Last week I had the privilege of being interviewed by the CUTEST sophomore college student! She was required to conduct an interview of someone working in her field of interest for two different classes, so I helped her kill two birds with one stone. Truthfully, the day of the interview, I glanced at my calendar several times, but still lost track of time, and when she showed up at my house, I was in my bathing suit enjoying the afternoon at the pool while the kiddos napped. I didn’t mean that to be a lesson in the beauty of being self-employed as a digital marketing consultant, but maybe she learned something from it, ha!

I loved the questions she asked me and I could tell that this particular college student has dreams. She wants to make something of herself, and it shows. She has a very specific goal to work in a marketing role for Kate Spade — how cute is that?! Love it! Not only does she have a dream — she’s a doer. She wants to work in a marketing for Kate Spade when she graduates, so she is working at a local store now in sales. Bottom of the totem pole now, but is enthusiastic about working her way up. And I believe she will do it!

Gosh, it was SO refreshing to meet with a motivated college student! She asked me what my tips were for her. Here are some I included.

1. Hustle. Sure, plenty of people work hard. But to be truly successful in this world. Work the hardest. And not only that — hustle while you’re young, have the freedom and flexibility to log crazy hours, and the energy to do so.
2. Save now. You’ll either save now or save later, but when you save later, you’ll have to save more. When I graduated from college in 2008, I was feeling super confident. I had a degree, a little money in the bank, was about to get married, had a job lined up, and a 500 square foot apartment to call my own. So, I did what any confident college grad would do. I bought what I thought was my “dream car.” I ordered a VW Jetta with all the options (It’s hilarious to me now that I thought this was a dream car). The next day, a mentor of mine called me and criticized my decision. He encouraged me that if I drove my current car (which was functioning well) for a few more years, I would have the ability to buy and even nicer car down the road. Delayed gratification. Hm … made sense. I decided to call the dealership back and return the vehicle (they were not happy, and neither was I). Now, I have a much different view on cars, money, investments, etc — and after watching the effect of compound interest, I am so thankful that I did not have car payments for our first couple years of marriage when money was super tight, but rather put as much money into investments as possible.
3. Buy a Mac. Yes — you need it. Forget the PC’s — they’re junk.
4. Don’t just dream — DO! People can dream all day, but if they don’t take the first step and actually DO — they will get nowhere. I love talking with motivated, young professionals. But it only takes me a few minutes to figure out if they are a talker, or a doer. Take the first step and work toward your dreams.
5. Consistency is key. Success does not happen overnight. It might not happen for the first 6 months, or the first year, or the first 5 years. But if you maintain your drive, focus, intensity, and consistency, it WILL pay off.

What are your tips for long-term success? How would you add to my list? Do you know a motivated college student? If so, take them under your wing and help point them in the right direction.