What Successful Night Owls Get Done Before Bed

This article first appeared on Fast Company on August 27, 2012.

We all know morning people are said to have a business advantage, but what about those night owls? They've got a competitive edge, too. Here are their productivity tips for the wee hours.

Early birds get all the credit. Research indicates that morning people tend to be more active and goal oriented, and such larks as Steve Jobs, Craig Newmark of Craigslist, and 25-year old David Karp, founder of the Tumblr blogging platform suggest that climbing the ladder ofsuccess is easier before breakfast.

So does that mean night owls are at a disadvantage? Research by Satoshi Kanazawa and colleagues at the London School of Economics and Political Science suggests no. The group discovered significant differences in sleep preferences and found that people with higher IQs are more likely to be night owls. They found an evolutionary shift from being active in the day towards nightly pursuits and that those individuals who preferred to stay up late demonstrated "a higher level of cognitive complexity.” Researchers from Belgium and Switzerland studying sleep habits found that early risers needed more rest than their nocturnal counterparts and didn’t focus as well later in the day as those who slept in.

Armed with that knowledge, Fast Company found a group of dedicated night owls to discuss their strategies for making the wee hours work for them. Most responded to our queries via email well past midnight. Here’s what they told us.

Pick One Project

Keval Desai, a partner at InterWest Partners and a former Google product director, says he’s only seen the sun rise in the past decade when he pulls an all-nighter. He replied at 2:22 a.m., close to his typical turn-in time of 2 a.m.

His penchant for working late was born of necessity when he was still in high school in Bombay. “My parents and I lived in a small apartment and during the day there was no privacy of time or space to concentrate. So the only option to get my studies done would be to work on it at night after everyone was asleep and there were no friends, neighbors, or random visitors dropping by.”

Staying up late is now a habit, and Desai says it’s common for him to leave the thinking work for the wee hours. “During the day most of my time is spent in meetings with entrepreneurs, and the only time I can find alone to do work that requires some concentration is when the rest of the household is asleep.”

He’ll pick one project per night. Daytime is for doing the research on tasks that “require synthesizing several different pieces of information, then applying some thought on key decisions that need to be made and then articulating those decisions,” he says. “I don’t go to sleep until the task is done in one night session.”

You’ll find Desai working from home after hours, although he says he’s logged plenty of nights at the Google offices and then drives home to San Francisco, 45 miles away. He’s a big believer in drinking a cup or two of decaf green or chamomile tea while ensconced in a spare bed with his laptop.

Combat Clutter

Laurie Tucker is the senior vice president for corporate marketing at FedEx who sent her response to us at 1:45 a.m., also close to her bedtime of 2 am.

Tucker, who rises at 6 a.m. most mornings to work out, is one of those (rare) individuals who only needs about five hours of sleep each night. “My mother only slept a few hours a night, and I can still remember visits from my cousins who were put to bed by their parents at 8 p.m., while my brother and I sat up until midnight watching TV with the grownups,” she says. Though her husband “loves to sleep” and hits the hay at about 9:30 p.m., Tucker has to make herself go to bed.

“I adore late night. When my kids were young, I loved having hours of quiet after they went to bed. I had team all over the world back then so I would do conference calls, respond to email, and catch up on reading,” she says. Now that her kids are grown and she manages a U.S.-based team, she has more time to read and think.  “I love the quiet time to unclutter my mind.”

While she doesn't require as much sleep as most people, Tucker still believes late-night hours should be spent at rest. "Nighttime is for regeneration. Be at peace, feed your mind, and let your body rest.” 

She avoids anything with caffeine at night, says that she goes to sleep within minutes of her head hitting the pillow. Her energy level stays high all day, and she never naps. "My biggest challenge is to stay away from the kitchen--dinner to bedtime is a long stretch," says Tucker.

Hit The “Idea” Bar

Cosmopolitan editor-in-chief of and author of the new book I Shouldn’t Be Telling You This,Kate White was kind enough to spill some of her late-night strategies.

White goes to bed earlier than she used to (midnight or 1 a.m.) because she hits the ground running at 5:30 a.m. to work on her fiction. At night, you’ll find her hard at work on magazine editing, non-fiction book writing, and blogs.

