Michael Carr’s Post

Let me stop your scrolling for a minute to share my 1yr anniversary post! 👰 . The num 1 question I get asked the most is: How do you do all that you do?! 50% of the answer to this question is: Because of him! Our success is a combination of our own skills, grit, consistency & the support system we have at home. He is the one who stays back while I wine and dine, travels, network, and spend long days having “fun”, etc. He covers dinners, sports activities and band concerts with no hesitation. I do the same for him, however, I’m well aware that it don’t come close to be equal 😬. . He supports my dreams and goals and celebrates my successes. That’s the definition of a partnership. We are in to add value to each other lives, not to compete. Truly we made a choice to stay away from protagonism or individual agendas! There is no way possible that I can do what I do without his love and support! ❤️. That’s all! . Now, carry on with your Monday, and remember that success is not only external, but a combination of what your bring to the outside world, and what you cultivate behind the doors. One can not live long term without the other. Go build your best life! 🌞😊 Happy Monday to y’all! #buildyoursuccess #buildingrelationships #buildyourbestlife

Today marks the 5th anniversary of Crisis Ally, and it's surreal to reflect on the considerable time that has already passed since its launch. On this special day, I'm excited to share some key milestones and insights gained throughout my journey! ✨ 𝐌𝐲 𝐌𝐢𝐥𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐧𝐞𝐬 ✨ 🤝 I connected with extraordinary individuals, including team members, partners, prospects, and clients, and rekindled relationships with people I hadn't spoken to in two decades - that's the highlight of my journey! 😯 I stepped far beyond my comfort zone nine times out of ten to challenge my introverted nature and embrace the thrill of being on stage now! 😎 I successfully revitalized and reshaped the company's strategy in three years, yielding tangible and measurable results. 🚀 I obtained a coveted seat at the table among industry giants - recently, a prospect expressed the desire to bring CA alongside CRG and other prominent names in Europe, fostering a diverse approach 🔥 🌎 I independently secured partnerships with major brands without needing RFPs or indirect selling. Just CA being CA, and me doing what I do best 🔥 👨👩👧👦 Most importantly, I balanced all these achievements while tending to the daily needs of my two children. ✨ 𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐈 𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐞𝐝 ✨ 📈 I now recognize that among a vast pool of potential clients, only 1 to 3% are actively ready to make a purchase. 👩🎨 I embraced the idea that selling services is an art rather than an exact science and focused on building connections with people. 📋 I acknowledged the importance of firmly adhering to our processes to prevent scope creep and maintain alignment. 👻 I developed #resilience and understanding not to take the act of prospects ghosting personally! I want to end this post by encouraging you to embrace challenges, celebrate victories, and stay authentic. Every setback is a stepping stone to greater heights, and every connection is an opportunity for growth. Keep pushing boundaries, for therein lies the path to unparalleled success! 🍾 Happy 5th birthday, Crisis Ally! Bonne Fête, Crisis Ally! 🍾

1 Year Later... It has been a year since my last day at Verizon and what a year it has been! This past year, I prioritized my self-care. Whatever that needed to be at the moment. Sometimes, that meant being busy, sometimes resting, sometimes doing a project, and sometimes thinking and writing. This was a year of learning and unlearning. There were moments of pure happiness and crippling fear. I’m thankful for this journey and the amazing friends and family I have to support me. My success metrics have shifted significantly. I used to look at compensation, title, year end ratings, how much work I accomplished, etc. Now I look at percentage of happiness.  I’m generally a happy person,but I can honestly say I am sitting at a higher percentage than I was a year ago. The best part is that I am in control of that number. I can remove things from the equation to increase the percentage all the time. If something is not serving my happiness, it gets removed, or in the cases where I can’t remove it, I come up with ways to limit the impact it has on me. It’s hard !!!! But it’s the best work I can do for myself! Recently, I saw a friend. I was talking about my small business when she stopped me and said, “Look how happy you are. I haven’t seen this version of Chris in years.” It’s amazing when others notice, too 😊 I added a few other things to my year-end performance review—it feels like a “leading rating” to me! ✅ Enjoyed some amazing vacations. ✅ Wrote and published my first book  ✅ Packed up and sold our home ✅ Relocated to the Jersey Shore ✅ Laid the foundation and significantly grew my small business  ✅ Filled my calendar with countless catch-up calls, videos, and lunches, reconnecting with amazing people  ✅ Many therapy sessions deconstructing what I want to carry forward and leave behind from my corporate career I think the smile is a bit different in the pictures. Let's go, Year 2 !!!

