olivia

Author: Jules Schroeder

  • 5 Ways To Make Yourself Visible To Prospective Employers

    5 Ways To Make Yourself Visible To Prospective Employers

    Searching for a job isn’t always a whole lot of fun—according to the BLS, the average person spends up to ten weeks before landing a new job, and that intervening time can be tense as savings drain and expenses pile up.

    Millennials have been dubbed the “job hopping” generation, with six in ten perpetually open to new job opportunities. What this means is that competition for jobs is stiff, and if you want to secure a job with better prospects, you’ll need to really stand out.

    How do you do that?

    Take it from one millennial whose full-time job is amplifying others’ visibility and crafting a compelling reputation. He has an impressive track record, including rocketing one client to stardom in a matter of months.

    Meet Julian Petroulas, the 25-year-old founder of Over Agency, a boutique management and marketing agency focused on the development of unique artists on a worldwide scale. Before Over Agency, the serial entrepreneur founded and sold a successful festival promotions company and a subscription tech company. Petroulas has worked with top talent, including Timmy Trumpet, a multi-platinum EDM artist, and William Singe, a singer who boasts a social media following of 6M+ as well as 1B+ video views.

    This week on the Unconventional Life Podcast, Petroulas shares tactful strategies that enabled him to expand his visibility and create a powerful online presence. Below, learn how you can apply Petroulas’ advice to convey your strengths and increase your visibility to prospective employers and secure your next great job.

    1. Leverage Your Local Community.

    Never underestimate the power of your local community. Petroulas said he was able to get the ball rolling on his way to building a personal reputation with the help of his hometown in Australia. You can be proactive about making connections and expanding your influence by attending local events that interest you. Check out Facebook and Meetup events to see who’s going and network with similar others. You never know who might have connections with the employer you’re intending to reach, or conversely, who might be able to link you up with a job opportunity you never knew you really wanted.

    When Petroulas was first starting out, he says all of his connections in his hometown were completely grassroots. As a 15-year-old (over a decade ago), he didn’t have access to the networking apps or social technology that we do today. His strategy was printing and passing out homemade flyers—and yet, it was tremendously effective in getting his name out and what he credits to selling out his events. Face-to-face connections can be powerful, so start being proactive today.

    2. Represent Yourself On Social Media.

    Petroulas says talent can go to waste if you don’t represent yourself to your potential. Case in point—William Singe had just 5k followers on social media when Petroulas began working with him. “He was already so talented, he just needed to be marketed properly” reflects Petroula. “I think that’s what it comes down to most of the time.” If talent is half the battle, the other half is taking advantage of social platforms to maximize your reach.

    93% of prospective employers view your social media profiles before making a hiring decision (not to mention 55% of them reconsider hiring, usually to a candidate’s detriment, based on what they find) so take care to represent yourself online in a professional light, showcasing your strengths and talents.

    3. Enlist A Support Team.

    What was the secret behind Singe’s posting strategy that amplified his following to 5M? Petroulas says he hired a professional photographer to take photos of Singe and—get this—even an entourage of professional writers to caption his social media posts. “People started to remember the posts because they had that something that grabbed your attention straight away. Captions are a big thing; just one little one-liner can change the engagement so much “ says Petroula. Consider enlisting a team to help you uplevel your online content.

  • Millennials And Their Kids: Why They’re Choosing DIY Education

    Millennials And Their Kids: Why They’re Choosing DIY Education

    For millennials the conversation around raising kids is not too far off in the distant future. For many that reality is already here with over 50% already becoming parents. Unlike our parents’ generation where the procedure was get married, buy a house, and then have kids, millennials are doing things a little bit differently.

    Take it from Jared Angaza who became the guardian of a 10-year-old Rwandan boy at the age of 27. He’d been studying in Africa for most of his life, and when he noticed a young boy selling peanuts outside of his office, he fell in love.

    “Somebody asked me how this happened and my immediate response was I just kept saying yes,” Angaza jokes.

