The Rise & Grind Blog, From Pure Grind Coffee
Making a Good First Impression
You’re on your way to meet a potential client. You’ve got your new ASOS dress on. You’re ready to kick ass and make a good first impression. The first five seconds you meet somebody makes all the difference. Take these tips into consideration when you’re out there hustling.
Be On Time
The first rule of thumb for any meeting is to be on time. To get off to a good start, punctuality is the key. Everybody’s time is valuable, and making them wait is not an option. Frankly, the people you meet for the first time don’t give a crap about your excuse — no matter how good it is. Plan on arriving early — at least 15 minutes — and in your timing, consider the possible traffic or delays. Remember: It’s better to be early than late!
Dress Well
If you’re going to a business meeting, don’t dress like you’re going to a bar. Appearance matters. What’s the dress code or occasion? Do your research before you go. It sounds shallow, but people identify who you are based on the clothing you wear and how you present yourself to the world. But don’t worry, you can still be yourself! If you’re quirky and artsy, with an arm tattoo and a nose ring, that’s okay. Just know your audience.
Smile!
Facial expressions are extremely important to a first impression. This might be the most important task to consider when meeting somebody. A winning smile is one that is confident and warm, that will put the people around you at ease. Everyone wants their brand to be associated with positivity. But don’t go overboard, — you don’t want to come off cheesy or fake.
The Right Handshake
Ah, the handshake. The handshake is an important sign of professionalism and politeness. You want your handshake to convey confidence. Don’t squeeze too hard, but also don’t be a dead fish. It’s gotta be just right. Test your handshake with your friends, and let them tell you how you shake.
Body Language
Your body language is a tell-all to your demeanor. Your attitude is everything, and it definitely shows in your body. Body language can speak more volumes than words do. Stand tall, make eye contact, smile big, and shake hands firmly. Project yourself courteously and confidently, and also be attentive. Put your phone away and let this person know they’ve got your full attention. If you are nervous, don’t fear! Lots of people get nervous before meeting someone for the first time. Be aware of your nervous habits so you can keep them in check.
Be Yourself
You do have to fit into the world a little, but don’t ever lose yourself or pretend you’re something you’re not. Being authentic will help the other person build trust and respect you. You’re not someone known to dress in business suits, you love to say the word shit, and your hair is blue. Own it. You are you and that’s what sets you apart. Keep it up.
Grab Some Fuel For Hustle!
Pure Grind, your coffee subscription service, isn’t your average cup. It’s not meant for caramel cookie crunch creamer or coconut matcha milk. It’s meant for the snobs, the purists, the people who want what they want when they want it. The people who hustle, who wake up every day excited to work and just go. The people who take their ideas, their dreams, their passion, and make it their reality. The people who give a damn about quality, details, and making IT happen.
Sonni Abatta : Turning Passion Into Reality.
Sonni Abatta, the reporter-turned-blogger, is a picture-perfect example of what Pure Grind is all about. She’s a supermom and content creator who is fueling up, taking action, and kicking ass. For 15 years, she worked in TV but decided to move away from the news cameras. Still, she is powerful at telling stories — through her blog, where she shares honest content about motherhood, beauty, and lifestyle. No matter if it’s to the world or to her children, she’s always sharing stories.
Young, Budding Journalist
Curiosity, she says, is what fuels a good journalist. And that’s what Sonni has always had. Since a young age, she possessed a natural love for writing and when she attended Carnegie Mellon University in her hometown of Pittsburgh, she decided to combine her passion for writing with her love for performing. Because they didn’t have a journalism program, she had to design her own major within the Bachelors in Humanities program. Despite not having a traditional journalism degree, Sonni graduated at 21 and was ready to take on the world. She was offered a life-changing internship at Dateline in New York City in 2001 when she got a first-hand look at what it was to be a member of the media. Not long into her internship, 9/11 happened — a tragedy that inspired her to want to be like the superhero journalists standing on the streets of Manhattan, covered in debris. Sonni wanted to be a person that the public trusted to provide them with what they needed to know. Unfortunately, because of her age, she wasn’t able to get on the air. So she worked her ass off. She trained for six months and finally got her chance. She worked hard, going from news reporter to high-profile anchor on FOX 35.
