me, and I was so cocky… Boy was that class a wake-up call! The five minute warm-up (consisting of running and dynamic stretching) had me more out of breath than I’d like to admit. The next 45 minutes didn’t fare much better. After that, I was hooked. When it comes to fitness, I love a good challenge, and SoldierFit delivered.
      • Since joining in early March of 2019 I’ve attended over 200 classes. That’s a class every 1.8 days or so. I’m so glad I trusted Dara and went to that first trial class.
      • Beyond the fitness benefits, of which there are many, there is also the sense of community you gain from being a part of the SoldierFit gym. I never understood the “community” aspect that could exist at a gym. In the past when others would say something akin to “I’ve made so many friends at my gym,” I would be confused. “Don’t you go there to exercise,” I’d think to myself. I’m no longer confused, it’s clear as day to me how important community can be in a fitness setting.
    zach shefska at soldierfit
    • I’ve developed a healthier relationship with food and body image, however more work needs to be done.
      • In conjunction with seeing Dr. Cohl, I’ve been able to make great strides in developing a healthier relationship with food and my own body image. For as long as I can remember, I’ve struggled with binge eating. Initial conversations with family and friends about my disordered behavior in 2016 helped me accept the fact that it was something I struggled with. Over the years, I’ve been able to suppress most all of my binge eating behavior, and candidly, it is not something I think about anymore (day-to-day).
      • Body image is a different story, although one where progress has been made as well. During the past few years, there was serious consideration to get surgery for my gynecomastia (something only I notice), and there is the continued pressure I place on myself to maintain a certain “aesthetic” or appearance. I don’t love it, and I don’t hate it (the pressure I put on myself), however, what I’ve come to realize is that I don’t have to let these thoughts dictate my life. For example, if I want to buy a shirt that may have in the past given me anxiety (“it makes me look fat”), I’ll acknowledge that thought, recognize that I can still feel confident in my own skin, and purchase the shirt (maybe this is more an indicator that I enjoy shopping, but I think it speaks to an improved appreciation for myself).
      • The process of developing a healthier relationship with myself and my physical appearance is ongoing, and I anticipate years of hard work will be required to continue to make strides here. There have been setbacks over the years as well. I can vividly remember instances of binge eating and self-hate. It’s not fun, it’s not healthy, but it’s part of my life. I’m glad I’ve acknowledged it and started to take steps to be healthier.
    • I still struggle with social media.
      • Decreasing my “screen time” is nearly always top of mind for me, however I haven’t taken much of any action to affect it over the past five years. There was the week where I didn’t check Instagram. Or, the fact that I don’t have the Facebook or Twitter app on my phone, and instead have to log in through the web browser. And (fortunately), the fact that I don’t have a Snapchat, TikTok, or whatever the next cool app is (ps, at 24 years old, I officially feel old). Yet, with all the being said, I still feel as if I have an unhealthy relationship with my phone and social media.
      • During recent travels out of the country, where I had no cell phone data, I found myself being less attached to my phone (who knew). This was good, a positive sign — that I can spend less time on my phone if service isn’t available — but still concerning, because when I was connected to WiFi I was glued to my phone. I’m not sure what steps I am going to take here. Something tells me I’m not the only one that struggles with this. While in Seoul, South Korea it became incredibly obvious to me how endemic and international the “glued to your phone” issue is. On the metro I witnessed a full car of people all staring down at their devices. Phones are taking all of our attention, regardless of if you’re in San Francisco, Seoul, or anywhere in between. It can’t be healthy.

    Education

    • Learning ReactJS
      • I spent a few weeks getting my hands dirty programming in reactjs. It’s been over two years since I built an app from scratch (in angularjs back then), and it was equal parts exciting and nerve racking to dive into react.
      • I don’t think I’ll be getting into the weeds of programming much more though. Web development is fun and I enjoy having enough skills to “get by,” and maybe even more importantly, to have informed conversations with professional developers, however I don’t see myself ever working as a professional developer, and with that in mind, I don’t see myself allocating time to really “level up” my programming skills.
    • I was accepted into the University of Maryland’s undergraduate business program and declined to attend.