“My craziest trick is that I regularly do my work standing up at a rolling butcher block counter in my kitchen. If I were to work sitting down, I’d fall asleep," White says. "I know it sounds awful, but I think of it as if I’m tending bar in the evening--a bar of ideas. And I always keep the kitchen TV on so it doesn’t seem too lonely. I drink several espressos at night, which really helps."

Late Night Rendezvous

CEO of the online meeting platform Groopt, Patrick Allen says his head doesn’t hit the pillow (or his desk) until about 3:30 a.m. That makes him the early bird among the site’s developer staff, who tend to stay up all night chatting on Campfire.

Located on the top floor or a quirky Victorian in San Francisco’s fabled Haight Ashbury neighborhood, Allen says the Groopt HQ is a haven for productivity, with feng shui that would make Confucius proud. “We firmly believe that to reach maximum productivity, you must work in the optimum environment, and this couldn't be more true for the night owl,” he says. Rather than revel in the quiet, Allen says it's not uncommon to find “three to five of our Troopers sitting around the coffee table at 3 a.m. hammering out user stories or crafting new experiments for cohort analysis,” which energizes him.

To be effective late, he says, you need to believe what you're doing is giving you an edge on the competition. "As Childish Gambino says, ‘While they be sleeping I'll be on to that new $hit.’"

To keep alert, they've stocked their pantry with fresh coffee, a Nespresso machine, and "mounds and mounds of Yerba Mate.”

Big Picture Thinking

Frank Aldorf, the chief brand officer of Specialized Bicycle Components sent us a reply at 1:49 a.m.--late for the guy who tries to turn in no later than half past midnight.

“It's actually fun working on this brand,” says Aldorf. But with a team in different time zones and a company that has offices in 28 countries, Aldorf’s day is mostly organized around meetings and connecting with people or travel.

“At night is the time when I get stuff done and can think about the bigger picture. It's focused. That’s the time when I can turn notes and ideas drafted on the fly into concepts and future projects. I read through saved articles and get inspired by my well-maintained RSS feed.”

Aldorf says he needs the right music on his headphones. “I can't live or travel anymore without my noise-canceling headphones and a station like KCRW.”

Aldorf doesn’t do caffeine at night and keeps the coffee consumption to 1 or 2 espressos a day. “Before I start my nightshift, I go for a short bike ride to sharpen my senses,” he adds, “But I know how important rest time is to be game the next day.” Which for him, starts back up at 6:30 a.m. 

Lydia Dishman used to stay up writing until 2 a.m. Now she's switched to waking up early, albeit with a LOT of coffee. You can read more of her work here.

What keeps you up at night? How do you stay productive? Tell us about it in the comments below.

The Power of Dreams Series

One of the best marketing campaigns that I have ever seen is Honda's "The Power of Dreams" series. My favorite is the "Failure: The Secret to Success" video. Do you think it's possible to be successful without going through failure first? Look at what the Honda team had to go through to get to where they are now.

Targeted List Spreadsheet

As you begin your job search you should plan your approach. Who will you be contacting? Why will you be contacting them? You should have questions like these answered before you submit your first resume. You also shouldn't be so narrow in your search  that you only reach out to a handful of companies.

Below is a document to help you in planning your search. There are 40 lines because you should reach out to at least 40 companies. Remember, 85% of all jobs are filled outside of the want ads. You're only going to find these positions if you're looking everywhere. Also make sure  that you plan when you will be contacting the company. It's too easy to let distractions interrupt your call plan. 

Fill this sheet out and then assess how your current job search looks. Should you expand your search criteria? Should you try reaching out to someone again?

Target List

Interview The Interviewer

When you're hoping to land that great job opportunity, you have to work hard to focus on the right steps. The one thing to keep in mind is that you should be conducting your own research on the company and position you're interviewing for.

Bouncing around from job to job can be a detriment, or in the very least, cause pain when you're having to clean up your resume. So before accepting a position shouldn't you make sure that it will be the right fit for you?

When you sit down with your interviewer, interview them! It sounds weird but this is a great opportunity to learn more about what you could potentially be doing for a long time. Before you have that first meeting you should have already researched the company and people that you would be reporting to. Knowledge is power and it's freely available on the Internet, so use it!

Look for how fast the company has grown, how much have they grown, and how do they make their money.  Then plug yourself into the equation. How can you help the company in these areas? If you're an accountant, you may point out a process that has helped a similar company reduce inefficiencies (be an expert in your field). Try to add value beyond proving that you can a "good employee."

