1 00:00:03,000 --> 00:00:09,320 Speaker 1: Welcome to Before Breakfast, a production of iHeartRadio. Good Morning. 2 00:00:10,840 --> 00:00:16,600 Speaker 1: This is Laura. Welcome to the Before Breakfast podcast. Today's 3 00:00:16,600 --> 00:00:20,960 Speaker 1: tip is to be ready to ride the wave. If 4 00:00:20,960 --> 00:00:25,120 Speaker 1: something big and good is happening in your life, take 5 00:00:25,160 --> 00:00:28,280 Speaker 1: a little time to position yourself to be able to 6 00:00:28,320 --> 00:00:32,720 Speaker 1: seize the opportunity. That way, your hard work you've been 7 00:00:32,760 --> 00:00:39,080 Speaker 1: doing will pay off over the long term. Today's tip, 8 00:00:39,159 --> 00:00:41,279 Speaker 1: like some others this week, comes from my book One 9 00:00:41,400 --> 00:00:44,920 Speaker 1: hundred and sixty eight Hours. That book was first published 10 00:00:44,920 --> 00:00:47,879 Speaker 1: in late May of twenty ten, which means that it 11 00:00:47,960 --> 00:00:52,440 Speaker 1: is fifteen years old this month. A lot has changed 12 00:00:52,440 --> 00:00:55,600 Speaker 1: in the world since then, but we do, in fact 13 00:00:55,920 --> 00:00:58,040 Speaker 1: still have one hundred sixty eight hours in a week, 14 00:00:59,040 --> 00:01:01,360 Speaker 1: and so I am re visiting some of the tips 15 00:01:01,360 --> 00:01:03,440 Speaker 1: from that book that I think can still be helpful. 16 00:01:04,959 --> 00:01:08,600 Speaker 1: Today's tip is a career one on being ready to 17 00:01:08,760 --> 00:01:12,680 Speaker 1: ride the wave. I have long been fascinated by the 18 00:01:12,720 --> 00:01:17,319 Speaker 1: concept of one hit wonders. Some people get really lucky 19 00:01:17,319 --> 00:01:21,120 Speaker 1: with something in life and then they just sort of disappear. 20 00:01:22,440 --> 00:01:24,720 Speaker 1: Some people, on the other hand, get a big break 21 00:01:25,080 --> 00:01:28,560 Speaker 1: and then manage to keep going afterwards, building a long 22 00:01:29,000 --> 00:01:33,240 Speaker 1: and sustainable career. A lot of that comes down to 23 00:01:33,319 --> 00:01:37,600 Speaker 1: being ready to ride the wave. We can't necessarily control 24 00:01:37,680 --> 00:01:41,319 Speaker 1: what waves come our way, but we can be prepared 25 00:01:41,319 --> 00:01:47,000 Speaker 1: to take advantage of what luck does happen. I think 26 00:01:47,040 --> 00:01:48,800 Speaker 1: a lot of that is taking a little bit of 27 00:01:48,840 --> 00:01:53,880 Speaker 1: time to think strategically. Sometimes we ask ourselves what would 28 00:01:53,880 --> 00:01:57,360 Speaker 1: happen if things went wrong? That is a smart question 29 00:01:57,440 --> 00:02:00,560 Speaker 1: to ask, but I think it is also wise to 30 00:02:00,600 --> 00:02:04,480 Speaker 1: ask ourselves what we would do if things went really right. 31 00:02:05,760 --> 00:02:08,519 Speaker 1: For instance, what if the head of your organization popped 32 00:02:08,520 --> 00:02:10,640 Speaker 1: into your office and announced that she has heard your 33 00:02:10,680 --> 00:02:13,960 Speaker 1: team is doing amazing things. She wants to double your 34 00:02:13,960 --> 00:02:18,360 Speaker 1: budget or triplet quadruplet. Do you know how you would 35 00:02:18,360 --> 00:02:22,040 Speaker 1: make the most of these extra resources. Or maybe you 36 00:02:22,080 --> 00:02:24,639 Speaker 1: work for a nonprofit that is used to operating on 37 00:02:24,680 --> 00:02:28,120 Speaker 1: a shoe string. What would you do if a funder 38 00:02:28,160 --> 00:02:32,280 Speaker 1: offered you more than your current annual budget, no strings attached. 