Scumdog [wanna-be] Millionaires

Over the years I’ve picked up a variety of skills.  One is the ability to spot a Scumdog [wanna-be] Millionaire.  I met one this week.  Scumdog [wanna-be] Millionaires are narcissistic and almost always men for some reason.  

Their playbook is to charm you with flattery and drone on and on about ALL the famous people they know and how big an opportunity it is to work with them.  And then they make you a ridiculous offer to work on their art project. 

I met a Scumdog [wanna-be] Millionaire this week.  Even though hype and b.s. was oozing from every pore in his body, I decided to do a test sketch for him.  He was in a hurry and I figured it was something I could knockout fast.

In the end, my drawing wasn’t a good fit.  He tried to give me edits but the smell of scope creep started kicking in like fresh cut onions.  I sent an email and bounced off the assignment.  

Like a true Scumdog [wanna-be] Millionaire he never responded.  No thank you.  No nice to meet you.  Nothing.  I even offered a referral (which I now regret).

So what’s to be learned from the Scumdog [wanna-be] Millionaire?  

Too many people say one thing and mean something else. Most aren’t as nefarious as Scumdog but you want evolve how you speak to your prospects.  For example…

When Scumdog [wanna-be] Millionaire said:  Adam you’re so talented and fast…

What he really meant was:  You can do this quickly so you won’t mind me trying to screw you over on price.

Before you may have said:  “My course isn’t expensive, it’s an investment.”

Now you may want to say: “Yes, my course is expensive. I did this to offer the best quality and value so my students get big results.”

Like a smart phone we constantly need to update ourselves.  If not you’ll be a Ford Edsel driving among newer, faster, and better cars.

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Adam

When hearing voices is a good thing

Before I decided to escape the insurance company I was shackled to, my first ploy was to get a promotion.  I applied for a manger position and didn’t get it.  The candidate who won was great so I said, it’ll be next time.  

I didn’t get the next one either.  And the guy who got that position didn’t exactly curl my toes.  

My manager knew I was peeved so she did some digging.  She found out ‘they’ weren’t sure I would be a good team player. I was told by the hiring director that when the company was rolling out their new computer system I didn’t get behind it.

Actually, they asked for feedback in a meeting and I politely called their app stupid and clunky.  I also told them how they could make it better.  Apparently that kind of honesty was the kiss of death to a cushy career there.

Emotionally I was done with that company.  Freelancing started calling my name like an episode of Ghost Whisperer. 

This weekend I read an article about Lt. Col. Stuart Scheller, a sitting Marine battalion commander.  He got canned Friday after he questioned the “ineptitude” of U.S. military leadership over the Afghanistan withdrawal.

Standing up for what I believe got me blackballed at my old company but this guy was risking a 17-year career and a juicy retirement plan by speaking up.  

What cojones!  That guy is my role model!!!

I didn’t get the job I wanted but it put me on my path to be here.  Al Gore didn’t get job he wanted to either but he did more for humanity by talking about the planet.

“…you want to be popular, you want people to hire you, and I have to make sure I don’t do it [being politically active] less because I’m an actor.” — Kerry Washington  

Stand up for what you believe in!  Even if it’s not popular.  It tends to work out…  And loving the person you see in the mirror is a good thing too.

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Adam