A Little Hard Work

By Michael Massey

I grew up in a comfortable middle class home with two working parents. I don't ever remember feeling like the world owed me anything. I understood hard work and the reward that comes from it, except during those questionable ages of 15 – 19 but that’s a story for a different blog.

Lately we've been experiencing what could be perceived as a case of entitlement from several individuals that we do business with. Here’s an example of what I’m talking about. One of our clients asked us to gather media coverage maps and to include some additional information for them. It was a request that would take probably about 30 minutes if someone in the office wasn’t familiar with Microsoft Word. This was a simple request and one not out of the ordinary realm of responsibility for any professional in the media business. The push back and transferring of responsibility really surprised us.

My parents taught me from a very early age that life is what you make it and the world owes you nothing. When I first graduated from college, I was quite frustrated with the job hunt. I had a Bachelor’s degree and I expected to be paid what I knew I was worth. But my father's wise words echoed truth when he said, “You have no experience and no one knows you. There won't be any big black limo that rolls out the red carpet for you. If you want something you have to be willing to make sacrifices and work hard for it.” Even then I understood the truth in his words and those words mean just as much at the end of 2011 as they did in 1988.

So here's some sage advice to you red carpet dreamers out there:

Add value to the equation in some way shape or form.
Think things through and do your job.
Respect is a two way street; give and you shall receive
Push beyond your comfort level and do something that scares you.
Be willing to be a resource with no expectations.

A little hard work will ultimately lead to a much easier path. Hard work is appreciated and it is rewarded. Be a resource. You’ll be the first on our list to call when there is money to be spent.