2023学年完整公开课版career lessons from celebrities

CareerPlanning:10CareerLessonsfromCelebrities

Celebrities.Welovetohatethem.Wealsolovetowatchtheireverymove,laughattheirmistakes,andscrutinizetheirdecisions.Likethemornot,theircelebritystatusmeansnotonlyhavetheyachievedcareersuccessbutthey’vealsogotahellofalottolose.Andsometimes,whateveractionshavehelpedcatapultthemtofameorrenderedthemB-listcanprovidevaluablelessonsforthecareersofregularpeoplelikeyouandme.Excellepresentstencareerlessonsfromcelebrities.Somearegood.Somearebad.Somearejustplainridiculous.

1.Madonna—Reinventyourselfoften.Alwaysstayfreshandrelevant.

Neveronetoletthingsgetstale,Madonnahasreinventedherselfoverandoveragainsinceshefirststeppedintothespotlightinthemideighties.Therewasthevirgin,the“materialgirl,”theEvitaera,andherdisco-fabulouslookandsoundof2022.She’shadasmanynewlooksasshehasalbums,andalwaysmanagestostayonthecuttingedge.Reinventionissocentraltohercareer,shenamedatourafterit.Andthirtyplusyearsafterherdebut,shestillmanagestobeattheforefrontoftheglobalmusicindustry.

Elaboratepersonaltransformationsmaynotberealistic(orhelpful)formeremortals.Butthere’salessontobelearnedfromthispopicon.Inordertothriveinarapidlychangingeconomy,it’simportanttostayfresh,keepyourskillsuptodateandbeadaptabletonewdirectionsinyourcareer.

2.ChristianBale—Don’tcrackunderpressure.

Ifyouhaven’theardtheaudio,you’vebeenlivingunderarock.Theactionmoviestarfamouslylosthistemperonthesetofthisyear’sTerminatorsequel,shoutingcountlessprofanitiesatthefilm’sdirectorofphotography,ShaneHurlbut.Hisfitofragewascaughtontapeand,ofcourse,aYouTubevideoquicklycirculatedtheinternet.Hisreputationwentfromsexy,broodingscreenlegendtoworldclassjerk(stillkindofsexythough).

Gettingworkedupatworkisnotuncommonorunexpected.Butkeepingyourcoolinthefaceofblood-pressureraisingcircumstancesisessential,notjusttoyourreputationatworkbuttoyouroverallhealthandhappiness.LoseyourtemperlikeMr.Baleandyoumayneverliveitdown.

3.GeorgeLucas—Don’tbeafraidtotakerisks.

ThecreativegeniusbehindStarWarsandIndianaJonesdidn’tgettowhereheistodaybyfollowingtherules.Sure,hewenttoUSCFilmSchoolandinternedatWarnerBrothers,butsodidcountlessotherfilmmakinghopefuls.Lucaswasfearlessinthefaceofrisk.Combinethisfearlessnesswithaknackforinnovation,andyou’vegotarecipeformulti-billiondollarsuccess.Earlyoninhiscareer,whilenegotiatinghisdirector’sfeeforStarWars,heagreedtotakea$500,000paycutinexchangeforallsequelrightsandownershipofthefilm’smerchandising—thingsthestudiothoughtwereprettymuchworthless.Sillystudio!Hemadetensofmillionsofthemerchandisingandfinancedthemakingofthesequelshimself.Which,asyoucanimagine,hadahugereturn-on-investment.

Healsotookabreakfrommovie-makingtopourhisfortuneintootherprojects,namely,hisdigitaleffectsandinnovationstudio,IndustrialLightandMagic.Thestudiobegantakingonspecialeffectsworkforotherfilmmakersat$25millionapop.HethenwentbacktoproducehisStarWars“prequels”thatwentontobreakboxofficerecords.Takingrisksearlyinhiscareermadehimthesuccessstoryheistoday.

4.Oprah—Buildastrongpersonalbrand.

Thetalkshowhostandentrepreneurbuiltamulti-billiondollarempire,thankslargelytoherstrongpersonalbrand.Inadditiontoanaward-winningtalkshow,shehaschanneledherfameandfortuneintoahighlysuccessfulmagazineandatelevisionnetworksettolaunchthisyear.Sheranks#165onForbeslistofthe400richestAmericans.Oprahtransformedthetalkshowgenrebybringingitintotoamorepersonal,confessionalrealm.Sheinterviewsmega-celebrities,experts,andaverageAmericanswithastorytotell.Butshedoesn’tdosoobjectively.Shesharesownpersonalissues,struggles,andadventureswithheraudience.Americanwomenhavegrowntotrustherjudgmentonanythingfromkitchenappliancestospirituality.Notbadforagirlwhowasbornintopoverty,wasallegedlyrapedatnineandwaspregnant(butmiscarried)atfourteen.

Buildingapersonalbrandsetsyouapartfromthecompetition.Andthankstotheinternet,cultivatingandpromotingyourbrandiseasierthanever.

