by: Gabe Carter

Insight from CEOs? I’ve been taking notes.

Ian Siegel, co-founder/CEO of ZipRecruiter and a best-selling author shares his lessons in growth. Many of his lessons resonated with my experience learning how to take steps towards my growth.

Watch Ian’s full interview with Comparably on building a successful business below.

5 crucial lessons for professional success and personal growth

1. Define what success is for you by the life you want to live.

   Set clear goals. The roadmap creates ease.

   This became crucial for forwarding progress in my life. I had to recognize my unhealthy patterns that no longer served my growth. The overthinking, the self-hate, the people-pleasing had to stop and the question that remained was, where do I go from here? What’s a life well-lived with alopecia? What is the life you want to live?

   
   

2. Be selective about where you put your time and energy.

   Protect your time and energy. Start with clarity.

   Time and energy are two currencies you can’t get back once you’ve invested them.

   As a small business prioritize what you and your audience value. This makes sure your investment will deliver the most impact and return. Are your systems designed to make the best use of your time and energy? Can you simplify or automate any task to save time?

   
   

   In my personal journey gaining clarity helped me to ignore the opinions of others (especially the ill-informed). By understanding my core values I could invest in what supported my growth and when possible remove myself from situations that keep me trapped in unhealthy patterns.

   Without clarity, I found I lacked balance between action and rest resulting in lengthy moments of feeling lost and drained often repeating the same habits that drained my time and energy.

   
   

3. You need to know your product

   What’s at the core of what you do? What do people value about the service you provide? Answering these questions provides small business owners insight towards protecting their time and energy.

   
   

   Know thy self. We’ve all heard it before and it’s true, for my personal growth it was important to understand your core values and limitless potential.

   
   

4. Focus on what you’re good at

   Stretching your time and energy too thin is never a good thing. Small business owners have a lot on their plate. New technologies and apps are coming out all the time. You don’t need to follow the trends. Follow what works. Follow what has been working and make sure it’s running smoothly before tackling the next big idea.

   
   

   For your personal growth stop comparing yourself to everyone else. Worry about yourself. Focus on being authentic. You’d be surprised at how good you are at it.

   
   
   

5. Everyone underestimates the power of marketing

   There is power in a good story. Good marketing is the loudspeaker for small businesses. Your audience invests in what they value and personal connection creates

   
   

   Everyone underestimates the power of storytelling. Your voice, your story is important, see its value. Own it. Invest in it. Share it. Be the representation I wish I had in my experience with alopecia.