    Hobbies

    Books

    I’ve read a lot over the past five years (with a particular emphasis on the past 12 months). Here are a few standout books I’ve enjoyed.

    • Man’s Search for Meaning
      • Do you ever feel sorry for yourself? I know I sure do. Do you want a reminder that life isn’t so bad, and that actually, you have it pretty good? I’d suggest reading Viktor Frankl’s memoir, Man’s Search for Meaning. You’ll probably cry, and with good reason. Frankl, a psychiatrist, documents his three year experience (1942 to 1945) detained in Nazi concentration camps. The book, broken up into two distinct sections, first provides riveting first-hand accounts of Frankl’s experiences within Nazi concentration camps. Death, torture, the most inhumane experiences you’ll ever encounter, they’re all documented by Frankl in vivid clarity. The second section of the book is dedicated to Logotherapy, Frankl’s psychotherapeutic approach that is founded on the premise that human beings are most motivated by a search for meaning in their lives. Frankl identifies key moments from his experiences in Nazi concentration camps and guides the reader through the realization that Logotherapy (the search for meaning in his life) was what allowed him to maintain strength and survive.
      • Clinical studies on Logotherapy show compelling results. I look to my mom’s continued professional work after her diagnosis (teaching elementary school special education) as evidence that the search for meaning in one’s life can provide the strength to continue pushing forward. I think my mom lived as long as she did because of this search for meaning. Research appears to back this theory up.
    • Flowers for Algernon
      • Funny story here. I went on a father-son trip to Las Vegas. The highlight of the trip? Reading this book. The lowlight of this trip? Realizing I could have saved thousands of dollars by reading it at home instead of in Las Vegas!
    • The Diving Bell and the Butterfly
      • Nine months before my mom passed away she suffered a stroke. Blood clots from her feet traveled through her body, passing through her stomach and heart, ultimately causing a stroke in her brain. Before the stroke occurred my family assumed that her pains where associated with her cancer and chemotherapy. We were wrong. My mom was in miserable condition because of the blood clots traveling through her body. As a result of the stroke, my mom lost all function on the left side of her body. In a true testament to how strong willed my mom was, she worked diligently to regain most of her mobility leading up to her death. Relearning how to swallow, stand, walk… all for the promise of getting to another chemotherapy session… if you want a “growing up” experience, supporting your parent through something like this is it. You’re a different person afterwards.
      • What does this have to do with The Diving Bell and the Butterfly? I read Jean-Dominique Bauby’s book, The Diving Bell and the Butterfly about a year after my mom passed away. Bauby, the former editor in chief at Elle magazine in France experienced a similar fate to my mom, except worse. At 43 he suffered a stroke that left him with locked-in syndrome. Bauby, like my mom, was cognitively aware of what had happened (the stroke), and was still aware of his surroundings, however he couldn’t move his body at all. The only exception were his eyes. Bauby was nearly entirely paralyzed, and even worse, his right eye was sewn shut due to an irrigation problem, but he still wrote The Diving Bell and the Butterfly from his hospital bed by blinking his left eye.
      • Wikipedia sums this up effectively:
        • The entire book was written by Bauby blinking his left eyelid, which took ten months (four hours a day). Using partner assisted scanning, a transcriber repeatedly recited a French language frequency-ordered alphabet (E, S, A, R, I, N, T, U, L, etc.), until Bauby blinked to choose the next letter. The book took about 200,000 blinks to write and an average word took approximately two minutes. The book also chronicles everyday events for a person with locked-in syndrome. These events include playing at the beach with his family, getting a bath, and meeting visitors while in hospital at Berck-sur-Mer. On March 9, 1997, two days after the book was published, Bauby died of pneumonia.
    • Buddhism Without Beliefs
      • After breaking up with a long-time girlfriend I thought maybe Buddhism would help me relax and find peace. I don’t know if it did or didn’t, however I feel a stronger spiritual connection than I did before, and I like that.
    • The Challenger Customer
      • B2B sales isn’t easy. You’ve got competitors left and right, closing deals can sometimes drag on for years, and the worst part is you’re actually competing against the status quo (ie an organization’s willingness to “just keep doing what their doing” rather than invest in change). In their multi-part series, The Corporate Executive Board Company (whose members authored The Challenger Customer), provide great insight into the biggest “deal breaker” in B2B sales. This is a must read if you are attempting to resegmented an existing market (an insight that comes from my favorite business mentor, Steve Blank.)
    • The Five Dysfunctions of a Team
      • This is the most influential business book I’ve read in the past five years. Trust, conflict, commitment, accountability, results, these are the five building blocks of great teams. Patrick Lencioni may take one hundred too many pages to make his point (his writing is entertaining though), however the key takeaways (what are the dysfunctions that inhibit teams from achieving “success”) is well received. After reading The Five Dysfunctions of a Team, I requested that each member of our team at MarketSmart to read it as well. I have a great mentor to thank for sharing The Five Dysfunctions of a Team!
    • Gödel, Escher, Bach: an Eternal Golden Braid
      • For nearly a year I have started, stopped, and started again to read this book. If I finish it in my lifetime I will be pleased. Not even because I want to understand it all, more-so to prove to myself that I can focus long enough to read it. Ha!

