Unless you strongly resemble those "other people," they're irrelevant.

6. "You will probably fail." Your advisor may be using fear to motivate you to work harder or sign up for his success course.

Here's a legend: "Maestro," says surgeon to famous musician, "I played for you at a master class. You advised me to stop playing professionally. You said I would never be great. I want to thank you. I listened to your advice and became a doctor." The maetro peers at surgeon: "I do not remember you. I tell all my students that. The great ones ignore my advice and continue anyway."

7." If you feel energized about your goal, you will be successful." Feeling energized just means you enjoy some aspect of what you are doing. Figure out what you enjoy and design a life to include more of it.

My old friend Richard was energized about his failing business for ten years of negative income. Last I heard he was with a temporary agency, paid hourly, holding on to title of "independent contractor."å

8. "You can always go back to what you were doing before." After months or years of trying to start a business, you and your former career will be different and your former colleagues will view you differently. Better to begin with a job that you can leave if you become successful. Stay in a position of power. 9." You have had a successful career so far and you'll figure out how to be successful now." Basketball players do not always thrive on football teams and baseball is a different game altogether. Enough said.

10. "You will be fine; you just need more confidence." If you lack self-confidence in several areas of your life, see a clinician. Otherwise your lack of confidence in your entrepreneurial skills is probably reality-based and should be viewed as a signal to find another advisor.

Background checks reveal presence of past problems. Pre-employment personality and behavioral testing offers employers reliable insight into probability of future problems by identifying attitudes that precede undesirable behavior.

Interviews aren’t enough anymore. Employers who have a selection process that fails to gather as much information as is legally permissible, are agreeing to play Russian Roulette without checking all chambers of weapon first.

Copyright 2002 by Mason Duchatschek