Originally posted on ScottsdaleAirpark.com: Serial entrepreneur Dr. John Shufeldt, author of seven books, received such an overwhelming response from students and young professionals at one of his recent talks that he decided to hold a contest for them. Four winners received prizes in late June: a helicopter ride at the Scottsdale Airport, a one-hour career counseling coaching session and lunch, and a signed copy of Shufeldt’s latest book, “LeadershipYOU.” Hosted by Outliers Publishing, the LeadershipYou Career Coaching event was created to provide guidance, mentorship and … [Read more...]
New Year Tips for 2016 and Update from the Outlier Team
Happy New Years Outliers Family! Can you believe another year has come to end? As students, parents, entrepreneurs, over-achievers or even for the newly reformed slacker, we owe it to ourselves to make this year count. Don’t miss out on all your 2016 has to offer, and the chance to re-evaluate your goals! There will be naysayers, echoing the criticism about this annual practice, but we wouldn’t miss the chance for the world. There’s just something about starting fresh on January one. Even if you have to look at them again in February, and again in June. As a quick aside, if you find you are … [Read more...]
Keeping the Right Mentality
From Chapter 8, "Kindness: The Art of Paying it Forward" in Ingredients of Outliers Avoiding the WIIFM Approach If you set out to be a kinder person, which is a worthwhile goal for all of us, be sure it’s for the right reasons. If you’re just out to make yourself look good or if you expect to get something in return, that’s selfishness rather than kindness. It’s known as WIIFM, which stands for: “What’s In It For Me?” While I admit in advance that the following is an extreme example, please don’t follow the advice of Al Capone, the notorious Prohibition-era gangster: “You can get much … [Read more...]
Going the Extra Mile
From Chapter 8, "Kindness: The Art of Paying it Forward" in Ingredients of Outliers Lagniappe Unless you’ve spent part of your life in the Deep South, you may not be acquainted with the word lagniappe (lan-yap). It describes a long-standing French-Creole tradition in southern Louisiana and parts of neighboring states. It’s defined as a) a small gift given by a merchant to a customer with the customer’s purchase; b) an extra or unexpected gift or benefit. It’s often used to signify a small kindness or going the extra mile. In his book Life on the Mississippi, published in 1883, Mark … [Read more...]
A Legacy of Kindness
From Chapter 8, "Kindness: The Art of Paying it Forward" in Ingredients of Outliers From Slavery to Significance Another boy whose life would be forever changed by an act of kindness was Frederick Bailey, born to a slave woman in 1818. He never knew his father and he was only seven when his mother left him with the owner of the plantation and his life of slavery began. He was beaten often and forced to go long hours with neither food nor sleep. Recalling those days, he would later write, “I was broken in body, soul and spirit.” Back then it was against the law to teach slaves to read … [Read more...]
A Kind Act Can Change a Life
From Chapter 8, "Kindness: The Art of Paying it Forward" from Ingredients of Outliers A Touch on the Shoulder But we can do more than imagine it. Consider the story of Dudley Henrique who was—literally—touched on the shoulder by a stranger, a kind touch that would mark the beginning of a new life, while there was still time. Dudley’s early life wasn’t easy. Born in 1937, he was six when his parents divorced. His mother was soon remarried—to a hot- tempered man who would beat him severely and often. Two years later his grandmother came to his rescue, taking him to live with her in … [Read more...]