As a Worldwide Head at Amazon, one of the hardest things for me to do is be present. I am not alone. In working with leaders in every geography, I've found that they face the same challenge. Here is a simple solution. We have things pulling at us every moment of the day--emails, Slack messages, alerts, etc. That's not to mention things in our personal lives! Focusing and paying attention is harder than ever. Yet when we interact with another human being--whether a colleague, someone on our team, a customer, or a family member--it's the most important thing we can do. Daniel Goleman said, "your attention is the greatest gift you can give someone." Attention begins with intention. If you don't intend to pay attention, there is a zero percent chance you will do it. So the first and most basic thing is to make that decision and help yourself by putting away distractions--silence the phone, close the laptop, etc. You get the idea. The second thing is a technique that is so simple yet so powerful. I call it "Go BIG." BIG stands for Breathe, Intention, Gratitude. • Breathe: Take a few deep breaths and center yourself. You can use a favorite technique like box breathing or just fill your lungs and let out a long exhale. Even one breath can make a difference! • Intention: Decide how you intend to show up. It could curious or empathetic or assertive or confident. Whatever you think will help you achieve your goal. Deciding (and even visualizing) beforehand makes a difference. If you aim at nothing, you'll hit it every time, right? • Gratitude: Think about one reason you are grateful for this interaction. It could be that you enjoy working with this person or people. You may be excited about the project you are involved with. Or you may not enjoy either, but you can be grateful that you have a job and can take care of your family. Just finding something to be grateful for puts your mind in a more optimal state to pay attention. Chris Voss, former lead hostage negotiator for the FBI, uses this technique in his negotiations--even with adversarial people. The great thing is that this technique can literally take a few seconds. You can Go BIG before an important meeting, before a one-on-one, before a customer engagement, or before a talk with your partner or teenager. You can even use it in the middle of an interaction when you want to re-center yourself. I use it all the time! I also use it when I wake up in the morning (before my feet hit the ground) and when I go to bed at night (while I am lying in bed). It's a great way to start the day and end the day. Before your next human interaction, why not Go BIG? You'll be better for it, and so will the people you interact with. If you don't Go BIG, you might as well go home. How do you increase your attention and focus? Do you use a version of Go BIG already? I'd love to hear in the comments. #gobig #emotionalintelligence #epicleadership #attention #focus #breathe #intention #gratitude

James Slavet gave me a demotion at Yahoo. It was the single best career move I ever made. At the time, I wanted to move from marketing to general management. A role opened up at Yahoo! Autos that could move me in that professional direction. There was only one issue—the job was two levels below my current marketing position. Because I had so much experience working within Yahoo! already, we compromised and I took a one level demotion to take the job. Most of my peers thought this was a bad decision. I took a lower title and less compensation to take on a new job within the same company. However, I saw it as a huge opportunity. On paper, I didn’t have all the relevant experience and yet James, the leader of the Yahoo! Autos team at the time, was willing to make a bet on me. He hired me for the role and then did what all of my best mentors and champions did—he gave me the runway to fly. While he was always there to answer questions or help me prepare for meetings with senior leaders, he gave me the space and the trust to make the job my own. And when he made a career transition less than a year later, I was promoted into his job. This move with a demotion had completely changed my career trajectory. I owe much of my career success to the opportunity James gave me. Yet, it was years before I properly thanked him. When I wrote my book, “Purposeful,” I interviewed many people who had started movements that positively impacted the world. I asked each of them if they could point to someone who helped them leap forward on their journey. Everyone said yes. Yet almost none of them had ever thanked that person directly. I realized I had people to thank. I finally wrote James a note to tell him what a meaningful impact he had on my professional trajectory. Most of us have people to thank in our lives—on our teams and beyond. We just need the reminder. The act of expressing that gratitude is a gift to them and us. Leaning into gratitude makes us happier, more resilient people and reminds us to pay it forward. It’s no surprise that one of Rising Team's most popular team development sessions is our Gratitude Kit: you pick people you’re thankful for and tell them why. If you are eager to try this exercise with your team, you can download the kit for free: https://lnkd.in/gx4_iynN In the coming months, I’ll be doing regular gratitude posts to thank people who have made a difference in my life. I invite you to do the same. Tag someone you’re grateful for below and share the impact they’ve had on your life 👇🏼 #gratitude #teamdevelopment #mentor — Like this post? Follow me for more insights on leadership, team building, and the future of work. Subscribe to my LinkedIn newsletter Leadership is Everywhere: https://lnkd.in/g_VETsRY

🚀🎉 Some massive news from our corner! After 13 incredible years, today marks a momentous change as we bid farewell to Red Dot. That's right, we're closing the doors on Red Dot 🚪❤️, but not without a grand next step on the horizon. Why close, you ask? Because an opportunity has knocked 🎁 that couldn't be ignored—an opportunity that recognises the hard graft and talent of the Red Dot team 🌟 and opens the door to a future filled with even bigger achievements. First, a massive thank you 🙏 to every Red Dotter for their dedication, hard work, and the indelible mark they've left on our journey. Your commitment over the last 13 years has been the backbone of our success. I hope our paths will cross again in this new world we’re stepping into. And if not, let's catch up for a brew ☕ and a natter – old times’ sake. Equally, a huge shout-out to all our clients and everyone who has supported us along the way 🌈. Your trust, support, and partnership have been invaluable. Without you, our story wouldn’t have been half as successful or fulfilling. As we transition, I look forward to continuing to serve you with even more to offer and exceeding your expectations in new and exciting ways. As of Monday, 18th March 2024, a new chapter begins 📖✨, and believe me when I say, it's exciting. We're merging our expertise, our passion, and our relentless drive for recruitment excellence into something… well, you’ll have to wait until Monday for the full reveal 🤐. What I can share is this: for our clients, our partners, and our team, the future is bright 🌟. Brighter than ever before. We’re expanding our reach, our capabilities, and our services. From the sectors you know us for to realms we’ve never ventured into together, we’re stepping up our game. Stay tuned for Monday’s big reveal where all will be unveiled 🎭. I’m thrilled about what’s to come and can't wait to bring you all along for the journey. Here’s to new beginnings 🥂, to ambitious adventures, and to the relentless pursuit of excellence. See you on the other side, Martin #endofanera #RedDotSearch #thankyouall