    Angaza is the founder of Slapshot Studio, a creative branding agency that builds custom websites and developmental strategies for ambitious leaders. He’s also a philanthropist who has consulted an extensive list of human rights organizations, including the American Indian Movement, Keep a Child Alive, Genocide Intervention Fund, and USAID, as well as the US, Nigerian, Rwandan, and Kenyan governments.

    Angaza is one of a growing number of millennials who are approaching the milestones of growing up nontraditionally. Increasingly, millennial parents are turning to alternative education options with 77% saying they are in support of DIY education, wherein learners craft a path to fit their needs.

    This week on the Unconventional Life Podcast, Angaza shares about why he is choosing DIY education for his own kids, and why it’s a viable option for millennial parents.

    Below, discover why nontraditional schooling might be right for you and your current or future family.

    DIY Education Teaches Relevant Skills For An Evolving Job Market

    Millennials have been dubbed the “true entrepreneur generation,” with career success looking much differently today than it did in the past. Today’s rapidly evolving job market requires millennials to be more adaptable, independent, and entrepreneurial than earlier generations.

    Tomorrow’s technology will undoubtedly give rise to job titles that don’t exist yet, as we saw with social media spawning a generation of digital influencers. Which begs the question—is traditional schooling preparing our kids for the career outcomes they desire?

    67% of millennials say their goals include starting a business, while only 13% say they want to climb the corporate ladder.

    Bjorn Leonards, a millennial entrepreneur and alternative education enthusiast, says, “I realized that 99% of what I had “learned” in school was absolutely irrelevant for what I’m doing now. Reading, a bit of writing and basic math is really all I am using. And it can be learned very quick. We let ourselves be led by excitement and joy. I have no intention to withhold this way of inner guidance from my children.”

    DIY Education Teaches Dynamic Learning

    More and more millennials are recognizing that the model of being tested on information that you have been taught to memorize does not equal learning. Not every individual learns the same which is why the online course industry has grown to $255B this year.

    There are infinite more options available for all learning styles online and personalization on the path to learning is one of the most key factors.

    DIY Suits A Mobile Lifestyle

    According to the US Census Bureau, millennials made up 43% of all movers in recent years.  Nearly half qualify as “vacation movers,” meaning they’re moving to new cities without the intention of staying there long-term. Often, they’re drawn to neighborhoods with lower rents, direct access to big cities, and trendy atmospheres, including Oakland, Brooklyn, Austin, and LA. 

    The rising trend of the digital nomad is undoubtedly making mobility more accessible, with the number of telecommuters increasing 115% in the past decade.

    With more millennials pursuing a dynamic lifestyle, traditional schooling is becoming a less viable option. Settling down in one place may have appealed to our parents, but for millennials, traveling is a high priority. Angaza has personally worked in remote locations around the world, from South Africa to Costa Rica and soon to be Kauai.

    DIY Education Allows For More Connection

    The average family today spends just 49 minutes together. Between the time demands of work and school, what’s left over isn’t a whole lot of quality time. More than one in five children complain they don’t get enough time with either of their parents.

    With the average teen spending nine hours a day consuming media, and with ten times as many children and teens obese today compared with forty years ago, it could be that parents just aren’t actively involved enough in their kids’ lives.

    Angaza says homeschooling his kids has allowed him to connect with them and foster a strong familial bond. “I’m a skywatcher—I sit outside with my daughter and we watch the stars and planets together and that’s very aligning for me,” he remarks.

    Studies show homeschooled kids are happier, healthier, and perform better academically and socially than their traditionally-schooled counterparts.

    Enjoyed this post? Check out more of my tools to create a life by your own design.

  • How To Tap Into The Millennial $200 Billion Buying Power With Social Media

    How To Tap Into The Millennial $200 Billion Buying Power With Social Media

    With the holiday season upon us, most of us have our sights on indulging (or resisting) buckets of Halloween candy, gathering with our closest friends and relatives, and playing Santa.

    Holidays are always one of the most anticipated times of the year, but for businesses, they represent more than just fond memories—they’re an opportunity for explosive revenue growth.

    This year it is estimated that millennials in the U.S. alone will be spending $200 billion. By 2018, they will have the most spending power of any generation.

