Four customer service reminders from my friendly Alaskan tour guides

Yes, tour guides. You see, I had been carefully watching our tour guides as we went on helicopter rides, bus trips, kayaking outings, and whale watching tours. And, I noticed a clear difference between the ones who got tips and the ones who didn’t. The ones who got the tips followed a distinct pattern of four actions: know your stuff, treat ‘em like kings, really get into it, and have a personality. The ones who didn’t get tips, well, they were boring.

Seven deadly sins of the professional

In religious terms, committing a deadly sin could earn you eternal damnation (or in some really hot water, anyway). I don’t know about all that, but here are a few things you should probably avoid at work:
1. Gluttony (or hoarding powerful knowledge)
“I know something you don’t know!” If you have a brother or sister, you [...]

I’m so excited (and I just can’t hide it)

I’ve always been a reader. I read everything I can get my hands on. At any given time, I could be reading four books. I keep them strategically placed throughout my house and at work, so I can always grab one and pick up right where I left off. And, even though it’s not technically [...]

Six things to bring to your mentor

Mentors can be a huge asset to your career. I know they have been to mine. Right now, I have four mentors. Yes, four – each with different experiences, in different careers, and with different advice to offer. When find a mentor and meet with her, here is what you should bring with you:

Life: As we know it

So, I haven’t been blogging or tweeting or commenting lately. If you’ve emailed me in the past couple weeks, there’s a good chance you haven’t received a response from me yet. It’s not because I’ve stopped caring. Far from it.
It’s because my focus changed. To me. And my health.
And, it got me thinking. What about [...]

What I learned from blogging that you can use in “real life”

I learned a lot while writing The YP Rockstar series, butI learned the most about blogging. In fact, I learned more about blogging last month than the whole year I blogged prior to it. Here are a few of the things I learned and how it relates to business:

Three simple ways to instantly improve your writing

Writing is an important skill for every business person at every level. These three simple tips will help you get your point across to your audience:

The YP Rockstar Bookshelf

The following 22 books range from career guides to national bestsellers. While many of these books were mentioned throughout The YP Rockstar series, several are showing up for the first time. Get reading!

A complete history of my style

Style is the way we express ourselves through our clothing, our accessories, our appearance, even our attitude. They kind of style we have has a huge impact on our image.

Like many people, I’ve struggled to find a style that suits my personality and project the right image for me. Throughout this week on The YP Rockstar, I’ll be talking about developing a personal style. But, first, here’s the story of my style.

Six ways to differentiate yourself from the pack

Several years ago, I showed up to the first day of a paid internship and was introduced to the other intern. The similarities were immediately apparent. We both had dark hair and light skin (and Italian last names). We we’re about the same height and build. We wore a similar style of clothing, and neither of us wore a lot of make-up or accessories. Beyond physical similarities, we enjoyed many of the same books, movies, and hobbies. We became instant friends.