Recently I went on a little rant on my Instagram (a rare occurrence for me).
It was about all about how foreign students were being kicked out of the US since they weren’t attending class in person. (Because… you know… there’s a pandemic)
Ignoring the fact that they have jobs, partners, flatmates, leases, electricity bills, and whole LIVES that would be left in the lurch by their departure…
There’s a whole slew of other reasons that make me want to smash my face into the keyboard.
I won’t go into all that here, but the whole situation reminded me of an important lesson I’ve learned about making sure YOU’RE the one driving the bus for your business (and your life!)
Here’s an example…
You see, several friends of mine were personally affected by this situation. They thought they were on a safe, legal path to residency here in America.
One friend in particular planned to settle down and build his life here. Until “they” changed the rules, and he learned he’d have to quickly scramble to sublet his apartment, try and keep his job remotely, find an international flight (and a country who would take a traveler coming from the new epicenter of the pandemic…
You get the idea.
Fortunately the whole visa decision got reversed after Harvard, MIT, and several other Ivy League schools started fighting back to protect their students.
And that’s great, because my friend works for a company that has an entire TEAM of immigration specialists and attorneys to handle his visa.
But what’s crazy is – NO ONE TOLD HIM.
No one at the company thought, “Oh hey, let’s make sure our employee is all set by fixing his visa, and letting him know he doesn’t have to sell all his furniture and uproot his entire life.”
*forehead slap*
So here’s the big lesson here:
You have GOT to be your own advocate!
No one cares about you as much as you do. If you’ve got places you want to go, then YOU have to drive the bus instead of waiting for your ride to show up.
Want to lock that prospective new project into your calendar?
– Keep following up until they either put down a deposit, or tell you to go away.
Want your Copy Chief to run the campaign you just spent 2 months writing?
– Get in front of them, and keep poking until it’s scheduled.
Want to make sure you get….
A spot in that coveted coaching program?
Your loan application approved?
That new apartment you fell in love with?
The dream job you’re waiting to hear back about?
… keep calling, and emailing, and pushing until it’s in your hot little hands.
Ask for what you want. If someone says “no” then you say “NEXT!” and flip a quarter-turn until you get what you need.
Don’t plop down on the curb and scroll through your phone until your hero rolls up in a sweet whip – ready to whisk you off to “I’m so lucky” land.
Make your own luck. Save yourself.
Be your own advocate.
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