When the time comes to have the interview, hopefully you will be prepared to have a high-level conversation with your interviewer. Answer their questions but don't let the opportunity slip by to ask them your questions. You're going to stand out when you say "company revenues were strongest last year, what role did this department play in that/"

This article first appeared at Fast Company on August 22, 2012.

How much does the first hour of every day matter? As it turns out, a lot. It can be the hour you see everything clearly, get one real thing done, and focus on the human side of work rather than your task list.

Remember when you used to have a period at the beginning of every day to think about your schedule, catch up with friends, maybe knock out a few tasks? It was called home room, and it went away after high school. But many successful people schedule themselves a kind of grown-up home room every day. You should too.

The first hour of the workday goes a bit differently for Craig Newmark of Craigslist, David Karp of Tumblr, motivational speaker Tony Robbins, career writer (and Fast Company blogger) Brian Tracy, and others, and they’ll tell you it makes a big difference. Here are the first items on their daily to-do list.

Don’t Check Your Email for the First Hour. Seriously. Stop That.

Tumblr founder David Karp will “try hard” not to check his email until 9:30 or 10 a.m., according to an Inc. profile of him. “Reading e-mails at home never feels good or productive,” Karp said. “If something urgently needs my attention, someone will call or text me.”

Not all of us can roll into the office whenever our Vespa happens to get us there, but most of us with jobs that don’t require constant on-call awareness can trade e-mail for organization and single-focus work. It’s an idea that serves as the title of Julie Morgenstern’s work management book Never Check Email In The Morning, and it’s a fine strategy for leaving the office with the feeling that, even on the most over-booked days, you got at least one real thing done.

If you need to make sure the most important messages from select people come through instantly, AwayFind can monitor your inbox and get your attention when something notable arrives. Otherwise, it’s a gradual but rewarding process of training interruptors and coworkers not to expect instantaneous morning response to anything they send in your off-hours.

Gain Awareness, Be Grateful

One smart, simple question on curated Q & A site Quora asked “How do the most successful people start their day?”. The most popular response came from a devotee of Tony Robbins, the self-help guru who pitched the power of mindful first-hour rituals long before we all had little computers next to our beds.

Robbins suggests setting up an “Hour of Power,” “30 Minutes to Thrive,” or at least “Fifteen Minutes to Fulfillment.” Part of it involves light exercise, part of it involves motivational incantations, but the most accessible piece involves 10 minutes of thinking of everything you’re grateful for: in yourself, among your family and friends, in your career, and the like. After that, visualize “everything you want in your life as if you had it today.”

Robbins offers the “Hour of Power” segment of his Ultimate Edge series as a free audio stream (here’s the direct MP3 download). Blogger Mike McGrath also wrote a concise summary of the Hour of Power). You can be sure that at least some of the more driven people you’ve met in your career are working on Robbins’ plan.

Do the Big, Shoulder-Sagging Stuff First

Brian Tracy’s classic time-management book Eat That Frog gets its title from a Mark Twain saying that, if you eat a live frog first thing in the morning, you’ve got it behind you for the rest of the day, and nothing else looks so bad. Gina Trapani explained it well in a video for her Work Smart series). Combine that with the concept of getting one thing done before you wade into email, and you’ve got a day-to-day system in place. Here’s how to force yourself to stick to it:

Choose Your Frog

"Choose your frog, and write it down on a piece of paper that you'll see when you arrive back at your desk in the morning, Tripani advises."If you can, gather together the material you'll need to get it done and have that out, too."

One benefit to tackling that terrible, weighty thing you don’t want to do first thing in the morning is that you get some space from the other people involved in that thing--the people who often make the thing more complicated and frustrating. Without their literal or figurative eyes over your shoulder, the terrible thing often feels less complex, and you can get more done.

Ask Yourself If You’re Doing What You Want to Do

Feeling unfulfilled at work shouldn’t be something you realize months too late, or even years. Consider making an earnest attempt every morning at what the late Apple CEO Steve Jobs told a graduating class at Stanford to do:

When I was 17, I read a quote that went something like: "If you live each day as if it was your last, someday you'll most certainly be right." It made an impression on me, and since then, for the past 33 years, I have looked in the mirror every morning and asked myself: "If today were the last day of my life, would I want to do what I am about to do today?" And whenever the answer has been "No" for too many days in a row, I know I need to change something.

