Dan Schawbel will speak on a subject he knows well, “Meet the Millennial Generation, as the keynote speaker for the 2014 Coachella Annual Economic Summit on Oct. 30 hosted by the Coachella Valley Economic Partnership.
The event will also feature economist Dr. John Husing and the unveiling of the 2014 Coachella Valley Economic Report.
Schawbel is managing partner of Millennial Branding, a Gen Y research and consulting firm. His impressive knowledge of Millennial employees and customers in today’s marketplace has made him an expert sought out by heavy corporate hitters such as Google, Time Warner, and Ernst & Young.
He is a columnist for both Time and Forbes and his books, Promote Yourself: The New Rules For Career Success and Me 2.0: 4 Steps to Building Your Future were New York Times and Wall Street Journal bestsellers. Among other issues facing employers, he assists in educating firms about Gen Y workplace preferences, values, and career goals.
Photo by Thinkstockphotos.com
Millennials typically look for low cost of living and public transportation. Many would rather not own a car.
Palm Springs Life spoke with Schawbel about his observations regarding the Coachella Valley’s unique employment environment and his own tips for success.
How can your research findings be applied to the Coachella Valley hiring and its tourism-based business climate?
• “Research has been done that suggests that Millennials choose experiences over material objects. In order to attract Millennials, you must promote things that make your area unique and appealing, showcasing the best elements that you cannot find elsewhere.”
• “Invest in creating activities to draw in younger workers.”
• “Millennials typically look for low cost of living and public transportation…many would rather not own a car. They seek interesting and engaging activities.”
What tenants from your own early work experiences do you still follow, or have you had to make up a whole new set given your success?
• “Networking. I put more emphasis on networking to create opportunity. Shine the spotlight on others. See what people are doing in your industry and promote that. It is often reciprocated.”
• “I started in social media and branding, then millennials and now workplace trends overall. You don’t reinvent as much as evolve as you grow and develop and expand your horizons. You become more unique and valuable as you become a known entity and people want to hire you and work with you.”
• “Most people want the quick turnaround for success…it doesn’t work that way. You make enough of the right decisions and start early and it will pay off. You double down on your strengths and come up with a good strategy for what you want to be…experience is key.”
In your column with Forbes, you get to talk to a lot of CEOs and entrepreneurs. What characteristics about starting a business and making it successful haven't changed over the years?
• “Work ethic. It’s the secret to everything. You put in enough work, figure things out, fail, recover, and move forward. Successful people think long-term and make better decisions because they know where they want to end up.”
• “Vision is important. Successful people know where they want to go and take people with them. A common thread is surrounding yourself with the right people, filling in the gaps with people that have qualities you don’t have or can do things that you are not good at.”
• “Do more than what’s asks of you. I always say, ‘Your job description is just the beginning. Go above and beyond.’”
• “Be willing to fail in order to eventually succeed. If you don’t try enough you are missing an opportunity. Take a risk. I fail all the time and don’t look at it as failure. I evaluate and revamp and see how I can to this better. I turn a fail into a learning opportunity. I learn from everything. It makes you so much better the next time. If you don’t take risk there are not as many big-time successes.”
Coachella Valley Economic Annual Economic Summit, starts at 11 a.m. Oct. 30 at the JW Marriott Desert Springs Resort & Spa in Palm Desert. Visit www.cvepsummit.com for tickets and information, or call 760-340-1575.
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