There isn’t a lot that I can say I wouldn’t do. Let’s remove my personal two caveats: 1) Bad people stuff — killing someone, stealing, etc.. and 2) Life-risking adventures — bungee jumping, skydiving, etc.. Sans those two categories, the list is remarkably small.

So small in fact, that like the list of all of the food that I’d eat, I could name everything in 30 seconds.

Writing a public post about why Gini, in fact, should hire me — well, thats a no brainer. I find that a lot of things that happen, especially the more unexpected or unbelievable they are, tend to fall into the, “That must of been Cox” category. I have a pension for doing things most others wouldn’t. I am not much of a follower, and the context of the word ‘normal’ scares me to death. 

My very first kiss was from a girl three years older than me and who my friends, rightfully so, bet me that I had no chance of kissing. My very first start-up company that was funded, small-time in comparison to what you’re thinking, was funded from a first meeting in which I had my feet propped up on the table. My very first BIG client I landed, was fresh out of a failed start-up, bad blood, and a less than stellar professional reputation (based on the first two).

There are three takeaways we’ve learned from that short history recap:

1. I don’t scare easily.
2. I go after what I want, passionately.
3. I don’t stop until I get it.

<Fast forward music that plays during the transition part of the movie>

Gini Dietrich has been a pretty good friend of mine, digitally, seeings as how we have never actually met in person yet. (I explained why our first meet’n’greet failed here) Gini (pronounced Gin-ee) has been someone I’ve pinged for both personal and professional advice. (More so the professional) She’s also a writer whom I’ve been enamored with since reading my first Gini blog. I liken my admiration for her to this simple phrase: I want to be her, the business owner, when I grow up. She has surrounded herself with a phenomenal team (#highfive to some really awesome business professionals: Lisa Gerber, Molli Megasko, Crister DelaCruz, Patti Knight), she is highly regarded in her field, she is a phenomenal public speaker — but the most *important* thing of all: she’s one of the ‘good guys’ in business. 

Yes I’m well aware Gini is a girl, not a guy. My point being this: she is as nice of a person as she is great professional. There are people in the Digital Marketing, Social Media, and PR spaces that I consider #FARmentors — people that I glean information and lessons from everyday while from afar. Some may not know that I do, but I consider them experts worth following in their field. And one of the first people I see them engaging with, and entertaining thoughts of happiness, is Gini. That is actually how I first came across her some 4+ years ago. You see, I indicated her as someone worth getting to know, and someone I wanted to “be like” when I had my own business. Learn from the best — isn’t that the old saying?

• Has she pissed people off? I’m sure she has.
• Do some people dislike her? Hey, no one is perfect.
• Has she failed before? I think she’d be the first person to say UMM YEA RYAN.

But all of that is secondary. Good > Bad | Win > Lose | Kind > Asshole

I didn’t spend the first part of this blog puffing up Gini out of anticipation that was going to land me any kind of a job. I was simply setting the table for why I wanted to work for her. I’ve been given the advice from every mentor I’ve ever had, and every business book I’ve ever read — surround yourself with smarter people. Find people that have what you want, and learn from them how they got it, and how you can create your own path to get it. No two paths are ever the same, and no path should follow a previous path step-by-step. Your story isn’t the same as theirs, so stop trying to rewrite it. You’ll end up failing, and rather miserably. 

Gini should hire me because it’ll make her life a lot easier once she has. I’m a tireless worker, I’ve sharpened my teeth learning the ropes of Digital Marketing and PR, and last but not least - I don’t take no for an answer. I don’t need to auto-fill the rest of this paragraph with meaningless cliches: 

• I’m the first one in, last one out
• If I don’t know how to do it, I’ll find a way to learn it on the fly
• I’ve built up credibility in the market
• I will do something until I’ve gotten it right

Actions speak a whole heck of a lot louder than words, spoken or written. I place my eggs in the “if you are active enough, potential employers will notice all of those otherwise thoughtless cliches themselves,” basket. Having someone notice a work habit or credibility marker, is infinitely more helpful than explaining it yourself. A wise woman once said, Behave Like a Level 5 Employee. So that is what I aim to do, each and every day.

Whether Gini ever hires me or not, has as much to do with “company fit” and “opportunities available” as it does “great resume” and “interviews well.” We are in the waining hours of 2011. Your current and future employers know a lot more about you than most people currently realize. You see, the biggest takeaway isn’t necessarily that Gini will ever hire me. The biggest takeaway is that I had confidence in myself to make it public, and Gini knows I’m going to keep myself on her radar for as long as it takes.

No matter how you much you think the cards are stacked against you, keep after your dreams. Both the big ones, and the small.

Persistence is a stubborn one. (No curse word there, you’re welcome Gini)