“Customer Service” (or Your Own Equivalent)

Craigslist founder Craig Newmark answered the first hour question succinctly: “Customer service.” He went on to explain (or expand) that he also worked on current projects, services for military families and veterans, and protecting voting rights. But customer service is what Newmark does every single day at Craigslist, responding to user complaints and smiting scammers and spammers. He almost certainly has bigger fish he could pitch in on every day, but Newmark says customers service “anchors me to reality.”

Your own version of customer service might be keeping in touch with contacts from year-ago projects, checking in with coworkers you don’t regularly interact with, asking questions of mentors, and just generally handling the human side of work that quickly gets lost between task list items. But do your customer service on the regular, and you’ll have a more reliable roster of helpers when the time comes.

[Image: Flickr user Thomas Hawk]

Advanced Techniques: Free Speech

This one might scare a few of you away. How would you like more leads than you know what to do with in your job search? Give a free speech at a local civic group.

When you're in the job market you should be marketing yourself. And market just like you're marketing a product because, well, you are the product. What better way to market yourself than to present yourself as a resource to people in the field that you're trying to acquire a job?

Local groups are always looking for good speakers. They receive the value of your speech and you will get quite a few rewards in return.

• You get the chance to give a live sales presentation to sell yourself.
• You get to do an audition.
• You continue to cultivate your network.
• You establish your presence in the community.
• You help the community.
• You build your speaking skills, your presentation skills, and your story telling skills.
• You get to try out new material.
• You will attract new connections.
• You get the chance to have a meaningful impact on someone.
• You may get to eat for free!

Don't just talk about yourself. Present on something of value to your audience and incorporate your stance as an expert into the presentation. If your strengths are in home owner's insurance then talk about home safety, if you were or are a commercial painter then talk about how select the best contractor.

Make sure that pick a great audience. There can be some different dynamics in each one so do a little scouting before you present.

Make sure that you have something to handout. Even if it's just a printed sheet with notes. Make sure that it looks good but then the audience will have something of value to hold onto. It  should also have your contact information so they can reconnect with you.

Video tape it. Tiger Woods has a coach, not because the coach can "teach" him something but to have an extra set of eyes to help correct areas that Tiger wouldn't have seen. That's why should tape yourself. You're going to be focused on your presentation. When you watch it you will be able to see areas to improve.

Ask your audience to evaluate you. This is where you will find out if you had impact.

Hang around after the meeting. Be willing to network and personally get to know people. Remember, the more you network the more likely you will meet someone who is looking to hire or knows someone who is hiring.

Again, this is not for the faint of heart. But this is going to be one of the more effective tactics in your job search. If you're relying on sending out 20 resumes to job postings then you're going to be disappointed. Take actions that put you in control your job search.

Leave Your Job on Good Terms

This article originally appeared at Baseline Mag.

Nothing destroys a career legacy faster than leaving your company on bad terms. So avoid doing anything that would diminish your professionalism.

By Howard Seidel

Successful executives usually accept and leave jobs on their own terms. Being terminated from a position is often a new experience for them—and almost always difficult. But landing the next big job may depend on how you leave the last one. Despite whatever pain and anger accompanies being forced out of a job, it’s critical to consider the following pointers as you move on:  

Leave with grace.

Nothing destroys a legacy faster than leaving an organization in a way that others might interpret as a lack of class. Avoid doing anything that diminishes your professionalism, such as displaying open hostility toward your former company, bad-mouthing fellow executives, and failing to return appropriate company documents and property.

If anyone offers to hold a party for you at the company, accept graciously—not just for yourself, but also for the people who , want to say goodbye. Leaving with grace shows that you are proud of your accomplishments and that you are walking with your head held high through the front door—not slinking out the back. It also signals that you are open to people approaching you to offer help and support. 

Negotiate your separation wisely.

Finalizing a separation agreement need not be contentious, but it should be done thoughtfully. Understand what the company is offering you as severance and think through whether you believe this is appropriate in the context of your employment agreement, the circumstances connected to your departure or the market benchmarks in your industry.

Understand the meaning of any noncompetes, especially if such an agreement is broader than any contained in your original employment contract. Consulting with an experienced employment attorney familiar with your industry can be worth the cost. However, getting lawyers negotiating directly too early in the process can ratchet up the conflict. It is typically more effective to use an attorney’s advice as background information to work out a fair separation on your own. 