    Art

    • Another post-break up decision that worked out really well! Signing up for pottery classes. Throwing ceramics has become my therapy and escape from the world.
    Pots that I made
    Really proud of how these two pieces came out!
    • Sitting at the wheel, making a giant mess, and taking a ball of clay and transforming it into something functional (a vase, a mug, a bowl, etc), was (and still is), one of the most invigorating and inspiring activities I’ve ever done. Very recently, at the beginning of 2020, I was fortunate enough to throw some bowls at an open-air studio in Ubud, Bali, Indonesia. The experience (being in a foreign country, in the forest, amongst locals, etc.) was very powerful and exciting for me. I feel so fortunate to enjoy this hobby and engage in it globally.
    an angular vase
    A very angular pot that was challenging, fun, and rewarding to create!
    • Before ceramics I had a lukewarm appreciation for art. I couldn’t draw, I couldn’t paint, I certainly couldn’t make a bowl or a mug. Exploring ceramics has proved valuable in many ways. Not only do I now have mugs, bowls, and vases that I use each and every day, I also have a deeper connection to myself. It might sound corny to those who haven’t had the experience, but tapping into this side of yourself is pretty revolutionary and valuable. It’s funny, I read Buddhism Without Beliefs while starting this hobby, and although the book didn’t resonate with me greatly, there are many passages that talk about being “like the clay on the wheel.” The parallels between Buddhism and ceramics is certainly compelling!
    • My new found connection to the arts inspired my pursuit of collecting art… on my body :-). Over the past year, I’ve been fortunate to work with talented artists to capture some of the most important and meaningful moments of my life on my body through their work. Tattoos, and self-expression through them, is something I would have never taken an interest in a year ago. With an open mind, and a willingness to learn and grow, anything can happen.

    Airplanes

    • The pursuit of a private pilot license is not easy, and with good reason, once you’ve attained your PPL you can legally fly an airplane (with passengers in tow too) at your discretion (there are rules, in particular with regards to weather, but you get the idea). After conducting a “discovery flight” during the summer of 2018, I knew I was hooked, however it was only more recently that I began to take lessons with an instructor. To date I have only ten hours of flight time in my logbook, most spent in a Piper PA-28 single engine aircraft. The minimum requirement for your PPL is 40. Much to my father’s dismay, that means I am only 30 hours, a written and verbal exam, and a “check-ride” away from being able to fly a plane on my own. Get excited, dad!
    Zach Shefska flying an airplane
    Flying is fun!
    • I aspire to be able to fly to destinations in the future. With different tiers of licenses, a PPL doesn’t guarantee I’d be able to fly whenever I’d like (only under certain weather conditions), however it does represent the first step towards this long-term (and lifelong) goal.

