Having a CEO as a mother teaches you a lot about the real world

When my dad introduced me to my future step mother for the first time, I had no idea who was coming into my life. I knew that she was a strong woman, but I was not at all prepared for what was coming.

My step mom is the CEO of growth.[period], a small business development company. She works 20 hour days while also keeping up with bills, taking care of the dogs and spending as much time with her eight month old baby as she possibly can without passing out. She is no joke.

This woman is the single strongest person I know. Not woman, person. She has taught me a lot of extremely valuable life lessons, and now I am going to bless your life by sharing some with you. I’m also going to break up all the rules with pretty pictures of my step mom and I. You’re welcome.

Be ready to work

There are two steps to this: getting the job and then managing the job and your life.

In order to get a job, you’ll probably need to land an internship. You will then need to rock that internship and single yourself out as a necessity to get hired at the job. You will work your ass off and it will be stressful but you will also be employed.

The real world is hard. Not only do you have what we now call class and homework (in the real world its the same time dedication but its called the work day and projects) but you also have to pay bills and taxes and probably support a family or walk your dog. If my step mom has taught me anything, it is that you need to find a balance so you don’t lose your mind trying to do 100 things at once.

Or marry wealthy.

Proofread. And proofread again

Every single piece of writing you send to a colleague, employer, client, etc. is the equivalent of a final paper. If you have grammatical errors or misspellings, you look like an idiot. PROOFREAD.

Kindness is the only option

No one ever said “yeah, I hate that super sweet and charming person with the kind eyes and gorgeous hair.” That is because no one dislikes a super kind person. Be nice to everyone, and no one will hate you. It’s super simple. Also, people talk so you benefit from having them spread super nice things about you.

Keep your cool, even when you want to scream

You cannot, under any circumstances, be rude or lash out at a colleague or client. You will ruin the business deal and then, because people talk, lose future business opportunities. For more information, see below.

Silence is a deadly weapon

The worst thing you can do in business is say something stupid that you’ll regret. It will be used against you and reflect poorly on you. If you want to say something mean, replace it with silence. That way there is no evidence of you being rude but it also sends a powerful message. In addition, it makes people nuts. When someone doesn’t reply to you text, it drives you crazy. Same applies  in the adult world.

Read books

Knowledge is power. Reading provided you with knowledge. Therefore, reading gives you power. In order to learn about the world around you (which I get to below) you must read. Read books about everything- read anything your parents or friends or magazines recommend. If everyone else is reading it, you should be too. Book clubs are not just for bored housewives. They serve a purpose. They get a group of people together to educate themselves.

Keep up with the news

If you are unaware of what is going on in the world, there are two problems- one is that you, of course, don’t have a clue what’s going on and therefore are useless and two, it makes it look like you do not care. Employers want proactive employees and if you do not have the time or consideration to understand the world around you, you cannot be expected to have the time and consideration to keep yourself up to date on projects and company news. Be aware, or be unemployed.

Ditch the colon

Nobody in the professional world uses the colon. I learned quickly because there were a million dashes in any text messages or emails my step mother sent me. All those fancy writing accessories you learn in high school will be scrapped when you enter the real world of profession business writing. Do yourself a favor and learn to simplify your sentences and use dashes now.

Don’t rant about your feelings all over the Internet

This was a tough one for me to learn because as a writer, my favorite activity is to rant on the Internet. While it’s super fun to start fires, employers are not going to find it as entertaining as you do. People who start drama are not welcome in the workplace, and Internet ranting definitely counts as starting drama. Keep your personal feelings and political views off the web (unless it involves something that is simply ethical, like the fact that rape on college campuses needs to end).

Own multiple pets

When life gets super overwhelming, fuzzy babies can really help control your anxiety. We own four super fluffy, snuggly dogs. Even on the worst days, our puppies remind us that life is good.

Also don’t forget to sleep sometimes.