39 00:02:33,360 --> 00:02:35,040 Speaker 1: Do you know how you would make the most of 40 00:02:35,080 --> 00:02:39,640 Speaker 1: that opportunity. Maybe you operate a small company that sells 41 00:02:39,639 --> 00:02:43,760 Speaker 1: goods online. All of a sudden, some major influencer like 42 00:02:43,880 --> 00:02:49,240 Speaker 1: I don't know Oprah mentions your product. Now, what are 43 00:02:49,280 --> 00:02:52,320 Speaker 1: you prepared to make the most of the extra attention. 44 00:02:54,040 --> 00:02:57,120 Speaker 1: What if a short video you make goes viral and 45 00:02:57,200 --> 00:03:00,960 Speaker 1: you now have millions of people following you. What are 46 00:03:01,000 --> 00:03:04,160 Speaker 1: you going to do to keep that audience or use 47 00:03:04,200 --> 00:03:10,280 Speaker 1: it to launch your next thing. Luck is somewhat random, 48 00:03:10,720 --> 00:03:14,840 Speaker 1: but what people do with that luck is not. So 49 00:03:14,919 --> 00:03:17,280 Speaker 1: carve out some time to think about what you would 50 00:03:17,320 --> 00:03:20,120 Speaker 1: do if you suddenly had a lot more resources or attention. 51 00:03:21,440 --> 00:03:23,600 Speaker 1: Think about what projects you would like to try if 52 00:03:23,600 --> 00:03:25,520 Speaker 1: someone gave you the support you'd need to do it. 53 00:03:26,760 --> 00:03:29,919 Speaker 1: What people would you tap to help you? What would 54 00:03:29,960 --> 00:03:34,040 Speaker 1: success look like. Now we don't know exactly what stroke 55 00:03:34,080 --> 00:03:36,000 Speaker 1: of luck might visit, so you might want to think 56 00:03:36,040 --> 00:03:40,240 Speaker 1: through various different scenarios, and you might have a few 57 00:03:40,240 --> 00:03:44,840 Speaker 1: ideas that can work in any situation. For instance, it 58 00:03:44,960 --> 00:03:48,000 Speaker 1: helps to have a way to capture people's email addresses. 59 00:03:49,280 --> 00:03:52,000 Speaker 1: It helps to have more content to put out there. 60 00:03:53,280 --> 00:03:57,080 Speaker 1: It helps to always have things in progress, so when 61 00:03:57,120 --> 00:04:00,840 Speaker 1: a past work gets attention, you have something new to 62 00:04:00,880 --> 00:04:04,880 Speaker 1: put out there soon afterwards. But there is no reason 63 00:04:05,280 --> 00:04:09,120 Speaker 1: not to think about these things. I also think that 64 00:04:09,160 --> 00:04:11,680 Speaker 1: being ready to ride the wave will in some ways 65 00:04:11,720 --> 00:04:15,560 Speaker 1: make a good wave more likely. After all, when we 66 00:04:15,600 --> 00:04:20,640 Speaker 1: are ready for opportunity. We start to look for opportunity, 67 00:04:21,800 --> 00:04:26,080 Speaker 1: we follow a thread, we ask questions we might meet 68 00:04:26,080 --> 00:04:32,080 Speaker 1: with that extra person, and then sometimes amazing things start 69 00:04:32,080 --> 00:04:36,000 Speaker 1: to follow. So ask what you would do if things 70 00:04:36,040 --> 00:04:41,240 Speaker 1: went incredibly well, because maybe they will, and then you 71 00:04:41,279 --> 00:04:46,080 Speaker 1: will be ready to ride the wave. In the meantime, 72 00:04:47,000 --> 00:04:51,400 Speaker 1: this is Laura. Thanks for listening, and here's to making 73 00:04:51,440 --> 00:05:01,799 Speaker 1: the most of our time. Thanks for listening to Before Breakfast. 74 00:05:02,360 --> 00:05:06,080 Speaker 1: If you've got questions, ideas, or feedback, you can reach 75 00:05:06,160 --> 00:05:15,840 Speaker 1: me at Laura at Laura vandercam dot com. Before Breakfast 76 00:05:15,880 --> 00:05:20,160 Speaker 1: is a production of iHeartMedia. For more podcasts from iHeartMedia, 77 00:05:20,200 --> 00:05:24,240 Speaker 1: please visit the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you 78 00:05:24,279 --> 00:05:25,560 Speaker 1: listen to your favorite shows.