    Travel

    • When my mom was sick I rarely travelled. It simply didn’t feel right to leave her, and morbidly, I wasn’t sure if she would be alive when I came back. After she passed I travelled more than I ever had before. I think she would be proud of me for that.
    • My big trip of 2019 was Iceland. That experience actually led to the creation of a separate blog, I’d Rather Be Traveling. Man was that an incredible trip.
    • I’ve also been fortunate to dot the country over the past two years as well, with time spent in:
      • San Francisco, Denver, Chicago, Boston, New York City, Atlanta, St. Louis, Phoenix, Las Vegas, and probably a few more that I am forgetting. Denver was a stand out for me. I greatly enjoyed my time there and want to visit again sometime soon.
    • Very recently I returned from another major trip. New Zealand, Australia, Indonesia, and South Korea, were all visited at the end of 2019 and the beginning of this year. My adventures (with three of my best friends) will be documented on my other blog, however as a whole, I hope I am able to travel more in the future. Experiencing other cultures is exciting to me. I am happy, engaged, and excited when I am in new places.

    Professional

    Career

    • I was given the title Chief Operating Officer at MarketSmart in July of 2018. This January however, I was asked to transition into the “Director of Sales & Marketing” role.
      • I started my career at MarketSmart as a web designer in February of 2015. The company, then only with a handful of employees, has grown substantially each year that I’ve been there. It’s fun to be a part of an organization that has a compelling mission, is growing, and is financially rewarding. I don’t know how long I’ll stay at MarketSmart (I desperately want to work for myself), however I am forever grateful for the opportunity to learn, grow, and make an impact at the organization.
      • My day-to-day responsibilities are myriad and varied. No two days are ever the same, and for the most part, I enjoy that. Very recently I have been asked to head up the growth of our sales and marketing departments. This has been a fun challenge, and I have learned a lot in the process (while also growing revenues).
      • While in my COO role I was responsible for:
        • Legal and Regulatory responsibilities
        • Developing organizational initiatives. Aligning the organization’s goals with department level initiatives. Establishing key metrics to measure outcomes and identify areas of growth for the company. Etc.
        • Set budgets for Marketing and Sales
        • Hiring really talented people
        • Firing really talented people 🙁
      • The “best” thing I think I’ve done at MarketSmart was develop a Strategy and Support Team (ie a leadership team). When the CEO and Founder gave me the title COO, the org structure was incredibly flat. There was the CEO at the top, and then everyone else. When I became COO the structure was still incredibly flat, but now with two people at the top. Over the next year I worked with the CEO to restructure the organization to have three more “Directors” join the leadership team. By developing a leadership team we have been able to execute more effectively as an organization and set the stage for growth beyond the scale we are currently at. Building this structure took a long time, and progress was not always obvious (frequently I was concerned if what I was doing was actually worthwhile), however in due time (literally over a year), it has finally become clear how powerful and important this decision was for the business. I feel good knowing I’ve done a good job at MarketSmart.
    Busy at work with a dog!
    Working hard with Rhonda!
    • Also during the past few years I was tasked with developing a new business unit at MarketSmart. I lead the growth of Fundraising Report Card to $250K in revenue before making the strategic decision to make it free for the nonprofit sector. Over $60B in donations have been analyzed on the platform, and users include some of the largest nonprofits in the world, as well as the temple where I went to Jewish private day school as a toddler. Talk about a cool moment, seeing something you made being used at an organization you benefited from as a youth. Rewarding!
    • Recently I’ve had the privilege of representing MarketSmart at The Giving Institute, an industry leading organization tasked with advancing philanthropy. I sit on multiple committees and enjoy collaborating with influential members in the sector.
    • Over the years I have honed my sales skills. I’ve really learned how to sell in the B2B setting, closing hundreds of thousands of dollars in deals with multi five figure deal sizes. This is a skill I’ll be forever grateful to have learned.