Forge a strong departure message.

The first question you will get from recruiters and potential employers is, “Why did you leave?” Have a good answer ready. The best answers are those that concisely, positively, nondefensively and credibly tell your departure story in a way that best protects your competence and integrity.

If your departure can be tied to broader executive-level changes at your former organization, make that clear. If your departure was an isolated event at the company, craft an explanation that focuses on culture, philosophy or fit. Your job is to minimize the salience of this departure, given the larger picture of your overall career.

Remember, potential employers and recruiters understand that not all arrangements work out at senior levels. They just want to ensure that what didn’t work at the last company doesn’t create risk for them in the next. 

Align your references.

Your public statement as to why you left your last firm must be consistent with what your references tell a potential employer. That doesn’t mean that everyone has to tell your exact story; they just can’t tell the potential employer something that’s odds with your story.

For example, references might not be expected to know why you left, and they could be a little harsher than you can afford to be in discussing your former employer. But they can’t say you were terminated if you’re saying that it was your choice to leave. You need to know how a reference will answer this question.

Also, your references need to know what you are telling the potential employer. If there’s a conflict, find it out early and work it out before it becomes a costly embarrassment. 

Try to repair relationships.

So the CEO fired you and you think it was unfair, and you want nothing to do with that person ever again. While that reaction is understandable, it is in your best interests to do what you can to repair that relationship. First, it is always valuable to have your most recent manager on your reference list, if possible; rebuilding the relationship provides you a chance to do that.

Even if that isn’t going to happen—or in the event you don’t trust the person enough to include him or her on your reference list—repairing the relationship with a former boss or colleague increases the chances that the person won’t torpedo your opportunity at a new organization if he or she is called blindly by a potential employer. And blind references are often used, particularly at executive levels.

Exiting an organization on someone else’s terms is rarely easy. But doing so in the right way can improve your chances of successfully reaching your next opportunity.

Howard Seidel, Ed.D., J.D., is a partner with Essex Partners, a consultancy that specializes in senior executive and C-suite career transitions. www.essexpartners.com

Incorporate The 3 P's Into Your Job Search

You sit down with your interviewer and it starts to happen. Your hands start to sweat, thank goodness you've already shaken hands. You're starting to feel your heart beat against your chest and you now have to focus to keep you voice from quivering.

I've been there and it's the high-point of pre-interview jitters. Fortunately there's an easy way to combat these feelings. Practice, practice, practice. The more you practice the more comfortable you will feel during an actual interview.

There's a couple of ways to go about this. The first is to get a friend or family member to interview you. This is a very non threatening setting. If you know someone who has actually hired people then that's great but don't worry if you can't find someone like that. Just being able to do dry runs will help you feel more comfortable.

If you can't find anyone with hiring experience, print out a list of questions for them to ask you. Below is a sample list of questions Click here to view more potential questions.

• What do you expect from a supervisor? - Best Answers
• What problems have you encountered at work? - Best Answers
• Have you ever had difficulty working with a manager? - Best Answers
• Who was your best boss and who was the worst? - Best Answers
• Why are you leaving your job? - Best Answers

The idea isn't to try to trick you or keep you on your toes. It's to get you thinking about how you will answer so that when the questions are asked you will sound confident in your response. You will also have less of a "searching for the right answer" feeling when you're being interviewed.

Can't find anyone to practice interview you? Head over to the contact form to schedule a one-on-one coaching session.

Unemployment Extension 2012

This post originally appeared on about.com 8/20/2012 by Alison Doyle. 

Federal extended unemployment benefits are in effect through 2012 with different levels of benefits available based on your unemployment status and the state from which you are collecting benefits.  There will be no extended benefits for 2013 unless new legislation is passed by Congress prior to the end of the year.

The number of weeks of extended unemployment benefits are gradually being reduced to 73 weeks in states with high unemployment and 63 weeks in the other states.

As the changes are implemented, weeks will be cut from some of the tiers and there are new requirements for tiers to be available based on state unemployment rates.  However, unemployed workers collecting state benefits that will expire between now and the end of the year will be eligible for extended benefits. Unemployed workers collecting extended benefits will be able to move to the next tier based on the new guidelines.

