We try to keep Sundays dedicated to the other stuff that supports our business lives but that which often gets ignored – Goal Setting, Productivity, Motivation, Review, Health (we’ve categorised these under “Constant Progress”) and Higher Purpose (giving back to the community and feeding your soul).

‘Modelling’ doesn’t just refer to super gorgeous people walking down a catwalk, it also means finding people successful at something you want want to be successful at, identifying what makes them successful and replicating it yourself. 

Anthony Robbins is a big champion of modelling, saying that the quickest way to be successful is to model someone who is already was. He credits much of his initial success from modelling successful mentors.

It may not be possible to have say Donald Trump or Warren Buffett mentor you personally, but there are no shortage of biographies and tomes of advice written by or about these and other very successful people.

I’ve just finished reading Cathie Black’s Basic Black billed as “the Essential Guide for Getting Ahead at Work (and in Life)” – Black is the head of Hearst Magazines (think O – the Oprah Magazine, Cosmopolitan, Good Housekeeping, Harper’s Bazaar) and one of the most powerful women in publishing. In the book, she goes into detail about th life, work and people skills that got her there. 

While she speaks mainly from the perspective of having worked up the corporate ladder (and thus always having a boss) – there’s plenty to take from the book for those in their own business. In particular, her mindset of professionalism and confidence. 

I do think the intended audience is primarily female, and it really is essential reading for any women in her own business. Confidence is one area where I believe more women struggle than men – we’re not socially conditioned to be in people’s faces – but it’s one of the important factors in success. Black says at the end that if she were to identify one common factor that all the successful people she’s known have had, it would be confidence in themselves. And Black herself has plenty of it, not in an egregious way – but in a wonderfully infecting way that by at least half way into the book, I felt confident too. You understand the source of her confidence – while she’s obviously talented and full of good sense, she’s not freakishly so – it’s her drive, passion and courage that are abundantly clear.

She has plenty of tips on how to reframe situations to put you back in control, and it’s hard to choose a favourite. You may see her being quoted in a few more posts in the future. 

For now, I’ll quote her last piece of advice – print it out and stick it where you can see it every day:

“Opportunities will come – they always do. Trust yourself enough to jump at them. Never be afraid to go for it. And remember, you deserve to have the best life, and the best career, that you can have.”