    The next five years

    What do the next five years have in store for me?

    • I’m determined to work for myself rather than for someone else. This is undoubtedly my number one objective over the next five years. I cannot pass up on the incredible learning experience I am getting at MarketSmart working for my mentor, Greg Warner, however within the next five years I envision myself doing something different.
      • One of the challenges I acknowledge in working for someone else is that you can find yourself having thoughts along the lines of “I have to split my time between working on me, and working on them.” What I mean by that is that you end up negotiating with yourself on doing something for you, and doing something for them (them being defined as the organization). Yes, organizations are capable of more impact (simply as a result of scale), however I would prefer to be an owner in the organization, rather than simply be a cog in the wheel of it.
    • I see more tattoos in my future… It’s an expensive way to express yourself, but one that I think is worthwhile!
    • I envision myself selling pottery at a crafts fair… I honestly don’t even want to sell anything… I just want to have a table at the event and talk to people about pots. Ha!
    • I want to buy an airplane… They’re not that expensive. To which my dad says, “is that really the purchase you want to be frugal about?” Point well taken dad. We’ll see if this is achievable in five years. It might not be, but maybe within the next five years I’ll at least have my PPL.
    • I plan to travel more. I have the rest of my life to live in a house in the suburbs. I hope to hike more as well. You don’t need to travel far to find incredible sites. I feel a sense of guilt that I haven’t explored more of the National Parks here in the United States. That will certainly change over the coming years.

    That’s my update.
    If you’ve made it this far, then thank you. Thank you for caring about me, my family, my life, etc. If you’re a distant friend, consider reaching out. Odds are, I’d probably be really happy to hear from you. Unless you’re… Nevermind 🙂

  • Something to Be Thankful For: Learning to Play the Long Game

    Something to Be Thankful For: Learning to Play the Long Game

    If there was ever a day to not check your email, slack, or even your phone in general, Thanksgiving would be the day. To many in the United States, Thanksgiving represents a day of rest, relaxation, and reflection. It’s a secular holiday that nearly every American celebrates.

    As a Jew, I’ve always found some interesting parallels between Thanksgiving, and my religion. In Hebrew the word for giving thanks is“l’hodot,” or “hodu.” In the imperative form “hodu” is found in Psalms, “Hodu l’Adonai ki tov,” translating to “Give thanks to God who is good.” As a noun, however, “hodu” represents the Hebrew word for turkey. Coincidence? I tend to think not, but who knows.

    This Thanksgiving I am especially grateful for one thing in particular; learning to play the long game. Nearly a year ago I came across this article from Farnham Street. This passage from their writing provides a clear overview of the long game concept:

    There is an old saying that I think of often, but I’m not sure where it comes from: If you do what everyone else is doing, you shouldn’t be surprised to get the same results everyone else is getting.

    Ignoring the effect of luck on outcomes — the proverbial lottery ticket —doing what everyone else is doing pretty much ensures that you’re going to be average. Not average in the world, but average to people in similar circumstances. There are a lot of ways not to be average, but one of them is the tradeoff between the long game and the short game.

    What starts small compounds into something more. The longer you play the long game, the easier it is to play and the greater the rewards. The longer you play the short game the harder it becomes to change and the bigger the bill facing you when you do want to change.

    Putting off something that is hard, uncomfortable, or challenging — that represents the short game.

    Paying the price today for something that will make tomorrow better? You guessed it, that’s the long game.

    Should I put money into my retirement account or go buy clothes? The retirement account represents the long game, Nordstrom represents the short game. It’s easy to grasp, and we all know what the “right” thing to do is, correct?