    Social media, is playing a huge role with 62% of millennials saying that if a brand engages with them on social networks, they are more likely to become a loyal customer.

    So how do you tap into the revenue potential?

    Take it from one online content creator who recommends using organic growth, and timely content, starting off the season strong with swoon-worthy Halloween-themed content across all of her social channels.

    Meet Kayla Gallagher, a social media influencer known for her innovative and adorable culinary creations @pankobunny that have amassed a following of over 300k across Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube, as well as over 300M+ views. Her content, has been featured on Tastemade, a global food lover’s network that generates 2B views per month, and in 2016, she was named one of Canada’s next up and coming YouTube stars.

    This week on the Unconventional Life Podcast, Gallagher shares how businesses can leverage the holiday season to generate brand loyalty and faster growth organically.

    Below, learn several ways you can increase your engagement and ultimately your revenue with Gallagher’s recommendations.

    Benefit From No-Brainer Content.

    If you’ve ever taken to the task of posting consistent content, you’ll know that after a while, coming up with novel ideas is hard work. What do you do when your ideas have run dry and it’s just an ordinary Tuesday?

    Luckily, when the holidays roll in, content is built-in to the calendar. The dawn of autumn is a license to start posting about Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Years, well before the actual dates. Because holidays are so widely celebrated and searched (SEO, anyone?), they provide a great opportunity to help you engage your following and raise brand awareness.

    To capitalize on the holidays, Gallagher recommends creating holiday-themed content around your brand offering that will help your audience celebrate the festivities. Gallagher has been posting spooky dessert recipes since the beginning of October. “I ask people what they’re doing for Halloween and make a point to interact with them. It creates a strong sense of community,” she says.

    One more great way to generate sales, is to offer a giveaway to your followers for one of your products. It is a great way to get brand exposure and build interest. Philip Henson, founder of the Social Investor, says “leveraging the word “free” is the best and most efficient way to capture attention quickly when building a new customer relationship.” Select the winner who shares and comments the most while tagging their friends to reach a larger audience.

    Collaborate With Other Leaders.

    The world’s top content creators are better together. That is, they reach far more people by networking and collaborating with one another. Gallagher says since joining Tastemade, her viewcount and following has surged. “My hot tub french toast post went viral on their Facebook page. It got 27M views in the first day, which was validation that I was doing the right thing. It got to the point where if Tastemade shared a video I made my phone would blow up and I’d have to turn off all of my notifications,” she reflects.

    Joining a network of other content creators that serve a similar audience as your ideal customers can help you gain much more exposure. Reach out to account holders with a larger following than you and ask them to promote your holiday-themed content—it’s a win-win because your quality content will create more engagement for them while directing their followers back to your business or channel.

    Stick To The Basics.

    While the holidays offer a novel way to engage followers, you’ll have the most success by cementing your approach in tried-and-true strategies. Gallagher says with any new theme, she doesn’t diverge much from her classic techniques:

    You can increase the shareability of your videos by drawing viewers “into the action” in the first 1-2 seconds. Aim to elicit surprise or intrigue by starting your videos with the unexpected. For example, Gallagher’s most popular video begins with her pomeranian puppy licking the batter out of the cupcake pan.

    Ensure that your content feed flows nicely together as a uniform body of work. Select a consistent color theme and take your photos in backgrounds that complement one another. “No odd photos stand out it all just matches. You can scroll through the grid and it all looks nice so when people view your account they know what to expect when they follow you,” Gallagher says.

    Lastly, gain more exposure by dominating smaller hashtags rather than getting lost in larger ones. While it might seem counterintuitive, using smaller hashtags can help you rank in the top results when others search them, which makes you more visible. Before you use a hashtag, research how many likes the top-ranking posts have as an indicator of whether or not you’ll be able to rank among them.

    Enjoyed this post? Check out more of my tools to create a life by your own design.

    This article originally appeared on Forbes.com

  • Millennials, Here’s Why Your Friends Make The Best Business Partners

    Millennials, Here’s Why Your Friends Make The Best Business Partners

    I remember the first time I told my Dad I had co-founded a publishing company with my boyfriend. It was five years ago. I was twenty-three and fresh out of college. He sat me down and told me I was making a big mistake and that it was foolish to mix my personal life with my professional life.

