Jayson DeMers quotes: advice from the email KPI King.
“Choices everywhere: it’s a world where technology evolves at an astounding rate, and there are hundreds, if not thousands of options for almost anything you could want, from jobs to investments to apps to dates.”
“There are tons of online choices, all of them offering some degree of instant gratification, and millennials never want to stick with any one choice for too long. It’s a never-ending cycle of transition and instant gratification, and anything deviating from that cycle is perceived as excessively risky.”
“In some ways, risk aversion can be beneficial. It’s encouraging more millennials to invest in and trust in themselves more than they trust a corporation, a stock, or any other kind of investment.”
“Part of millennials’ risk aversion involves a degree of job hopping, attempting to do as much as possible without fully investing in any one company or career. This can be beneficial, as it lends itself to skill development and experience in a number of different areas, but it also prevents millennials from following a trajectory of growth in any one career, and may limit them in their future income potential.”
“Is risk aversion a good thing or a bad thing? Personally, I think risk aversion is beneficial in some ways, but has a broader effect of limiting your true potential. Only by taking risks and plunging into opportunities do you stand a chance of seeing higher gains, and this is especially true when you’re young and nimble enough to recover from risks that go wrong.”
“If you’re a millennial in the workforce, or if you’re considering investing, I encourage you to challenge yourself in taking more risks; start a business, make investments, or quit your job in pursuit of something better. There’s no better time for your risk tolerance, and you have everything to gain.”
“Youth favors risk. In investing, in business and life in general, youth favors risk-taking. If you make a catastrophic error, such as a bad investment, you’ll have more time to make up for that mistake over the course of your life.”
“You’ll also have fewer assets, and not be as ‘tied down’ as your elders are. Meaning, you’ll be more adaptable and can flexibly accommodate almost any challenges or surprises that come your way. As an added bonus, when you’re young, if you take a risk and fail, it will be seen as a natural byproduct of your inexperience and enthusiasm, rather than a reflection of your character and abilities. So, take advantage by taking more risks while you’re young.”
“Young professionals tend to have energy in spades, and a passion that simply isn’t matched by their elder counterparts. This comes with a lot of positives, such as higher productivity and more enjoyment in your actual work, but it also often leads young entrepreneurs to act quickly without thinking, or spend money with reckless abandon in an effort to scale as fast as possible.”
“Regardless of whether your business succeeds or fails, you’ll eventually exit it, or chase other pursuits while it stabilizes. When you look at your business as something temporary, or as a stepping stone, you’ll bear less stress from the little things and be able to make decisions with greater perspective and future-focused thinking.”
“Don’t fall for the many marketing ‘hacks,’ ‘secrets’ or ‘tricks’ that permeate the internet from self-proclaimed marketing experts. Instead, think about one thing: ‘How can I provide the most value to my target audience?’ Successful marketing today isn’t about tricking your audience into doing what you want; it’s about developing a real relationship with them through your brand and your content. As a bonus, this is exactly how Google evaluates sites in its search engine rankings. This means you can improve your SEO by simply improving the value and quality of your marketing content.”
“You may have a lot to offer—a decade of professional experience, an advanced degree, or an unparalleled work ethic—but are you truly memorable?”
“I asked myself this question as I built my career in SEO and marketing, first as a consultant, and then as an entrepreneur. Over the years, job interviews, networking opportunities, and presentations have helped me build multiple businesses from the ground up—and I largely owe my success to the time I took building a memorable personal brand.”
“Being memorable for the right reasons will give you a leg up in the business world.”
“I largely owe my success to taking steps to make myself more memorable in job interviews and networking situations.”
“To be more memorable, I advise people to play up the unique parts of themselves and work on your storytelling skills.”
“Standing out: chances are, you’ll be facing significant competition; your prospective employer will be interviewing dozens of candidates, and your networking event is probably filled with dozens of strangers. Being memorable, when everyone else is forgettable, means you’ll have a better chance of getting a callback.”
“Future opportunities: if you’re memorable, your contacts will think of your name when they have a need you could fill. For example, if you’re a photographer, and at some point in the future, your contact needs photography, you may be the first person they call.”
“Word-of-mouth: being memorable also increases your chances of being mentioned in outside conversations. In time, this could significantly build your reputation.”
“Do something novel. Multiple scientific studies have confirmed that one of the most important factors for new memory formation and memory retention is novelty. The experiences we repeat every day—like driving home from work—aren’t likely to be stored or recalled as new memories.”
“But the experiences that surprise us or challenge our expectations are far more memorable. Accordingly, it’s in your best interest to do something that breaks from the norm, whether it’s jazzing up your resume with an innovative design or introducing yourself in an unconventional way.”
“Make yourself physically identifiable. One of the most important things you can do to be memorable is to be more physically identifiable. NFL quarterback Cam Newton, for example, is known for wearing flamboyant clothing at his press conferences. Obviously, you don’t want to break the dress code for whatever event you’re attending, but you can add a touch of uniqueness to your ensemble, such as a flash of color on your shoes or statement eyeglasses that you wear to every event. This will help you stand out in people’s minds.”