    Understanding the theory of the long and short game is not challenging. Executing the long game in practice is. Everyday we are surrounded by short term and immediate rewards (twitter retweets, Instagram likes, the list goes on and on). Playing the long game means putting those to the side and instead working towards something greater that exists in the future.

    This Thanksgiving I am grateful for committing further to the long game. The first step towards playing the long game is the hardest. It’s visibly negative. You have to give something up today to receive benefit tomorrow. This is why the long game is hard to play. That’s okay, I am up for the challenge.

    Regardless of what you’re thankful for this Thanksgiving, consider learning more about the long game. It’s a worthy concept, and one that I am deeply committed to.

    Have a wonderful Thanksgiving.

  • Talk Less, Write More

    “If you just market to them differently at the top of the funnel, they’ll be more qualified when they get to the salesperson!” I said emphatically.

    Greg chimed in, “Yes! Exactly, just get the email series set up and provide value at every step of the process, and before you know it, they’re ready for a demo!”

    We were both going back and forth, a million miles an hour. Tim, our poor marketing manager, could hardly keep up, furiously taking notes on his iPad.

    “And then, make sure the emails are broken out by sector so that the value they receive is even more relevant,” I couldn’t help but throw out there.

    Ah, talking, it’s so damn easy. Everything sounds good in the abstract. Poor Tim, he never stood a chance.

    All these ideas we were throwing at him…he couldn’t execute on them. Why? Because they weren’t real, they were simply thought bubbles emanating from our heads. There was nothing tangible too them, and even if there was, it’s not like they were measured or refined. Talking is easy. Thinking is hard. Writing is the happy (and necessary) medium in between.

    How writing empowers others

    Written instructions go a long way. Don’t take my word for it, academic researchers have studied it. A 2004 paper discusses how written and verbal communication increases knowledge and satisfaction over just verbal instruction.

    Empirically this can be confirmed too. When was the last time you were excited that your boss told you what to do something without any written requirement or expectations? Yeah… How about when those requirements and expectations were written down? Did you get more satisfaction out of that experience?

    Writing is a tool you can use to support others. If you’re in a leadership role, it is imperative you take the time to write down what you want rather than just shout it at someone. The anecdote from above (poor Tim), is a tragic reminder of how lost, dazed, and confused people can get when everything occurs in the abstract. If I had taken the time to write down what we were looking for, then paired that with our conversation, I would have set Tim up for success. Instead, I babbled at him and left the room. Writing isn’t that hard, it’s just a bit of work.

    Why writing more and talking less is important

    I want to get more done in less time. It’s pretty plain and simple. 50-60 hour work weeks at my age can be fun, but man-oh-man, they can be exhausting. If written communication forces me to present only my best thoughts and ideas, than that is something I am willing to subscribe to.

    I want the teams I work with to be “on the same page.” In the absence of written communication, I’ve seen many teams get discombobulated and confused. When written expectations and requirements are in place however, I’ve seen teams execute in ways that no individual could ever do on their own.

    Think about it, writing takes time, editing takes time, even the act of sharing what you’ve written takes time. If you have an idea that you aren’t fully committed to, it’s likely you won’t do the due diligence necessary to move it forward (write, edit, review, share). However, in instances where you know you are on to something, you’ll take the time to thoughtfully write about it.

    Look at Jeff Bezos at Amazon. He too has come to this conclusion (or at least something similar). Why else would Amazon require multi-page memos be written in advance of company meetings? If you’ve ever been to a workplace meeting you know exactly why — because they’re generally a waste of precious time!

    Is writing easy? No, not at all. Is writing worthwhile? Absolutely, yes.

    At MarketSmart, I’m working diligently to write more and talk less in 2019. My hope is that I’ll be able to instill that in our culture.

    What is your take? Do you find writing to be more productive, or are you one of the rare few that finds abstract conversation the most efficient way to convey information?