Mommy to Three
After so many years in front of the camera, Sonni decided it was time to sign off and spend more time with her three children. Spending nights at work meant missing out on family time, even just kissing her kids goodnight. This longing to spend more time at home wore on her heart. It was time to say goodnight to the news and start tucking her kids in. Like the words of Legendary Broadcast Journalist Walter Cronkite in his signature sign-off, “And that’s the way it is.” But that wasn’t the last we would see of Sonni’s smile.
Still Sharing Stories
Sonni may have left the news world, but she is still creating killer content. She moved her work from in front of the camera to the digital world. As a stay-at-home mom, she has a lot of inspiration to write content that displays the realness of motherhood. Honest and raw, Sonni puts her own life in front of the world, to provide her audience with real, relatable content. Sharing stories, after all, is in her nature.
“I loved — and I still love — giving people good stories and good information,” she said in a podcast with On Target Digital Marketing. “It’s about stories. It’s about sharing information. It’s about connecting people. It’s about being the trusted resource to point people in the right direction. And that’s thrilling in its own way.”
Fuel Up
Grab some fuel for your own hustle!
Start Small, Think Big.
The basis of any new entrepreneurial endeavor is to start small and think big. This mindset is how you’re going to kickstart — and kick ass — the rest of your life. The way you think fuels everything. Thinking big allows you to see opportunities that small thinkers may overlook. The best and most successful entrepreneurs find balance between the big vision and starting point. Here’s how to think big when you’re building a business.
Write It Down
When you write things down, you start to believe in them. This simple, yet effective technique, takes your vision out of your head and brings it into reality. The two most important items to write on your list are:
1. Where you want to be in five years: This step is important in moving forward to where you want to be in life.
2. Why do you want it: The “why” in your story is perhaps the most important part.
Measurable goals always start with a purpose. Be sure to hash out the details. When you are clear about why you want it, you become a self-starter!
Think Scalable
You won’t be able to grow your business without a scalable model. When you start to develop a solid business plan, your brain gets into gear and starts thinking big. When your thinking is big, your actions will get big. Ben Franklin used to ask himself every morning: “What good shall I do today?” At the end of the day, he asked: “What good have I done today?” Franklin had the entrepreneurial mindset and challenged himself to do big things daily. Ask yourself the same questions.
10X Everything
If you really want to challenge yourself to think big, follow the 10X rule. Multiply your goal by 10. If you want to make 10 million dollars, you need to multiply that by 10, equalling a 100 million dollar revenue. It levels up your thinking and sets the standard for how you do business. Practice this process until it becomes a pattern in your brain.
Thinking big doesn’t just mean setting goals in your own little bubble. Grasp the “take over the world” mindset. On the 1990s TV show Pinky and the Brain, what did the Brain always say to Pinky? Pinky often asked, “Gee, Brain, what do you think you want to do tonight?” As always, Brain, replied, “The same thing we do every night — try to take over the world!” It’s not just a mad idea; it’s the basis of your vision. Thinking local won’t take you to the big leagues. Shift your mindset to a perspective that works all around the world. Then, you will change the world. Think big, act big!
Join the club and grab some fuel for the hustle.
Lessons From a Hustler: Steve Madden
Steve Madden, the owner of his self-named shoe empire, is the type of hustler we can take notes from. With a grind like no other, he’s authentic, innovative, and inspirational. But his journey to the top was not always easy. His successes are undoubtedly due to his unparalleled drive, and now he is the face of the raw and authentic entrepreneurial struggle. At Pure Grind, we take inspiration from the life of this self-made entrepreneur.