5.BritneySpears—Youcanmakeacomeback,butbepreparedforalong(andsometimesugly)roadtorecovery.

Thepastfiveyearshavebeentoughforthisformerteenpopstarlet.ShewasinthemidstofacustodybattlewithestrangedhusbandKevinFederline,hadbeendeemedanunfitmother,battleddrugaddiction,andoncefamouslyshavedherheadfornoapparentreason.She’dhitrockbottom.Andthankstothepaparazzi,shedidsorightbeforeourpryingeyes.In2022,herattemptatacomebackattheMTVVideoMusicAwardswaspannedbycriticsandfansalike;onstage,sheappeareddetached,disinterested,drugged.Simplyshowingupforthegigwasnotenough.

Buttwoyearslatershe’sback.Shemaynotbethemegastarshewasbeforeherfallfromgrace,butshe’snolongeramedialaughingstock.Herlatestalbumisdoingrespectablywell,she’sontour,hasherpost-meltdownbodyback,andlookshealthyandhappy.Withalittlebitofhardwork,she’smanagedtogethercareerbackontrack,atleastforthetimebeing.

6.SimonCowell—Sometimes,itpaystobethemeanone.

Thenotoriouslystraight-facedAmericanIdoljudgeearnsareported$34millionayear(saidtobebumpeduptoawhopping$144millionnextyear).WhilePaulaAbdulgivesendless(andoftenunintelligible)praise,RandyJacksonlooksforthesilverlining,andKaraDioguardistripstooutdoBikiniGirl,Cowelltellsitlikeitis(andsometimes,muchworse).Viewerslovetohatehim,butthefactremains:contestantsrespecthisopinionmorethanthatoftheotherthree.AndsodoesAmerica.Moreoftenthannot,Cowell’sfeedbackdirectlyimpactstheshowsvotesand,consequently,makesorbreaksacontestant’sshotatwinning.

Simonmaytakebrutalhonestyalittletoofar,butheteachesusthatsugarcoatingyouropinionsandbackingdownwhenchallengedwon’tearntherespectofyourpeers,yourreportsorevenyoursuperiors.Standupforyourselforyoumightjustfindyourselfinyourrightfulplaceastheofficedoormat.

7.KimKardashian—Itiswhoyouknow.

Longbeforeshewasknownforher“assets,”KimKardashiancameintothespotlightastheBFFofcelebutanteandtabloidfavorite,ParisHilton.Shenowhasherownrealityshow(KeepingUpWiththeKardashians),aworkoutDVDand,ofcourse,asextape.InadditiontobeingfriendswithParis,KardashianisthedaughteroflateOJSimpsonlawyerRobertKardashianandthestepdaughterofOlympianBruceJenner.Isitfairthatsherakesinmillionsfornootherreasonthanwhosheknows?Ofcoursenot.Butliferarelyis.Andnepotismisnotexclusivetotheentertainmentindustry.

Mostpeoplegetjobsthroughsomeonetheyknow.WhoyouknowmaynotmakeyoumillionsorsnagyouyourveryownTVshow,butheorshecanhelpyougetafootinthedoorandsetyouonyourpathtocareersuccess.

8.AngelinaJolie—Personalgenerositycanbemoreimportantthanprofessionalaccomplishment.

AngelinaJolieisarguablythemostfamousactressintheworldrightnow.Why?She’sbeeninsomanyofthebestfilmsofthedecadelikeSkyCaptainandtheWorldofTomorrow,Alexander,and…ohwait…orsomeonewhonormallystarsinsomeofHollywood’sworstmovies,howisJoliesuchamegastar?

SheisthequintessentialmasterofpersonalPR.Jolie’smoviesareincidental,merebackdroptothebrandthatisAngelina:CelebritycumInternationalRelationswonk,beautymeetstheAdopter-of-Disadvantaged-Children.Ifyoucanturnyourpersonalbrandintosuchgold,anyprofessionalfoiblesmatteralotless.

9.MarthaStewart—Aconvictionisn’tacareerkiller.

MarthaStewartiseasilyoneofthemostrecognizablenamesinAmerica.Andwithgoodreason.AftergraduatingfromColumbiaUniversity,shebeganherprofessionalcareerasasuccessfulstockbrokerinthe1960s.Later,followinghermovetoWestport,Connecticutin1976,shestartedacateringbusiness,restoredafarmhouse,andranagourmetfoodstore.Fromthere,shebuiltherbusinessempire,MarthaStewartOmnimedia,andby2022wasconsideredoneofthemostpowerful(andrichest)womeninAmerica.

Thenin2022thingshittheskids.Followingaquestionablesaleofstockinoneofherbusinessventures,shewasconvictedoflyingtoinvestigatorsandsenttoprisonforfivemonths.Whilethatcouldhavebeentheendforhercelebritylifestylebusiness,Stewartre-emergedandrecoveredquickly.By2022,hercompanyhadreturnedtoprof