  • One Year after Resigning from College

    One year ago I left the University of Pittsburgh.

    In early December of 2014 my mom was diagnosed with stage IV lung cancer. On December 22nd she shared the devastating news with me.

    Two week later I went back to Pitt for the start of the second semester on January 5th.

    Four days after that I had packed up my bedroom and was on a flight back home. There was no decision to be made, I knew that I wanted to be with my family.

    In the time since I have had many, “when are you going back to college” discussions. I have not returned to school, and my current plan does not directly involve it.

    Without school in the equation I have managed to do a lot in the past twelve months. I’m very proud of how I have grown, matured, and adapted to my new situation.

    In case you were curious, here is what I have been up to during the past year.

    Family

    • I have helped my mom continue to live a “normal” life.
      • This was my number one priority when I made the decision to move back home. I wanted to do everything I could to help her lead an active, engaging and interesting life.
    • As a result I have also taken some of the burden off of my dad to aid in that cause.

    Health

    • Although I was consistent about going to the gym while at Pitt, I have become more committed.
      • I have exercised and written down every workout over the past year.
    • In an effort to save time I have prepared my lunch for the work week every Sunday.
      • This has also helped me increase my savings and productivity (more about that here).
    • I have finally achieved a 1000lb total in the three main lifts of power-lifting (bench, squat, dead lift).

    Skills

    • I have greatly improved my knowledge and ability with Adobe Illustrator.
      • I have also learned how to use Adobe Photoshop and InDesign.
    • I learned and now understand the fundamental concepts of HTML and CSS.
    • I finally learned JavaScript and jQuery.
    • I learned my first JavaScript framework AngularJS (more on that here).
    • Recently I have started learning Angular2.
    • I’ve also become well-versed in constructing HTML emails… 🙁
    • I have been fortunate enough to learn how to create a “scope” document for business ideas (this is what I have learned from that so far).

    Career

    • In February I found a nice company to start my young career.
    • Within a few months I earned a nice raise.
    • I have been tasked with developing a new product, which has confirmed by desire to develop my own product someday (more on what I’m learning here).
    • I have managed the technical aspects of our company’s largest account for over 10 months.
    • I have also had the amazing opportunity to interview and on-boarded new employees (side-note, building a great team is hard).

    Entrepreneurship

    • I started cold-emailing business about a “hiring” solution that I envision creating in the near future.
      • I actually spent a lot of time reading, writing and organizing my thoughts before I ever reached out to any companies. This was the first time I executed on an idea with patience and diligence. In the past I would simply think of something and immediately pursue it.
    • I read and took notes on The Four Steps to the Epiphany.
      • This book has greatly shaped the way I envision starting up my own business.
    • I have been fortunate to have saved enough money to potentially fund my own business.
    • I took legal steps to kill GymBro, the first company I started while in college.

    Events

    • I traveled to Pittsburgh to watch the Arizona Cardinals lose to the Pittsburgh Steelers.
    • I bought a car.
      • I never thought I would dislike driving, but doing it for two hours a day wears you down quickly.
    • I traveled to Montreal for my sisters graduation from Mcgill University.
      • I found a way to lose my passport in Toronto (it is kinda fun being stuck in Canada).
    • My picture was featured on SportsIllustrated.com (thanks dad).

    Education

    • I attended my first professional conference at NationJS.
    • I failed out of the community college calculus II course I enrolled in.
      • Sorry mom 🙁 Calculus simply isn’t my thing.
    • I applied and was not admitted to the University of Maryland school of Business.
      • This was a bummer and surprise at first. Everything happens for a reason.

    Writing

    • I stayed relatively consistent and published 33 articles on this blog.
    • Somehow over 17,000 people visited this website over the past twelve months (thank you).
    • I became a “most viewed” writer on Quora, accumulating over 200,000 views on my answers.

    I have been busy, and I love it.

    I have written in the past about a three year “goal” plan.

    I strive to make those goals a reality.