🎉 Happy Friday 🎉 As the week comes to an end, I stop for a moment to reflect on the importance of hard work and connections in our roles as SDRs. 🚀 Highlights of the Week 🤝 New Connections: This week, I had the pleasure of connecting with some incredible professionals in Finance. Each conversation sparked new ideas and insights that I can’t wait to explore further! 💡 Learning Moments: I faced a few challenges this week, but each one taught me something valuable. Whether it was refining my outreach strategy or finding new ways to engage prospects, every setback is just a setup for a comeback! 💪 Team Collaboration: I’m grateful for my amazing team who continuously inspires me. Sharing tips and celebrating every win together makes all the difference. Looking Ahead 👉 As we head into the weekend, I’m excited to recharge and come back with fresh energy. If you’re in sales, what’s one lesson you learned this week? Let’s share our experiences and grow together! Wishing everyone a productive end to the week and a relaxing weekend ahead! #SalesDevelopment #SDR #Networking #SalesTips #Friday

Real talk: nothing can prepare you for the emotions that emerge when you write a farewell note to colleagues after spending 7.5 years with them. Not even 2 months of lead-time from making the decision to step down to the last day. Writing that email and listing out the people in the "To:" line who truly made an impact in my life was the first wave of emotion. Then came the replies. Literally hundreds of them. And that's when my oldest saw me in tears, overwhelmed with appreciation. It may be cliche to thank a company after deciding to leave it, but having gotten to know so many colleagues in my first few months back in 2016, the people at Early Warning® quickly became my 'why' at work. Why I tried to bring my best. To deliver. With a smile. Every time. Or, as often as I could. From helping launch Zelle® in 2017 to most recently our work to launch Paze℠, and everything in between, it was an incredible run. Thank you, team. But with our growing family at home, I knew months ago that it was time to focus (for a short while) on my most important titles: husband and father. Looking ahead... after a number of incredible weeks coaching my 3-year-old and 5-year-old's tee ball teams, I will be able to share more on what's next. In the meantime, cheers.

🎂 It's our 2nd birthday, and to celebrate, I wanna share a *cancellation email* I received this morning.... (doing weird stuff like this is on-brand at this point, right? 😅) It occurred to me, you NEVER see companies celebrating customers churning. But IMO, this is worth celebrating. The life-cycle of a customer: people find you, get immense value ("top 3 communities in 28yrs" is one for the wall of fame! 🏆), we hug it out, & then they carry on with their life. Some will stay 4eva (over 70% of our first 100 customers are still with us! 🫶🏽), and for others, their season that they need GW will come to a close. But truthfully, it actually doesn't. This is what makes communities different. They become ingrained, a teeny part of who you are. Members will always carry a little part of the validation, network, confidece, personal growth, career hacks, and magic that Generalist World brings. It's a pretty special business to be in! My belly used to be filled with a pit of dread if I saw a cancellation come through. But now, I flip that on its head... When I read emails like this, it's not a case of: "they cancelled, and I've failed!" but.. "they cancelled, and what a success!" Accompanying this email, was our Community Cafe flooding with 'Happy birthday to us!' videos and photos (s/out to Vera, Ramiro, Elisabeth, Laura what a gorgeous surprise!) ❤️ So anyways, happy cancellations, happy churning, happy growth, happy feedback cycles, happy experimenting, happy getting stuff wrong, and HAPPY BLINKIN' BIRTHDAY Generalist World 🎂🫶🏽 ps: biggest gratitude to the team: Ece Kurtaraner Lindsey Lerner Nikita Khandwala Emily Cleland 🫶🏽

Yesterday, I turned 45. It had me reflecting on this last trip around the sun and what has unfolded in just 365 days. Here are my top 4 highlights from my 44th year as I figured 44 may be overkill 😜 👇 👧 My husband and I got approved to adopt and we gained a daughter 👩💼 My back office team grew by 4 people ❌ I took 5 full weeks off work and offline completely, thanks to my amazing team 📈 SalesClosers launched 2 x brand new sales outsourcing services in response to market needs Sometimes it's so easy to get stuck in the day-to-day and forget to take a step back to review the bigger picture and appreciate how much we've actually achieved. So... if you haven't done that in a while (or ever) ... take this as your sign ✨ #grateful #businessgrowth #salesoutsourcing