    Flash forward several years later, and my personal life is nearly indistinguishable from my work life. My boyfriend constantly jokes, “all you do is talk to your friends on Facebook all day and somehow you make money doing it.”

    That’s because many of my friends are contributing to my business. The speakers, attendees, and team behind my international accelerator events are all those who I’ve met over the years, or who i’ve been connected to online, or who’ve been connected to me through another friend.

    For my Dad’s generation, personal and professional were two distinct categories that didn’t mix.

    But it doesn’t look this way anymore for millennials—we’re preferring to integrate all areas of our life, resulting in successful business collaborations with trusted friends and more time spent with those we love.

    If you’ve been searching for the perfect business partners, they could be already among you.

    Three millennial co-founders who have been best friends since elementary school are illustrating this concept perfectly.

    Meet Russell Howard, David Lasman and Adam Malka, the co-founders of Signature Tracks, a music production company focused on bringing current sounds to TV series. Signature Tracks has served major TV networks like MTV, ABC, and CNBC, shows like Keeping Up With the Kardashians and The Bachelorette, as well as celebrity artists like Jay-Z, Chris Brown, Lil Wayne and Miley Cyrus.

    This week on the Unconventional Life Podcast, Howard, Lasman, and Malka share why running a business with your friends can be extremely rewarding both professionally and personally.

    Below, discover why friends make the best business partners.

    You’re Highly Compatible

    The benefit to working with your closest friends rather than a strictly “work-specific” team is that you and your friends have already established a high degree of compatibility. 67% of American workers say having tight-knit relationships at work makes their job more fun and enjoyable, which can also increase productivity.

    The key to a successful collaboration is combining your greatest strengths. A team comprised of your closest friends can perform highly by identifying where you each excel, and localizing your tasks to that specific area. “Russell is the head creative of our group, responsible for branding our sound” Malka says. “Each of us have our own function. Our synergy is based on friendship..”

    You Know How To Navigate Conflict

    According to a survey by the HBR, half of all employees surveyed said they didn’t feel safe to speak up at their place of work. Within traditional companies, it’s not uncommon for there to be a “fear culture” around voicing unpopular opinions, especially among lower levels of the ladder.

    When it comes to the innovation and expansion of any business, open dialogue is essential. With your closest friends by your side, you can trust that you’ll be able to speak your mind without fear of reprehension or losing your job. Chances are, you’ve already navigated conflicts in your friendship, and your bond has the fortitude to withstand any challenges that arise within the work environment in a way that honors all parties and promotes business development.

    “With three best friends, there’s little things you’re fighting over in the beginning, but it’s also amazing. We each own 33% of the business, so there’s no boss. Defining roles has been good for us,” says Lasman.

    You’re Able To Strike A Healthy Work-Life Balance

    The average worker falls disappointingly short of work-life balance—with 80% failing to get the recommended amount of weekly exercise, and 38% missing important life events. But for Howard, Lasman, and Malka, work-life balance is an everyday reality.

    Working with friends can help create a built-in structure around balance, whether it’s holding one another accountable to setting aside time for self care or time to relax and unwind. “I start every day with putting me first,” Howard says. Some call it the “power hour.” I have to get in some meditation, some reading, some exercise. That self care—kind of like a chiropractor—aligns me so I can focus on what I want to do, rather than what I have to do.”

    Malka adds, “We make sure we spend time the three of us together, really doing stuff that’s fun, and also taking our team out and having that break where we can all hang out and have a little bit of fun, sometimes a work trip back east.”

    Enjoyed this post? Check out more of my tools to create a life by your own design.

    This article originally appeared on Forbes.com

  • SHERO: 5 Lessons In Leadership From The Modern Millennial Women

    SHERO: 5 Lessons In Leadership From The Modern Millennial Women

    In the last week I have been blown away by the leadership of women, especially millennial women. From the #MeToo campaign that went viral on social media last week, to the increasing amount of female entrepreneurs creating impact-driven businesses, it is clear that a new wave of female leadership is here.