Here's more information on the changes:

• Tiers of Unemployment Benefits 2012
• Unemployment Extension Fact Sheet

Important: Check your State Unemployment Officewebsite for details on who qualifies for extended benefits and when and how benefits will be paid.  Check the "Extended Benefits" section for information.

Avoid Unemployment ScamsThe only way you can file for extended benefits is through your state unemployment office.  You cannot apply for benefits on third party websites, even if they say they will file for you.  Here's how to avoid unemployment scams.

More InformationIf you have run out of unemployment or are about to lose your unemployment benefits, here'swhat to do when unemployment runs out.

You're Only 5 Degrees of Separation Away From Kevin Bacon

Last Friday I wrote a post that included the topic "Six Degrees of Separation." I went back through the archives and found a post I had written on the subject. With the use of Social Media we now have more clarity into the whole "Small World" concept. After reading the article ask yourself, how far removed from your next employer are you?

Connect Marlon Brando with Kevin Bacon, ok.... go! So Brando was in Apocalypse Now which starred Martin Sheen who played Queenan in The Departed which also starred Leonardo DiCaprio. Leo played Frank Abagnale Jr. in Catch Me If You Can beside of Tom Hanks who once co-starred with Kevin Bacon in Apollo 13. 

So maybe I could do better at this game. Facebook and the University of Milan has announced that on average we are only 5 (4.74 actually) degrees away from anybody in the world. It was Stanley Milgram who first introduced the concept that we were 5.2, or  six "hops" away from anybody in the world. 

Milgram's 1967 "small world experiment" drew on 296 while Facebook was able to utilize it's 721 million active user database, which is more than 10 percent of the world's population. Facebook found that 99.6% of all users are connected by paths with 5 degrees (6 hops) and 92% are connected by only 4 degrees. These percentages were based on global users but when focusing on a single country the average falls to 3.

The internet has created a more connected world but Facebook took credit for helping us get more connected.

"And as Facebook has grown over the years, representing an ever larger fraction of the global population, it has become steadily more connected," the network said in a blog announcing its finding. "The average distance in 2008 was 5.28 hops, while now it is 4.74."

Facebook was willing to point out that there are differences in its study and the on Milgram conducted.

 It is important to note that while Milgram was motivated by the same question (how many individuals separate any two people), these numbers are not directly comparable; his subjects only had limited knowledge of the social network, while we have a nearly complete representation of the entire thing. Our measurements essentially describe the shortest possible routes that his subjects could have found.

Have any interesting stories on the "Six degrees of separation" game or being connected to any celebrities? Let us know!

Get To Know People

I don't agree a hundred percent it's not what you know but who you know. When you hear that phrase thrown around, sometimes it's used as an excuse. People think that they're not lucky enough to know the right people. Or maybe their parents weren't in the right social circles. Plenty of people have used who their daddy knew, the southern way of saying it, but who YOU know can be significantly more effective.

Now the complaint may be that you haven't been building your network of influential people during the past 10 years. That's not an issue since you likely know someone today who can introduce you to someone who is more influential.

Below is an article written by Adam Gotesfeld describing the results of Timothy Ferriss' challenge to Princeton students to contact the most hard to reach people.

Most Princeton students love to procrastinate in writing their dean’s date [term] papers. Ryan Marrinan ’07, from Los Angeles, was no exception. But while the majority of undergraduates fill their time by updating their Facebook profiles or watching videos on YouTube, Marrinan was discussing Soto Zen Buddhism via e-mail with Randy Komisar, a partner at the venture capital firm Kleiner Perkins Caufield and Byers, and asking Google CEO Eric Schmidt ’76 via e-mail when he had been happiest in his life. (Schmidt’s answer: “Tomorrow.”)

Prior to his e-mail, Marrinan had never contacted Komisar. He had met Schmidt, at Princeton University trustee, only briefly at an academic affairs meeting of the trustees in November. A self-described “naturally shy kind,” Marrinan said he would never have dared to randomly e-mail two of the most powerful men in Silicon Valley if it weren’t for Tim Ferriss ’00, who offered a guest lecture in Professor Ed Zschau ’61’s ELE 491 “High-Tech Entrepreneurship” class. Ferriss challenged Marrinan and his fellow seniors in the class to contact high-profile celebrities and CEOs and get their answers to questions they have always wanted to ask.

For extra incentive, Ferriss promised the student who could contact the most hard-to-reach name and ask the most intriguing question a round-trip plane ticket anywhere in the world.