Humble Beginnings
In an episode of The Lonely Entrepreneur’s podcast titled “Self-Made Entrepreneurs,” Madden said, “I wanted to have my line, but most importantly I wanted to survive.” This is a shared story among many business owners: They just wanted to make a living. He fell in love with shoes in the 1970s, when he made platform shoes famous at a local store in his hometown on Long Island, New York. He was just a high schooler. His company was launched in 1990 when he released the Marilyn with only $1,100 in the bank. By the mid-1990s, his business was bringing in more than $38 million in sales. By 2000, the company opened its 50th store and those numbers climbed to more than $200 million. Now, his name is a $3 billion brand.
The Industry Doesn’t Like Him
In the shoe world, Madden isn’t well liked. He didn’t hail from some shoe capital, like Milan or Paris, nor does he have a background in design. He just loves designing and selling shoes. He also didn’t go to business school. In fact, he dropped out of college in Miami, where he spent most of his time getting high and going to the beach. Madden started selling shoes out of the trunk of a car. Despite these — what people would describe as setbacks, there are very few designers in history that are this successful. He made it big when he released the Mary Lou, then became a household name.
Fear Over Failure
Madden has spoken in interviews about how people are often too afraid to try new things because they worry they will fail. On NPR’s How I Built This podcast hosted by Guy Raz, Madden — always being authentically himself — dives in to the trials and tribulations of being a businessman and trying to be successful. But his big takeaway he said, "You know, so there were some mistakes that we made, but we did so many great things. And the thing about that is if you start getting gun-shy and start being afraid to make a mistake, you'll never have the brilliant ideas."
If you let fear lead you on your path, you’re never going to make it anywhere. Madden has not let his setbacks, like lack of education, stop him from selling shoes. His former boss, Jan Friedman was once quoted saying, “[Madden is] one of the most natural-born salesmen I’ve ever seen. He could sell anything to anybody.” This confidence and grind that Madden so uniquely possesses is what made him one of the most powerful figures in the shoe industry.
Join the club and grab some fuel for the hustle.
Failure Happens. Learn from it.
From a failed product launch to a book that didn’t sell well, most entrepreneurs — and most people — fail. You can’t avoid it; it’s a natural stepping stone to success. You can, however, learn lessons from it and make it your creative ally. Keep in mind some of the most successful entrepreneurs failed and made a comeback, benefiting from their past failures. Take the Beatles; they were rejected by five record companies. Walt Disney was turned down about 300 times when looking for funding for his theme park. JK Rowling was rejected by 12 publishers before Harry Potter saw the light of day. If you ask Amazon Founder Jeff Bezos, failure is a side effect of innovation. Here’s a couple power tips to keep you moving on.
Take Responsibility
Take responsibility for your failure. Perform a trial-and-error process, observe, and ask questions. Why did you fail? Why was the market not ready for your product? Why did your manuscript get rejected? Why did that potential client decline your proposal? When recovering from failure, it’s important to observe the missteps and prevent them from happening again. Get out of the gray zone, and identify the problems. How can you restructure it for next time?
Go Toward Your Mistakes
Failure is a fact. If you are going to do it, you need to do it well. You have to mentally prepare yourself for it. But don’t wait until it’s too late. If you’re about to lose your business, you have to peel off the band-aid in one swift pull. To ease the transition, consider an early shutdown or sacrificing part of your earnings. Don’t forget to take care of your people. Nobody likes surprises, so you’ll need to make your staff and clients aware of the problem. Either way, it’s a rocky road that comes with losses, and you want to get through it fast. All eyes are on you right now, and you need to remain calm.
It’s Worth It
It sounds crazy, but failing is worth it. It gets you where you need to go. Once you have made it through the storm and stepped back to analyze, you can identify what went wrong. You’ll be among all the bittersweet pieces of your aspirations. Minister and Writer Norman Vincent Peale said, “Shoot for the moon. Even if you miss, you’ll land among the stars.” If you’re passionate about something, you’ll ride the rollercoaster until you make your final landing.
So there you have it — failure happens. Take it from the best of the best. Nobody gets to the grand stage without tripping on the steps first. Embrace every bittersweet taste of it. You’ll get roasted, but keep going until you win!