    As of 2016, it is estimated that there are now 11.3 million women-owned businesses in the United States, employing nearly 9 million people and generating over $1.6 trillion in revenues.

    Women have evolved from homemakers, to women as corporate success stories, to women now being the CEO of their own lives and businesses.

    A good friend of mine, Nadav Wilf, calls these new women the “shero”, defined as a female innovator who embodies gentle power and intuition while demonstrating dynamic execution.  

    Modern examples of the shero include Jessica Alba, whose company Honest is raising the bar in brand transparency with simple products that perform, and Iskra Lawrence, a plus-sized model who is empowering young women and girls around the world to embrace themselves at any size.

    The “shero” is not to be confused with the archetypal “alpha businesswoman who is career obsessed and makes little time for family or herself.” On the contrary—the shero embraces both the feminine and masculine aspects of herself in balance, attaining greater success in career without sacrificing her personal life.

    This week on the Unconventional Life Podcast, I interviewed one woman who is a true shero. Meet Molly Montgomery, the auditor-turned-entrepreneur who founded a consulting business called Ascension, which helps high-performing entrepreneurs and visionary leaders grow their companies with confidence. Montgomery is also a world traveler and fitness enthusiast who is working on launching her next big project, Founders Haven.

    Below, discover 5 lessons in leadership that will enable you to embody the shero and experience greater success in your professional and personal lives.

    1. Know The Difference Between Yes And No. The shero is a woman who is deeply attuned to herself. Jackie Knechtel, co-founder of the Flow Mastery Program says, “Be aware of how a ‘yes’ and a ‘no’ each register to you within your body. A yes will register as feeling light, free, open and expansive where a no will feel dark, heavy, closed and contracted.”

    If you are uncertain, wait for further clarity be patient with yourself and give yourself the space you need to discern how you truly feel. While society’s social imperatives for women have been to be “nice” and “polite,” the modern millennial women is not willing to mask her authentic opinion. Recognize that you have a voice and don’t be afraid to use it. Speak up on your own behalf, even when what you need to say may not be well-received.

    2.Prioritize Your Self Care. The shero prioritizes her self care, knows her limits, and sets aside time for herself to recharge. Montgomery says, “taking care of yourself is the most critical part of the process, because that self care is what allows creativity to flow through you.”

    I myself don’t start work until around 12pm each day. I make space in the mornings for a workout, to read, have a nourishing breakfast, and do creative activities. I find that by following this self care routine I am most productive in the 4-6 hours that I work each day, which studies have confirmed can optimize productivity.

    3.Be Ambitious. According to recent research, two-thirds of women between the age of 18 and 34 rank having a successful career high on their list of priorities, compared to just 59% of men.

    While the HBR reports that men in 2017 still prefer a partner who is less professionally ambitious than them, the shero does not let this hold her back. The shero is a go-getter in her career who acts upon her own volition, and does not need others’ permission or approval.

    4. Be Secure In Your Value. Messages for women have suggested that they need to fix themselves in order to be valuable. But the shero knows her self-worth is intrinsic. As Eleanor Roosevelt so eloquently put it, “no one can make you feel inferior without your consent.”

    Do not internalize externally-imposed insecurities. Regard yourself highly and embraces yourself in all of your strengths and weaknesses. Remember that you deserve to take up space and do not shrink yourself to accommodate others.

    5.Lead With Your Heart. The shero does not harbor resentment within her; she knows she must release toxicity or else it it harms her, too. The #MeToo campaign reveals that forgiveness and transformation are made possible through open dialogue and compassionate listening. Shero Jennifer Lawrence demonstrates that this approach can be effective in raising awareness about shifting cultural norms towards equality.

    Montgomery says, “It can be so hard when something happens where somebody did something, whether it was intentionally or not, they messed up royally. People think that forgiveness means allowing or being ok with what happened, but it’s actually a matter of letting to and being ok with the fact that you cannot change what happened. It’s just letting go.”

    Enjoyed this post? Check out more of my tools to create a life by your own design.

    This article originally appeared on Forbes.com.