Uncategorized Hustle culture glorification needs to stop – The American Genius
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(EDITORIAL) Our culture stopped considering running on 4 hours of sleep as a badge of honor, so how the hell is the “hustle” culture any different?
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We all see on social media the people that tout the “hustle.” You’ve seen it. “Rise and grind,” we’re told. The intention behind these cliches is to inspire people around them to take action (or secretly to brag that they’re people of action, accomplishments).
But isn’t it really just an alternative to the glorification of being “busy” that we have also rejected? Our culture stopped considering running on four hours of sleep as a badge of honor, so how the hell is the “hustle” culture any different? Guys. It’s not.
That gig economy, baby
Being bombarded with the “inspiration” to “hustle” is giving rise to unnecessary stress. “I took an hour and a half off for lunch, I didn’t hustle, I need to hustle, I have to work until 10 tonight if I’m really someone who hustles,” many people think to themselves now.
Further, the rise of the gig economy (which we’ve written about in depth over the years) has people snagging endless “gigs” leading to a new culture of poorly trained workers that feel like they’re on top because they’re “hustling.”
A friend of mine recently Facebooked that she’s “On the hustle,” and bragged that not only is she an Uber driver, she takes gigs on Fiverr, sells Rodan+Fields, and so forth.
All I hear is that she’s banging her head against the wall with maximum effort and minimal return. No skills are being refined and tweaked when people feel like they have to pick up scraps in order to hustle, and very little money is coming their way. Every penny counts, but if you spend three pennies of effort to make one penny come to your bank account, it’s simply not worth it.
The problem is that my friend IS hustling. Hustling her little ass off. But it’s that “hustle harder” mentality (glorified with inspirational quotes on Instagram) that has people feeling like they come up short.
A peek behind the curtain
I’d like to officially reject the idea of “the hustle.” The intention behind the movement is good – work hard, then work harder. It’s much better than the alternative, but it’s time to be more honest about what “hustle” actually means.
I have a challenge for you. Next time you see someone on social media bragging about their hustle (because that’s what it’s become, a means to “play” successful online), consider if the hustle is real. Are they glorifying a fast buck, glorifying being busy, or desperate back patting? Don’t “like” it or chastise them, just move on. Don’t play into it.
You know who hustles?
What real hustle looks like
And what do these people all have in common? They would all cringe at the idea of a selfie with glitter letters proclaiming they’re on the hustle. People that are focused on work, on advancing their life (and the lives of those around them) would be embarrassed to be lumped in with the Instagram selfie people that pat themselves on the back because today, they managed to shower, drive two people up the street for their Uber hustle, write a fake review on Yelp for their Fiverrr hustle, and sent out two aggressive sales emails to cousins to pressure them to buy their Rodan+Fields products in their trunk.
That’s not hustling, that’s what people are being told is hustling. It’s an unfortunate scrapping together of gigs that so many are being tricked into thinking is the only way to live, the only way to survive. The pressure is on to bring on more ways to hustle, and people are being screwed by the gig economy. It’s unfortunate.
And for that, I reject the glorification and glitterification of “hustle.”
This editorial was first published on July 5, 2016.
The building blocks of creating a company culture when working remotely
Lani is the Chief Operating Officer at The American Genius – she has co-authored a book, co-founded BASHH and Austin Digital Jobs, and is a seasoned business writer and editorialist with a penchant for the irreverent.
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Chris Johnson
July 6, 2016 at 11:23 am
What you’re saying isn’t hustle. It’s failure. #failure isn’t a sexy hashtag.
Hustle is an aspirational statement. It says: I won’t be beaten. I won’t be put down. Even if it means that I’m forced to PM my facebook friends and sell them juice cleanses. That’s Hustle.
And sometimes the willingness to do anything, to try anything is an attribute. A virtue. However not learning…and chanting a mantra to make it better sucks.
Chris Lengquist
July 6, 2016 at 1:55 pm
Time blocking. That’s my lifestyle. When I’m working I’m highly focused in that work. When I’m playing (riding my bike…and yes, I time block that, too) I’m focused on playing.
An associate of mine said to me years ago “Be where you are.” So put the phone down and get back to those emails and texts when you are working. Unless you are a brain surgeon or hold the key to the nuclear missiles, do you really need to be accessible 24/7?
Maybe “hustling” and looking busy make you look more important to your peers. But to me, and this is just me speaking, when I quit hustling and started ordering my life, my life got a whole lot better. And oh, by the way, my income shot through the roof as compared to where it had been.
Lana
July 7, 2016 at 4:58 am
It mostly sounds like you’re sour about hearing people doing good or happy about doing good. Hustling doesn’t need a direct definition, all that matters is that you’re either moving forward or you’re not.
Lani Rosales
July 11, 2016 at 11:45 am
I agree with you that what matters is whether or not you’re moving forward, and I agree with you that I’m sour, but not about people doing well, rather about people being screwed by the gig economy.
James Festini
July 7, 2016 at 4:11 pm
I totally agree. I am so beginning to cringe at that word. A hustler back in the day was a con. I call it working your ass off and harder than the competition. I am knocking 100 doors a day and cold calling 100 people a day trying to break into a new territory. I call that #workingmymotherfuckinassofftoGetatonoflistingsandsellthemwhileprovidinggreatservicebeforethemarkettakesanothershitonmycareer
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(OPINION EDITORIAL) It seems that even a post COVID-19 world will involve remote work, so how can you build and maintain a strong work culture that ensures growth and satisfaction?
