Advice for our FE Intern

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Cagney

Cagney

Administrator
Staff member
FE Staff
My kid is our FE intern. He's 18yo, and about to graduate high school. What kind of life advice can you give him? I'd like to get a leather bound notebook and write all of this down as a graduation present. Any pearls of wisdom someone shared with you or you learned yourself... wise words for a tough day... a joke that would make him smile. Anything you would pass along to just a really good kid. Thanks!
 
Don't grow up too quick, you'll look back on these years and realize they were the most carefree and easy years of your life. Similar advice for later in life, once you're an 'adult" and have adult responsibilities, that doesn't mean you have to stop having fun. I've met too many "mature" adults in their 40's and 50's that couldn't have fun or crack a smile to save themselves. Life is too short not to enjoy it.
 
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Pursue something that really interests you. Use your FE network and get in contact with some of the amazing people within our circle. Carry yourself with confidence and never fear failure. Start investing early..Go to church. Exercise and stay healthy. Seek happiness. Call your mom.
 
Don't eat yellow snow. Their "emergency" does NOT have to be yours too. If it was a really shit day, don't drink. Ask questions, and then listen, nodding with sustained eye contact. If you are to succeed as an FE Intern you must first read Hunter S. Thompson's "Song of the Sausage Creature", and write us an eval here please. Let's see what you got...
 
Stay out of debt. If you get in to debt, get out of it. Not talking about mortgages per se, personal debt, credit cards and car loans.

Own your shit. When you fuck up, own it. Don't beat yourself up for it. Learn from it and drive on.

Keep your circle small, and allow them to hold you accountable. When those closest to you stop telling you the truth, that's a bad place to be. Be the same for them.

Never miss a chance to tell those you love that you love them, you dont know if it might be the last time.

Character matters. And its built in the small decisions you make everyday. Everyone thinks they will make the right decision "when it matters" but if you've built a habit of making the wrong decisions when it doesn't, then you will revert to those habits. Its an application of we all rise or fall to the level of our training, just applied to character decisions.

I will hire for character and capacity everyday over capability. I can teach the skills/capabilities, but character and capacity are yours.

Self awareness is key, emotional intelligence is a super power.

Learn to outwork and out hustle your peers.

There is value in choosing to do hard things. Less so stupid things.

All four of my kids interned at my company. All 4 were the lowest paid employees when they were here. All 4 learned quickly that everybody watched them to see if they thought they were special, or if they realized they needed to work harder to prove they deserved the chance they got. I was proud of them.
 
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Most people suck at the easy stuff. Get great at the easy stuff.

Show up on time, call people back, do what you say you are going to do. #1 rule for people we hire, don't be an asshole.

It shocks me how many people can't show up on time daily.

In the same boat, our 18 year old will start his internship with my company in two weeks. He gets off of school at 10 on Tuesday and Thursday. Our oldest son interned the last 2 summers. Its the best thing I could have done, I get to see him more!
 
Learn from other people's mistakes.

Don't apologize if you're going to do it again.

If you're the smartest one in the room, you're in the wrong room.

Be accountable and take accountability.

Don't hit the snooze on your alarm - get up and start your day at the time you decided on the night before.

Give people the bad news rather than give them radio silence. More often than not, bad news is just as important as good news.

You piss your pants, you only stay warm for so long. Keep your shit together.

Don't stress over what you can't control; make sure you have control over what you can.

Don't act on emotions.

S.T.A.R. - Stop. Think. Assess. React. (or Respond).
 
Years ago, when I had an afternoon off from guide school, I was sitting at a bar in Victor, Montana. An old cowboy there gave me some simple advice: "Trust your instincts."
So often in life, we ignore that inner instinct, that inner man. You're better off if you listen.
 
When I signed my high school yearbooks as a senior, I wrote:

“Live fast, die young, look pretty in your grave”

Maybe I had some of that wrong.

I still love living fast.