“Tell a story. Storytelling is one of our oldest and most valuable forms of communication. We follow narratives easily, and have a tendency to strongly remember details associated with the story, almost as if we’ve experienced them firsthand. Framing your work experience as a story, rather than a list of bullet points, will help people remember it, and may make you more appealing at the same time.”
“Back up your stories with data. Studies show that stories backed by data and numbers create a more memorable (and believable) impression.”
“Disagree with something. In professional opportunities, many people turn into yes-men and yes-women. They want to agree with everything the other person is saying to keep the interaction positive, but this can come off as insincere and even weak. If you want to make a better impression, disagree (respectfully) with something you feel strongly about. You might spark a debate or turn some people away, but many people will remember you (and respect you) for standing your ground.”
“Treat new connections like neighbors. Rather than asking someone for a favor, periodically ask them, ‘Anything I can do for you?’ Showing generosity and warmth makes you instantly more likable, and new contacts will be more likely to remember you for it.”
“Almost anything you do with a social element—whether it’s interviewing, networking, dating, or just having lunch with your coworkers—can have a better chance for success if you make yourself memorable.”
“It takes practice, like any social skill, but with deliberate focus, you may soon become the most memorable person in the room.”
“Ideas for social media content? Quotes: humorous, inspiring or motivational quotes always perform well. Statistics or data: share new, relevant industry statistics (these perform great in terms of retweets and shares). Post a link to an old blog post: there’s nothing wrong with recycling, and old posts will gain new engagement, extending their life. Questions: pose simple, basic questions that your followers can answer quickly. Post a branded image: post a funny or inspirational image with your logo or website URL on it.”
“Offer expert insights into a topic. This helps establish you as a thought leader in your field.”
“Tell a story. Share a funny or interesting anecdote from your life. Share a funny commercial. Post a commercial that would be appeal to your fans or followers.”
“Share a work/life balance tip. Your social media followers want to know you’re a real person with the same struggles as them. Share a tip you’ve learned for balancing work, life and family.”
“Find out what your competitors are sharing, and do it better.”
“Promote your products or services. There’s a time and a place for self-promotion on social media, but first and foremost, use social media to build relationships, establish trust, and build your reputation as an industry expert. When people do want to buy, who do you think they’ll come to first?”
“Leadership is mentally and emotionally demanding. Not only will you need to temper your emotions to keep your team inspired, you’ll also be the point person for almost every hard decision your business makes.”
“Sooner or later, you’ll be forced to make a tough call; it might mean firing an employee you’re personally close with, or making a risky strategic change for the business or ending a long-term partnership.”
“Decision fatigue is a documented phenomenon that sets in when you make too many successive decisions. Even small decisions, like picking what to wear or ordering a meal, can accumulate the stress of decision-making and make approaching bigger decisions more stressful.”
“You can reduce decision fatigue by spending less time on small-scale decisions. Build habits that are repeatable, and let other people (like your assistants or coworkers) decide things that don’t have much impact on you or your business.”
“Create a firm deadline. A big problem many entrepreneurs have with decision-making is being decisive in a timely manner; in other words, they procrastinate. This calls to mind Parkinson’s Law: essentially, the amount of time it takes to do a task swells to fill the amount of time allotted for it.”
“Limit the factors you use to make your decision. The paradox of choice is a perplexing case of human psychology. The more options you have to consider, the harder it is to make a choice, and the less satisfied you are with that choice once you make it.”
“Focus on long-term thinking. It’s tempting to think about the short-term repercussions of your decisions as a worst-case scenario, but try thinking about the long-term instead. If the current decision you’re making is the wrong one, how will this affect your life in three years? What about five years?”
“Most bad decisions can be recovered from in the span of a year or two—even the big ones—so don’t beat yourself up over the worst-case possibilities. This is also a way to distance yourself from the equation.”
“Procrastinating isn’t a good idea. Delegating is possible in some situations, but generally not advisable. If you want to be a successful leader, you need to learn how to handle tough decisions rather than avoid them.”
“In short, learning to make effective decisions may take some practice, but decisiveness is like any other skill: the more time you invest in it, the better you’ll become.”
“Are millennials entitled? Selfish? Lacking empathy? Maybe. But one thing’s for sure: they don’t like taking risks. In fact, they’re the most risk-averse generation since the Great Depression, when people had the perfect reason to avoid taking risks in investments.”
“Millennials grew up or entered the workforce amidst the 2008 economic crisis, and have likely seen multiple points of rallying and falling in the stock market.”
“The past 20 years or so have been extremely volatile, leading millennials to believe that the stock market is an inherently risky place where you could lose everything—and jobs can be swept out from under you at any minute. This makes millennials inherently more aware of and averse to risk.”
“Millennials who avoid the stock market are missing out on significant potential investment gains. Indeed, many millennials favor investing in CDs and money market accounts, or just saving in basic savings and checking accounts. With lower interest rate investment vehicles, it can become impossible to outpace inflation, and eventually they end up losing money rather than gaining it.”
“Let your momentum take you where it may, and don’t let challenges or failures stand in the way of your achievements.”
