It's Not Who You Know...

As a friend and colleague, I struggle against various afflictions - Savior Complex, Narcissism and perhaps my gravest offense, Verbal Diarrhea. One day I was having lunch with a mentee who had just been promoted. We were discussing challenges related to this new role. This flowed into a conversation about the sometimes elusive nature of career opportunities. As I listened, I was doing my best to resist the urge to jump in with my two cents. I'm glad I did because I heard some brilliant advice and immediately declared my intent to appropriate it as my own. When it comes to opportunities, "It's not who you know, it's who knows YOU." In other words, behind closed doors when the decision-makers are deciding who to give a certain responsibility, do any of those people know you? And equally as important, what do they know about you?

To maximize the chances that the people making the decisions know you, don't be a chameleon, use more cowbell, and channel Shakespeare.

1. Be yourself. Don't try to be someone else. When most people try to put on an act, it is painfully obvious or at best, seems odd and is off-putting. For the few chameleons among us who are adept at playing a role, the trade-off is it is tiring. By being yourself, the parts of you that shine through naturally will resonate more with people.

2. Be memorable. Unfortunately, it's not enough be yourself if no ones remembers you. The first American spies in WWII trained by the British were taught to be average in appearance and behavior to better move about unnoticed. If you want to be memorable, it helps to stand out in appearance or behavior. Having a hook or marker helps trigger people's memory of you. It could be a article of clothing, a hairstyle, or a way of speaking. Imagine for a moment that Christoper Walken wasn't a famous actor and you had a brief conversation with him at holiday party. Chances are because of the way he speaks you would remember him easily in the future.

3. Be a bard. Tell interesting stories that illustrate who you are and your value. Context is everything. An accomplishment means nothing without the feeling behind it.

Remember, don't be a chameleon, use more cowbell, and channel Shakespeare. Follow these 3 EZPZ steps to make sure the right people know you. One day, it may open up some doors that would have otherwise been closed.

Next post next Saturday, 6:30 a.m.

Convenient Way to Get a New DVR

One of my favorite tech inventions of recent memory is the DVR, which allows you to record TV broadcasts. No more waiting for a commercial to take a break or angst over whether to answer a call or not - just pause. No more commercials if you don't want to watch them, just fast forward. A one hour show can now be finished in 45 minutes. This is all great until your box goes glitchy.

I called customer service and they took me through a ton of tests and procedures, but the problem wasn't fixed. The last step they recommended was replacing the actual DVR. That feeling of being held hostage while waiting for the cable guy stinks. But to my pleasant suprise, they offered me two additional options. First, go to the cable office and switch it - better, but still not great. Cue flashbacks of long lines at the DMV. And then, the last option, they will mail it to you and you mail them back the malfunctioning DVR with the prepaid shipping label - EZPZ!

One disclaimer. While this is a convenient way, it isn't necessarily free. I was charged for both a second DVR device and service until they processed my return of the original. All in all, the pro-rated cost to me was less than $5 because I mailed back the malfunctioning DVR immediately, but I was surprised there was a cost at all.

Next post next Saturday, 6:30 a.m.

How to Fix an iPhone Safari App Paralyzed by Facebook Scam Spam

The other day my wife was using her iPhone Safari browser and she received what was definitely a fake Facebook prize notice. We didn't want to click on anything so we tried to close the window and restart Safari. But Spam can be a persistent bugger and upon opening the app, the same screen presented itself. 

I'm not sure what would have happened if we clicked through as the page was requesting, but I don't imagine it would have been a good thing. Still, because the obvious method of getting rid of the page didn't work, we were tempted.

Instead, use the EZPZ method below to get rid of the Spam pop-up.

1. Double press the home button and swipe upward on frozen Safari screen.

2. Click on the Settings icon on your Home page(s).

3. In your Settings, swipe up until you see Safari.

4. Click on Safari.

5. Click "Clear History and Website Data"

6. Click "Clear History and Data"

Voila! Now you can open the app again and the pop-up should be vanquished.

Next post next Saturday, 6:30 a.m.