Now some 44 years later, I’d adjust and add the following:

1 - Get hired one more time than you are fired, that’s a successful career.

2 - Create more demand for you than supply, because then you have a choice, and choice is the gateway to freedom, and freedom is everything.

3 - Love what you do and who you are with and leave nothing behind, there is no “later” in passion.

4 - Simple always wins over complex, teams always beat the individual, quality always destroys cheap.

5 - The biggest currency of value in your proverbial pocketbook isn’t your effort, or hard work, or nice looks, or intelligence, nope, it’s your honor, your integrity, the value of your word. Don’t sell it, cheap or ever, it’s all you take with you.

But still live fast, and have some fun.
 
Godfather said:
When I signed my high school yearbooks as a senior, I wrote:

“Live fast, die young, look pretty in your grave”

Maybe I had some of that wrong.

I still love living fast.

Now some 44 years later, I’d adjust and add the following:

1 - Get hired one more time than you are fired, that’s a successful career.

2 - Create more demand for you than supply, because then you have a choice, and choice is the gateway to freedom, and freedom is everything.

3 - Love what you do and who you are with and leave nothing behind, there is no “later” in passion.

4 - Simple always wins over complex, teams always beat the individual, quality always destroys cheap.

5 - The biggest currency of value in your proverbial pocketbook isn’t your effort, or hard work, or nice looks, or intelligence, nope, it’s your honor, your integrity, the value of your word. Don’t sell it, cheap or ever, it’s all you take with you.

But still live fast, and have some fun.
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Number 2 is soooo good.
 
pattesonfamily said:
Stay out of debt. If you get in to debt, get out of it. Not talking about mortgages per se, personal debt, credit cards and car loans.

Own your shit. When you fuck up, own it. Don't beat yourself up for it. Learn from it and drive on.

Keep your circle small, and allow them to hold you accountable. When those closest to you stop telling you the truth, that's a bad place to be. Be the same for them.

Never miss a chance to tell those you love that you love them, you dont know if it might be the last time.

Character matters. And its built in the small decisions you make everyday. Everyone thinks they will make the right decision "when it matters" but if you've built a habit of making the wrong decisions when it doesn't, then you will revert to those habits. Its an application of we all rise or fall to the level of our training, just applied to character decisions.

I will hire for character and capacity everyday over capability. I can teach the skills/capabilities, but character and capacity are yours.

Self awareness is key, emotional intelligence is a super power.

Learn to outwork and out hustle your peers.

There is value in choosing to do hard things. Less so stupid things.

All four of my kids interned at my company. All 4 were the lowest paid employees when they were here. All 4 learned quickly that everybody watched them to see if they thought they were special, or if they realized they needed to work harder to prove they deserved the chance they got. I was proud of them.
Click to expand...
That truly sums it up.
 
niacrtwi said:
Don't grow up too quick, you'll look back on these years and realize they were the most carefree and easy years of your life. Similar advice for later in life, once you're an 'adult" and have adult responsibilities, that doesn't mean you have to stop having fun. I've met too many "mature" adults in their 40's and 50's that couldn't have fun or crack a smile to save themselves. Life is too short not to enjoy it.
Click to expand...
This is great, and so true. Thanks for sharing!
 
blisankie said:
Pursue something that really interests you. Use your FE network and get in contact with some of the amazing people within our circle. Carry yourself with confidence and never fear failure. Start investing early..Go to church. Exercise and stay healthy. Seek happiness. Call your mom.
Click to expand...
Yes to all of these, and I see you saved the best for last.
 
badgererickson said:
Don't eat yellow snow. Their "emergency" does NOT have to be yours too. If it was a really shit day, don't drink. Ask questions, and then listen, nodding with sustained eye contact. If you are to succeed as an FE Intern you must first read Hunter S. Thompson's "Song of the Sausage Creature", and write us an eval here please. Let's see what you got...
Click to expand...
Good stuff, thank you!
 
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