I love helping c-suite executives explain the bigger" why" and motivate their audience to understand corporate goals and vision. It's one of the reasons I've been a full-time speechwriter since I pivoted from my career path in finance and public relations. When I started at McDonald's corporation in 2006, I didn't even know I could make a living as a writer. My job was supporting the U.S. senior management team by creating and editing letters, emails, or general correspondence drafts.
As a bonus, I enjoyed learning their voice and helping other writers with their research. Going the extra mile was rewarded. Soon I was writing for Don Thompson, former CEO of McDonald's Corporation, and since then, I've worked almost exclusively with Fortune 500 execs. I've had an incredibly rewarding career, and I'm proud of what I've accomplished for my clients. If you want a meaningful career as a writer, consider speechwriting!
I meet with stakeholders and interview subject matter experts with each project to research and understand a societal or business problem. From CEOs to entertainers, I've had the chance to write for cool people.
Of course, I always ask what's the secret to their success.
And you know what? Every time they are surprised when it's my secret too! We may come from different backgrounds but have the same career lesson. I wanted to share the tip with you so that you can discover how to stand out in your organization and break through as a high performer.
Some call it evolution or continuous improvement. The new buzzword is productivity or mission-minded. Whatever it is, it results from the same commitment to doing better than the day before. The secret is...
Learn something daily.
Yep, that's it. CEOs care about their performance, so they arrive early and stay late. They don't quit or get distracted when work gets difficult. Leaders have a goal and a clear vision for their life. They don't get stuck being unhappy with their choice. They make different choices. They choose to learn from their mistakes.