You might recognize Lori Ann LaRocco. Why? Because she has been on the blog before!! A few weeks ago, we posted her piece titled, “4 Critical Traits All Successful Leaders Share”. Since that piece was so awesome, I was excited that she agreed to come back, and contribute to our weekly “3 Things” column.
Lori Ann has created a career that we can all learn from.
She is currently the Sr. Talent Producer at CNBC, and author of “Opportunity Knocking: Lessons from Business Leaders“. In the book, Lori Ann gets some of the biggest names in business to share their secrets to success. Oh and not to mention Steve Forbes and Donald Trump are among the few to praise her latest book.
Her insight is extremely valuable because she has learned from the best, and she is passing it along to us! So cool! Read her answers below to see how she went from wanting to be in-front of the camera to starting her own business TV show to being noticed by a talent agent at CNBC:
Business is business. Penn Jillette recently told me when I interviewed him for CNBC’s Squawk Box the secret to a successful business partnership is not to be friends. Why? Because when you have to make business decisions people can take those decisions personally which can lead to resentment and conflict. He explained to me that he and his partner, Teller, rarely socialize out of the office. Jillette said they respect each other and their craft but if they have differences they are able to work it out because there is no personal friendship. No feelings are hurt. Based on the fact they have had a successful partnership since the mid-1970s, I think he’s onto something. After Penn told me this, I realized over the years I have adopted the same strategy. I would have loved to have known this when I was in my twenties because when at that age, and at that point in your career, you want to be friends with everyone. The downside to that is the cattiness and backstabbing that can take place from insecure colleagues. Having that knowledge of the importance of respecting my colleagues versus trying to be part of the crowd and going out for drinks would have saved me from a lot of heartache.
Be a good listener. As a TV journalist you are always listening for that special sound-bite that sums up everything you are looking for in a story; when you hear it, you think “Bang, got it. End of interview.” I have learned over the course of my career in journalism that it is equally important to listen to cues in your environment. Are there voids you can fill? If you make a mistake admit it and move on. Also, ask your boss for her/his opinion on how you can improve. If you are a small business owner you need to listen to your customers. By learning to listen you will grow and become a better employee or entrepreneur. Listening is a great tool to help you pay attention to details that might go unnoticed. Paying attention to detail is essential in successful execution.
Be nimble. I have learned over the course of my career that you need to evolve in order to be relevant. When I first graduated from college I wanted to be a reporter and anchor in local news. When I didn’t land that “dream job” in front of the camera immediately, I started behind the scenes. Was I disappointed? A little but I loved news so much I knew I could obtain my goal if I just modified my plan. Behind the scenes, I learned all facets of the news gathering process which enabled me to become a better on-air journalist (I was able to connect with my videographer better because I had done their job and understood what they needed to help tell the story.) I have learned you always need to be reaching for new goals. If you do not learn new things or keep on top of trends, you will be left behind. I continue to learn something new in my business to help make me a better journalist. You need to have confidence in yourself in order look at your strengths and weaknesses so you can build your future. You need to be honest so you can develop a plan of action in order to seize on the right opportunity when it knocks on your door. That confidence and honesty is developed and cultivated over time. In my late-twenties, I left my “safe” job at WFTV in Orlando to start a business show from scratch. It was a huge leap of faith to leave the number one station in the market for a startup. But the position played on my strengths of producing and creativity. The risks of not doing it outweighed the risks of doing it. My husband supported my decision to leave because that “job” would always be waiting for me. It is because I took that opportunity that I was noticed by a TV agent who then introduced me to CNBC. As the saying goes, the rest is history.
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