“I believe that success can be measured in the number of uncomfortable conversations you’re willing to have. I felt that if I could help students overcome the fear rejection with cold-calling and cold e-mail, it would serve them forever,” Ferriss said. “It’s easy to sell yourself short, but when you see classmates getting responses from people like [former president] George Bush, the CEOs of Disney, Comcast, Google, and HP, and dozens of other impossible-to-reach people, it forces you to reconsider your self-set limitations.”… Ferriss lectures to the students of “High-Tech Entrepreneurship” each semester about creating a startup and designing the ideal lifestyle.

“I participate in this contest every day,” said Ferriss. “I do what I always do: find a personal e-mail if possible, often through their little-known personal blogs, send a two- to three-paragraph e-mail which explains that you are familiar with their work, and ask one simple-to-answer but thought-provoking question in that e-mail related to their work or life philosophies. The goal is to start a dialogue so they take the time to answer future e-mails – not to ask for help. That can only come after at least three or four genuine e-mail exchanges.”

With “textbook execution of the Tim Ferriss Technique,” as he put it, Marrinan was able to strike up a bond with Komisar. In his initial e-mail, he talked about reading one of Komisar’s Harvard Business Review articles and feeling inspired to ask him, “When were you happiest in your life?” After Komisar replied with references to Tibetan Buddhism, Marrinan responded, “Just as words are inadequate to explain true happiness, so too are words inadequate to express my thanks.” His e-mail included his personal translation of a French poem by Taisen Deshimaru, the former European head of Soto Zen. An e-mail relationship was formed, and Komisar even e-mailed Marrinan a few days later with a link to a New York Times article on happiness.

Contacting Schmidt proved more challenging. For Marrinan, the toughest part was getting Schmidt’s personal e-mail address. He e-mailed a Princeton dean asking for it. No response. Two weeks later, he e-mailed the same dean again, defending his request by reminding her that he had previously met Schmidt. The dean said no, but Marrinan refused to give up. He e-mailed her a third time. “Have you ever made an exception?” he asked. The dean finally gave in, he said, and provided him with Schmidt’s e-mail.

“I know some of my classmates pursued the alternative scattershot technique with some success, but that’s not my bag,” Marrinan said, explaining his perseverance. “I deal with rejection by persisting, not by taking my business elsewhere. My maxim comes from Samuel Beckett, a personal hero of mine: ‘Ever tried. Ever failed. No matter. Try again. Fail again. Fail better.’ You won’t believe what you can accomplish by attempting the impossible with the courage to repeatedly fail better.”

Nathan Kaplan ’07, another participant in the contest. was most proud of the way that he was able to contact former Newark mayor Sharpe James. Because James had made a campaign contribution to Al Sharpton, the website www.fundrace.org listed James’ homes address. Kaplan then input James’ address into an online search-by-address phone directory, through which he received the former mayor’s phone number. Kaplan left a message for James, and a few days later finally got to ask him about childhood education.

Ferriss is proud of the effort students have put into his contest. “Most people can do absolutely awe-inspiring things,” he said. “Sometimes they just need a little nudge.”

Adam Gottesfeld ’07, a Woodrow Wilson School major, is from Los Angeles.

After reading this article personally, I was encouraged in contacting those on my list. We don't have be hampered by what doesn't exist. If you don't have those special connections then make them.

A great way of connecting with people fast is to attend networking events. It may take a visit or two but your face will become familiar and you will start learning who has similar interests as you. Just don't create excuses out of things that can be fixed.

12 Things Killer Employees (or achievers) Do Before Noon

This article originally appeared at www.businessinsider.com | Authored by Jada A. Graves

A recent study published in an American Psychological Association journal, Emotion, suggests that early birds are generally happier than night owls.

More than 700 respondents, ranging from ages 17 to 79, were surveyed and asked about their emotional state, health, and preferred time of day.

Self-professed "morning people" reported feeling happier and healthier than night owls. Researchers hypothesize that one of the reasons could be because society caters to a morning person's schedule.

It's certainly true that the working world does. Working "9-to-5" is more than an expression, but a standard shift for many Americans. It also stands to reason that those who like rising with the sun are also the most productive employees in the office.