  • The Power of Habits: Forming a Morning Routine

    Doing the same thing every day is boring. Getting in a “morning routine” exacerbates this boredom, but with good reason.

    What makes routines so powerful? Why are habits so important for success? Do you really need to do the same thing everyday to achieve more?

    Think about all the stress associated with deciding what to eat for breakfast. If you could avoid that, would you have a more productive day?

    Habits

    Routines are formed around habits. Habits are specific decisions that you make, which over time become automatic — you no longer decide to do something, it just happens.

    Habits are triggered by “cues”, which form “routines” that ultimately deliver a reward.

    With that in mind, think about how powerful a concise morning routine can be. One habit in your routine may be to eat the same oatmeal at 6:30am each morning. Your cue for that habit could be the fact that it is 6:30am. You automatically know it is time to eat because the clock says so, that is your cue.

    A slight side note… Cues are interesting and important. Charles Duhigg, author of “The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do in Life and Business” explains in-depth how to determine what cues trigger your habits. Compelling stuff.

    Routines are constructed of habits which are formed by cues. Ultimately, your routine produces some sort of reward.

    In our breakfast example your reward could be the fact that you are sticking to your diet, or rather that you do not have to stress about what you are going to eat every morning.

    My morning routine

    Beyond breakfast, my morning routine has multiple components. I follow this routine for one main reason… to not think. By doing the same thing every morning I avoid stress and accomplish many little tasks before my day really starts. As a result I save my mental capacity for later in the day, when surprises and stress are more frequent.

    This is a typical Monday – Friday morning for me.

    • Wake up at 4:15am
    • Eat a similar high protein breakfast at 4:20am
    • Bathroom break…
    • Leave for the gym at 4:50am
    • Arrive at the gym by 5:05am
    • Do my weight or aerobic training (I even have a routine for this)
    • Leave the gym at 6:15am
    • Listen to Mike and Mike until 6:30am
    • Shower and shave completed by 6:50am
    • Respond to emails and browse Hacker News until 7:10am
    • Eat a small snack, read the newspaper and leave for work by 7:30am

    In the first three hours of my day I have already completed a ton of small tasks. I eat, I exercise, I read, and I relax.

    By the time I leave for work at 7:30am I have accomplished more than I ever did in a whole day a few years ago. This is an amazing feeling.

    The scary component of this is that it just happens. All of these habits that make up this routine simply just “occur”. I don’t question it, I embrace it.

    What is the reward I get from this? Some people would argue that my routine is more punishment than privilege. I would strongly suggest it is the latter.

    Aside from the mental reward I get from being productive in the morning, I get the luxury of not having to stress, not having to worry, and not having to be rushed. I leave my house everyday for work with a positive mindset.

    It is on the days where my routine is interrupted that I find myself flustered, unable to concentrate and less productive.

    Forming a routine

    Routines can occur organically. You probably already have a few that just seem to “happen”. But, thanks to the research of people like Charles Duhigg there are a few techniques you can employ to help form your own strategic routines.

    Duhigg, and other professionals suggest planning specific, measurable, reward-able, and track-able (SMART) habits. A relatively recent Washington Post article does a good job outlining how this process works.

    In addition to planning SMART habits you can make your routine public information. Sharing with other people your plans reinforces the chance that you stick to them. With goal setting this is a common practice, the same can apply to routines.

    James Clear also did a fantastic job outlining the time it takes to form a new habit. I would suggest reading his article to further understand why it takes up to two months for habits to become automatic.

    There are plenty of other resources on line that dive deeper into habit-forming. A 2012 Chicago Tribune article helped me understand that my morning routine (albeit strange) is actually a “blessing”. And, a 2009 study published in the European Journal of Social Psychology (this study is referenced in the James Clear article) helped me better understand how long it takes for routines to become automatic.

    Routines are boring, but their benefits far outweigh the taste of eating the same thing for breakfast five days a week.

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