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New startups and existing companies are starting to transition to a fully remote (or nearly fully remote) model, but what does this mean for work culture? If you’re not careful, your work culture could easily become diminished as you transition to a remote environment, and if you’re building a company from the ground up, you may not have a strong culture to begin with.
Culture isn’t something you can afford to give up, so how can you build and maintain your company culture while working remotely?
The importance of a strong work culture
Maintaining a strong, consistent company culture is vital, even if your company is operating remotely. With a strong work culture, you’ll enjoy benefits like:
How to build company culture remotely
Traditionally, you can use in-person team-building sessions, regular meetings, and workplace rules to establish and maintain your company culture, but while working remotely, you’ll need to employ a different set of tactics, like:
Building a work culture in a remote environment is more challenging, and requires consideration of more variables, but it’s certainly possible with the right mentality. Spend time setting your priorities, and make sure you’re consistent in your execution.
This editorial was first published in July of 2020.
(EDITORIAL) While UX writing is not technically new, it is seemingly becoming more and more prevalent. The job titles are everywhere, so what is it?
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The work of a UX writer is something you come across every day. Whether you’re hailing an Uber or browsing Spotify for that one Drake song, your overall user experience is affected by the words you read at each touchpoint.
A UX writer facilitates a smooth interaction between user and product at each of these touchpoints through carefully chosen words.
Some of the most common touchpoints these writers work on are interface copy, emails, and notifications. It doesn’t sound like the most thrilling stuff, but imagine using your favorite apps without all the thoughtful confirmation messages we take for granted. Take Eat24’s food delivery app, instead of a boring loading visual, users get a witty message like “smoking salmon” or “slurping noodles.”
Eat24’s app has UX writing that works because it’s engaging.
Xfinity’s mobile app provides a pleasant user experience by being intuitive. Shows that are available on your phone are clearly labeled under “Available Out of Home.” I’m bummed that Law & Order: SVU isn’t available, but thanks to thoughtful UX writing at least I knew that sad fact ahead of time.
Regardless of where you find these writer’s work, there are three traits an effective UX writer must-have. Excellent communication skills are a must. The ability to empathize with the user is on almost every job post. But from my own experience working with UX teams, I’d argue for the ability to advocate as the most important skill.
UX writers may have a very specialized mission, but they typically work within a greater user experience design team. In larger companies, some UX writers even work with a smaller team of fellow writers. Decisions aren’t made in isolation. You can be the wittiest writer, with a design decision based on obsessive user research, but if you can’t advocate for those decisions then what’s the point?
I mentioned several soft skills, but that doesn’t mean aspiring UX writers can’t benefit from developing a few specific tech skills. While the field doesn’t require a background in web development, UX writers often collaborate with engineering teams. Learning some basic web development principles such as responsive design can help writers create a better user experience across all devices. In a world of rapid prototyping, I’d also suggest learning a few prototyping apps. Several are free to try and super intuitive.
Now that the UX in front of the writer no longer intimidates you, go check out ADJ, The American Genius’ Facebook Group for Austin digital job seekers and employers. User-centric design isn’t going anywhere and with everyone getting into the automation game, you can expect even more opportunities in UX writing.
EDITORIAL) While we all know the usual interview schtick, take some time to really study for your next face-to-face job interview.
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So, you’re all scheduled for an in-person interview for a job you’d kill for. It’s exciting that you’ve made it to this step, but the question is, are you ready? Especially with remote interviews being the new norm, your nerves may feel shaken up a bit to interview in person – but you’ve got this! And many of these tips can be applied no matter the interview setting.
We all know the basics of a job interview: dress nice, get there early, come prepared, firm handshake, yada, yada, yada… However, it’s good to really sit and think about all of the requirements of a successful interview.
There are seven steps for crushing a face-to-face interview. Do your homework upside down and inside out in order to walk into that room.
Which brings us to the first step: know everything you need to know backwards and forwards.
This can be done in two steps: getting to know the company and getting to know yourself. By doing website, social media, and LinkedIn research, you can get a feel of the company culture as well as the position you’re interviewing for.
By getting to know yourself, have a friend ask you some interview questions so you can practice. Also, take a look at your resume through the eyes of someone who doesn’t know you. Make sure everything is clear and can compete with other candidates.
The next step is to anticipate solving future problems. Have some insight on the department that you are interviewing for and come prepared with ideas of how to better this department. (i.e. if it’s marketing, give examples of campaigns you’ve done in the past that have proven to have been successful.)
Step number three requires you to go back to the research board and get some information on the employer. Find out who you’re meeting with (head of HR, head of the department, etc.) and make your self-presentation appropriate for the given person.
Next, work on making the interview conversation a meaningful one. This can be done by asking questions as people like to see you take an interest in them. Also, be sure to never answer the questions as if it’s your regular spiel. Treat each job interview as if this is the first time you’re presenting your employability information.
With this, your next step is to have stories prepared for the job interview. Anecdotes and examples of previous jobs or volunteer/organization experiences can help bring life to an otherwise run-of-the-mill resume.
After this, you’ll want to make sure that you’re showing enthusiasm for the position you’re interviewing for. Don’t jump on the couch in the lobby like you’re Tom Cruise on Oprah, but definitely portray that you’re excited and up for the challenge.
Lastly, make a good impression by being impressive. Be professional and in control of your body language. Put yourself in the mindset of whatever position you’re interviewing for and show them that you have what it takes.
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