Do you want to be more like them? Then take note of the tasks these high-functioning, productive, and more awake employees have completed before lunch:

1. They make a work to-do list the day before. Many swear by having a written to-do list, but not everyone agrees on when you need to compose it. According to Andrew Jensen, a business efficiency consultant with Sozo Firm in Shrewsbury, Pa., the opportune time to plan a day's tasks is the night before. "Some people like to do the to-do schedule in the morning, but then they might have already lost office time writing it out," he says. "It helps to do that to-do schedule the night before. It also will help you sleep better.

[In Pictures: 10 Ways to Boost Work Productivity.]

2. They get a full night's rest. Speaking of sleeping better ... lack of sleep affects your concentration level, and therefore, your productivity. Whatever your gold standard is for a "good night's rest," strive to meet it every work night. Most health experts advise getting a minimum eight hours of shut-eye each night.

3. They avoid hitting snooze. Petitioning for nine more minutes, then nine more, then another nine is a slippery slope that leads to falling back asleep and falling behind on your morning prep. Ultimately it also leads to lateness. "Anyone can be made into a morning person," Jensen says. "Anyone can make morning their most productive time. It could be that for the entire week, you set your alarm clock a little bit earlier, and you get out of bed on the first alarm. It may be a pain at first, but eventually you'll get to the point where you're getting your seven to eight hours of sleep at night, you're waking up with all your energy, and accomplishing the things around the house you need to before going to the office."

4. They exercise. Schedule your Pilates class for the a.m. instead of after work. "Exercise improves mood and energy levels," Jensen says. Not only that, but "there have been studies done on employees who've exercised before work or during the work day. Those employees have been found to have better time-management skills, and an improved mental sharpness. ... Those same studies found these workers are more patient with their peers."

5. They practice a morning ritual. Jensen also recommends instituting a morning routine aside from your exercise routine. Whether you opt to meditate, read the newspaper, or surf the Web, Jensen says "it's important to have that quiet time with just you."

6. They eat breakfast. Food provides the fuel you'll need to concentrate, and breakfast is particularly important since it recharges you after you've fasted all night. Try munching on something light and healthy in the morning, and avoid processed carbs that could zap your energy.

7. They arrive at the office on time. This one is obvious, right? Getting a full night's rest and keeping your sticky fingers off the snooze button should make No. 7 a cakewalk. If you're not a new employee, then you've already figured out the length of your average commute. Allot a safe amount of time to make it to work on schedule.

8. They check in with their boss and/or employees. We all know the cliche about the whole only being as good as the sum of its parts. In other words, if your closest work associates aren't productive, then neither are you. Good workers set priorities that align with their company's goals, and they're transparent about their progress.

9. They tackle the big projects first. You can dive right into work upon arriving in the office, since you made your to-do list the night before. And Jensen suggests starting with the hardest tasks. "Don't jump into meaningless projects when you're at your mental peak for the day," he says.

10. They avoid morning meetings. If you have any say on meeting times, schedule them in the afternoon. "You should use your prime skills during the prime time of the day. I believe that mornings are the most productive time," Jensen says, also noting that an employer who schedules morning meetings could rob his or her employees of their peak performance, and ultimately cost the company.

The exception to this, he adds, is if your meeting is the most important task of the day. "Sometimes you have to schedule a crucial meeting, or a client meeting, in which case you'd want to plan for a time when employees are at their peak."

11. They allot time for following up on messages. Discern between mindless email/voicemail checking and conducting important business. Jensen's company, Sozo Firm, advises clients that checking their inbox every couple of minutes takes time away from important tasks. Instead, set a schedule to check and respond to email in increments. Consider doing so at the top of each hour, to ensure that clients and colleagues receive prompt responses from you.

[See How to Use Your Work Email Efficiently.]

12. They take a mid-morning break. Get up and stretch your legs. Or stay seated and indulge in a little Internet surfing. According to Jensen, it's actually good to zone out on Facebook and Twitter or send a personal text message or two. "You should take 10-minute breaks occasionally," he says. "Companies that ban any kind of Facebook [use], texting, or personal calls can find it will be detrimental. Those practices increase employee satisfaction."

Just be sure not to abuse the privilege. "The best employees will respect their employer's time, and the worst-performing employees will find a way to waste time even if the company forbids personal Internet use," Jensen explains.

Read more: http://money.usnews.com/money/careers/articles/2012/08/08/12-things-killer-employees-do-before-noon#ixzz23k5rdwy5