One of the first pieces of advice given to me when I first started out in the corporate world was to try to meet as many people as I could.
I work for a global superpower in the media industry, a multi-billion dollar corporation led by tireless workaholics who make far-reaching decisions about every nanosecond of programming across television, radio and the worldwide web. The suits calling the shots are some of the wealthiest in the business, and the individuals holding the microphones wield some of the most powerful voices in our respective industry.
But believe it or not, they’re no different from you and me. No amount of dollars or influence can change the fact that they too were twentysomethings once upon a time.
And you’d be shocked at how willing these people are to help us.
Over my first year-and-change in the corporate world, I’ve met with vice presidents of differing entities and executive producers of award-winning TV shows. I’ve sipped sangria at a wedding party with my idol, one of the most well-known and respected names in the business.
But today, I walked through the double-doors and sat in the chair across from the president of the entire company. For 25 minutes, one of the most powerful men in the media world spoke with me like we were buddies chatting it up at the coffee shop.
Like I always do when people are so gracious to give me their time, I peppered the president with questions. I wanted to know about leadership strategies, his daily habits and routines, the mantras he lives by, his mindset at 22 years old and how he manages to distance himself from the around-the-clock fires that need extinguishing.
On my way out, he stopped to commend me for actually reaching out to his secretary to set up a meeting with him. He’s laid out the offer to virtually the entire company’s 7,000+ employees, but people rarely take him up on it.
Sure, the meeting took place 50 days after I first inquired about it, but that’s the price we have to pay to speak with people like that. We just have to be persistent and do whatever we can to make it work.
The point is, people holding the positions we covet are all generally good people who remember once being in our shoes. They remember the times that someone helped them out or gave them advice when they needed it most. It’s a beautiful cycle, one that clearly not enough of us take advantage of.
So I implore you to take a chance. If you’re an aspiring heart surgeon, track down the e-mail of one of the best in the world and try to set up a Skype call. If a simple “no” or no response is the worst thing that can happen, I see no reason to not shoot your shot.
You may tell yourself you aren’t worth their time. But if you just take the leap, you’d be pleasantly surprised by the number of people who want to help you.
I know I have been. And isn’t that the kind of feel-good story we all need right now?
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