Unless you are born with a few million dollars in the bank – you have to work for a living in order to exist in this world. Simply put – no job means no pay which means no way can you make ends meet. Like it or not, that’s the way it is. Sure there are days when our alarm clock goes off and we want to throw it out the window, but as much as we would love to go back to sleep – we have to get up and punch in

In today’s society, the two key elements that determine if you are a success or a failure in the business world are your performance and work ethic, because as good as you are at what you do – there is always someone else who is ready to take your job away from you. So in order to ensure that you will stay in the position that you are in – you have to perform your job with professionalism, attention to detail – and above all – accuracy.

I can say with no conviction that I have a tremendous work ethic. The fact that I work three different jobs at the same time speaks for itself – but the fact that I am able to function at all three each and every day without fail is a testament to the dedication and perseverance that I have for the tasks that are presented before me and the hunger that I have to succeed.

Over the course of my career, many people have asked me how I was able to get where I am at such a young age. How I landed a job with my favorite television show, how I wound up working in my favorite sport – and how I went from a reporter reporting on the Mayor to a member of his administration. No matter how many times this is asked of me – my answer is always the same – I did it myself.

I got where I am today because I decided, at a very young age, that I would be successful. So I knew that in order to achieve that goal, I had to be willing to take whatever steps were necessary to become successful, no matter who or what stood in my way.

My path to self-inflicted success began when I was sixteen. I wanted to be a radio discjockey, so as a high school senior, I signed up for the Executive Internship Program and wanted an internship at a major New York radio station – but the only station the program offered an internship at was Kingsborough Community College’s radio station. I knew I was going to college there and didn’t want an internship at a station I was planning on eventually working at. So, I took the initiative myself and called WPLJ, a very popular New York radio station and asked them if I could be an intern. They met with me an agreed to take me on as an intern. When I went back to my Internship Director and told him that I went out and contacted WPLJ and got myself and internship – he said no one in the history of the Executive Internship Program has ever got their own internship. Both then and now, I can’t understand why no one else has ever done this. Why would anyone settle for what they are offered if it is not what they want? It was after this experience that I realized that if I kept up this type of professional behavior, of going after what I wanted whether it was attainable or not – that I had the world at my fingertips.

After I graduated college, I changed my mind about being a radio discjockey and decided that I would rather pursue a career in journalism. So, I began to take my video camera to various events and try and get interviews with celebrities. Although I had no media affiliation, I carried myself as if I was with 60 Minutes – and it worked. I got interviews with media moguls, celebrities, and political leaders which helped me develop my interview skills. Again, whether they would grant me the interview or not – it didn’t hurt to ask.

When I wanted to finally get an article published, I started calling the local papers in my community and offer them an article. The first paper I called laughed at me and hung up – so I just called another one. The second one took my article and launched my journalistic career.

The most recent example of my self-inflicted success was when I applied for the job of South Park Booster Club Moderator. As soon as I saw the ad, I knew that job was mine if I applied for it – and sure enough – I have been the Moderator for the past year and two months.

My point is that if you want to be successful in life, you have to go after what you want and rely on no one but yourself. If you sit back and wait for your dreams to come to you – then someone else will be living them. I have always gone after what I wanted and never been afraid of rejection – because I am confident enough in myself and my own destiny to know that if it is meant to be – then it’s mine. Sure, there have been times when things did not work out – but with each failure comes and even bigger success – and in the business world – that’s all that counts.