Professional Development

How to be a YP Rockstar

What makes a YP Rockstar?

While many young professionals have the potential to rock their careers and their lives, few actually tap into this potential. We let obstacles get in our way — our age, our finances, our circumstances. We let success pass us by. The YP Rockstar series will provide concrete, practical advice to help you overcome these obstacles and become the Rockstar that you are.

So, what makes some people good and others Rockstars? To get started, let’s take a look at my favorite Rockstars (or maybe grunge-stars?) of all time – Pearl Jam. Pearl Jam became popular with the release of their 1991 album Ten, which has sold more than 12 million copies worldwide, and has continued much of that popularity to the present. In my mind, they are true Rockstars. They are:

Successful

For nearly two decades Pearl Jam has been making music, selling more than 30 million records in United States and an estimated 60 million albums worldwide. Arguably, they are most successful band of the 1990s. Whether you like their music or not, it’s hard to argue with their success.

Passionate

You don’t accidentally win more than a dozen major awards, release eight albums, and play countless concerts for 18 years. You have passion. That passion is apparent in listening to their music. Many of their songs have deep meaning about social issues, something they have a lot of passion for.

Outspoken

Pearl Jam, and especially frontman Eddie Vedder, are known for being activists on a variety of causes, including the environment, the right to vote, and Crohn’s disease. Remember the Ticketmaster boycott? As I watched a “Ticketmaster Sucks” banner fly by on an airplane at one of their first concerts after the protest, I understood the importance of speaking your mind. It’s true they lost the Ticketmaster battle, but they stood up for what they believed in and that takes courage and dedication.

Inspiring

To many, like me, Pearl Jam’s music is inspiring. I am moved by the passion and the meaning behind the words.  Maybe it’s their longevity that inspires you or their passion or their lyrics or their activism. Or, maybe they don’t inspire you at all. The point is they do (or, at least, have) inspire millions.

Evolving

Does anybody else find it a little strange that Pearl Jam is launching a web 2.0 site? Apparently that’s exactly what they’ll soon be doing. Pearl Jam has always been evolving — in some ways you have to stay popular for 18 years. The key is they keep to their core values, but evolve to stay in touch with their fans.

Who is your Rockstar?

Pearl Jam is the embodiment of Rockstar to me, but you probably have someone else who emulates the Rockstar ideal. Who are they? It doesn’t have to be a musician. It doesn’t even have to be someone famous. Maybe it’s a teacher. A coach. A parent. A friend. A boss. Think of someone who is Rockstar, someone you admire. Then ask yourself: What makes them a Rockstar? Write down everything that makes them great.

Your list probably includes some (or all) of the attributes I listed above. What else have you listed? Patience? Generosity? Intelligence? Guts? Innovation? Technical abilities?

Now, comes the hard part, and that’s figuring out what’s important to you:

• Who are you now, and who do you want to be?
• How will you be great?
• How do you want your family, friends, and co-workers to describe you?
• How do you want people to remember you?
• What do you value most in life?

Think about these questions as you go through your own Rockstar experience. The answers, while they may adapt to certain situations, will help guide you for the rest of your life.

Four basic steps to become a Rockstar

We’ll be exploring a number of aspects to be a YP Rockstar throughout the month of January, but there are some first steps just about ever aspiring Rockstar must take:

1. First things first: Do something.

All Rockstars, no matter who they are or what they do, have taken the first step and done something. Sounds easy, right? Well, a lot of people never even get this far. For young professionals, “doing something” could be landing a job or a promotion, presenting that big idea you have, or gaining the confidence to stand up for yourself. Whatever it is, you have to take the first step yourself. Now is the perfect time to start.

2. Get really good.

Rarely does greatness happen by accident. Do what it takes (within reason and the law!) to make yourself great. That means constantly learning, improving, getting things done. This doesn’t mean fixing all your weaknesses. Sure, you can work on those. But, don’t focus on them. Your focus should be what you’re good at, what you actually like. Get better at it. Practice. Repeat.

3. Promote yourself.

Promoting yourself doesn’t mean you go around bragging about yourself all the time. Get that out of your head! It’s actually quite different than that. It’s about always being your best self. It’s about answering those important questions about yourself above and using that to develop a personal brand and style all your own. It’s about you showing others the Rockstar that you are in a way you feel comfortable with.

4. Get uncomfortable.

That’s right. Uncomfortable. If you feel comfortable in everything that you’re doing, there’s a good chance you aren’t pushing yourself. Take a risk. Now, there’s no need to go and do something totally crazy or that goes against your values. They key is pushing your comfort zone to the edge to make some big accomplishments.

Here are a few ideas to “get uncomfortable”:

• Attend a class or a seminar.
• Ask for a promotion or raise.
• Start a blog.
• Reach out to someone you admire.
• Go to a networking event.
• Research trends in your industry.
• Get on a committee of a professional organization.
• Join toastmasters or some other group that interests you.

→ Challenge: Get uncomfortable! Go ahead and try something new. Yes, it’s scary (I know!), but the payoff can be amazing. Start small if you need to; just get out there!

5. Help others.

You’ve truly reached Rockstar status when you take your knowledge and share it with others. If you keep it all to yourself, you will never be a Rockstar. You know the type: self-centered, insecure, figure-it-out-on-your-own. These kinds of people are not Rockstars, no matter how awesome they are at their job.

This doesn’t mean you have to start some formal program to help others. It simply means that you’re confident enough in yourself to provide guidance to the new guy, connect someone who needs a job to the hiring manager you know, or give others credit for their work on a big project that you led. It’s simple stuff, but it separates the good-at-their-jobs from the Rockstars.

Warning: Rockstardom isn’t always pretty

Being a Rockstar must be amazing, right? Well, it is, most of the time. Here are a few things to consider along the way:

Rockstardom doesn’t happen overnight.

It takes to time. You have to build a reputation for greatness before you can be seen as great. Be patient with yourself.

It’s okay to fail.

I hate failure. Most people do. But, how we deal with failure can be an indication as to whether or not we will ever achieve rockstar status. That is, do we get up and keep going, or do we stay down and hope that it passes?

Not everyone will see you as a Rockstar.

If you don’t like Pearl Jam, then you know what I’m talking about. While I was gushing about them, you were probably thinking, “What the heck is she talking about?” Well, there will be people out there who won’t recognize you for the Rockstar you are no matter how amazing you are. This is a hard lesson to learn, but the earlier you learn it, the easier it be will on you.

You are the key to your own success

The only person ultimately responsible for your career and life is you. Over the next 31 days, I will provide the tools , tips, tricks, advice to get you started. It’s up to you make to make that happen. I know you can.

Got something to add? Every time you comment on a Girl Meets Business post during The YP Rockstar series in January, you will be entered to win a one-year membership to the WE 4 LIFE coaching program (a $588 value!) provided by Jenny Ferry of Crest of Your Life. Share your thoughts and be a Comment Rockstar!

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