- Dan Schawbel is a bestselling author, speaker, and host of "5 Questions with Dan Schawbel."
- In a recent episode, he spoke with
rapper and record executiveRick Ross about his best career advice. - Ross says the most valuable asset in your control is time, and the biggest mistake you can make is being afraid to ask for help.
Rick Ross is a rapper, songwriter, and record executive. He's the founder of the Maybach Music group, has 10 albums that have made the Billboard 200 list, and has received four Grammy Award nominations. During our conversation, Ross discussed some of the highlights from his new book, "The Perfect Day to Boss Up," and offered his best career advice.
What were some of your early childhood experiences that helped you learn how to be a businessman and eventually launch successful ventures?
I remember roaming through my neighborhood and community and seeing what successful people had going on. You know, the people with the nicest yards and houses. And I remember saying, wow, they worked for themselves. They own a lawn service or whatever it is, but I saw people that had worked hard and were living a little better than where I'm from.
During the grind of building your brand and career, what was your daily motivation that helped you persevere despite all the obstacles?
Growing up in Miami, there was no gray area - you were either extremely wealthy or you had nothing. So I would go joy riding and that would give me all the inspiration I needed. Anything you could imagine or fathom was right there in the city, it was just about getting to it. And I remained inspired and I wouldn't stop, I wouldn't quit no matter what.
What are some of your 'Boss Commandments' that people can implement in their own lives?
The most important question I get asked is, how did you put yourself in a position to become so wealthy? And I always go back to the idea that you have to do it one day at a time. The most valuable asset you will ever be in control of is time, and there will come a time when you won't have enough of it.
So take advantage of every day to do something positive. Call five people that you haven't called in a little while. Reach out to some potential business partners that could help you elevate whatever it is you have going on. As a boss, you can't be afraid to say you need help. That's the biggest mistake you can make is not saying you need help.
Over the past year, you cut your own grass instead of paying someone else to do it and you flew commercial instead of private. Why did you choose to do this, even though you don't have to?
For one, I'm always thinking long-term. I believe we need to put ourselves in a strong financial position while we have the opportunity, because that can affect the rest of our lives.
From my understanding, the former owner of my estate had 17 people maintaining close to 300 acres. Even though he was very wealthy, the estate ended up going into foreclosure. So to avoid this, I maintain the bulk of it with my buddies. They handle the yard work, and I bought a tractor and I cut the grass. I'm thinking long-term, and hopefully I can get some other people to think this way as well.
And me flying commercial; it goes back to the mindset of still being comfortable with walking through the airport and having people want to talk to me or ask for a picture. I'm not too big for that, and I don't think I'll ever be too big for that. If I'm flying private it's only because I had to go to three different cities in one day.
What is your best piece of career advice?
My best piece of career advice is to make sure you're always the hardest worker in the room. You can never let anyone in the room be recognized as the hardest worker because if that's the case, you're losing.
If I'm not the smartest person in the room, I will be acknowledged as being the hardest worker. I will stay the latest. I will get there before everybody. I'll make sure I elevate myself. And that's the only way you make it to this level or continue to go up.
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