The Three R’s of Building a Career

You thought the Three R’s were just for when you were in school.

Reading.
Writing.
Arithmetic.

A few weeks ago at the Kellar Media Career Academy in Boone, NC., one of our guest speakers was Kaiden Smith. Kaiden isn’t much older than many of the students in the room. He’s an Appalachian State graduate, former two-time All-Sun Belt football player, content creator, podcast host and now a national writer and producer for On3. When students asked what advice he would give someone entering broadcasting, he didn’t talk about artificial intelligence, social media algorithms or content strategies. Instead, he offered three simple principles, his secret to success:

1. Relentless Effort.
2. Reps.
3. Relationships.

The more I thought about it, the more I realized those three ideas explain the success of nearly every high performer I’ve ever met.

1. Relentless effort - Psychologist Angela Duckworth became famous for her research on what she calls “grit” — the combination of passion and perseverance toward long-term goals. Her research found that success is often less about talent and more about the willingness to keep going when things get difficult. People who consistently outperform others are rarely the most gifted. They’re often the most persistent. In other words, they show up. Every day. Even when they don’t feel like it.

2. Reps - Legendary researcher Anders Ericsson spent decades studying elite performers in music, sports, medicine and business. His work introduced the concept of deliberate practice. The highest performers don’t simply work harder. They practice more intentionally. They seek feedback. They identify weaknesses. They repeat skills until they become strengths.

• Great sellers role-play.
• Great broadcasters air-check.
• Great leaders ask for feedback.

They get their reps in. Too many people want confidence before they take action. The reality is confidence is usually the result of action. Reps create confidence.

3. Relationships - This may be the most important one of all. Careers are rarely built alone.

• Relationships create introductions.
• Relationships create learning.
• Relationships create opportunities.

When I was the age of these students, I was blessed with great teachers and influencers in my career. Bill Mann was my mentor, he believed in me before I believed in myself. He challenged me, he pushed me, but most importantly, he wanted me to be my best. I’ve had the privilege of working with some of the most amazing colleagues. We collaborate, we compete, and we continue to make an impact. Friends and family encouraged me. Clients trusted me. The older I get, the more convinced I become that careers aren’t built through transactions. They’re built through relationships.

Networking isn’t about collecting contacts. It’s about creating value for other people. The strongest professional relationships are built long before you need them. Does that sound familiar? Being Known Before You’re Needed.

The Kellar Media Career Academy gave the participants the opportunity to start developing relationships with nearly 30 broadcast professionals. I’ve always felt this, but I need to say it out loud. There’s something really special about broadcasters. They were all generous with their time and gave great advice to students. They connected with them on social media and offered to support their career journey.

As I looked around the room at the students preparing to enter our industry, I couldn’t help but think how much uncertainty they’ll face. They are in the first phase of learning that we teach in our training. The Unconscious Incompetence phase. They don’t know what they don’t know. That can be exciting and terrifying at the same time. Technology will continue to change. Job descriptions will evolve. Entire business models will be disrupted. But Kaiden’s advice will still work.

1. Relentless effort.
2. Reps.
3. Relationships.

Those principles worked 30 years ago. They work today. They’ll work 30 years from now. Because while industries change, human success is still built on the same foundation.

Maybe the Three R’s they learned in school weren’t the most important ones after all. Success isn’t built on talent alone. It’s built on relentless effort, repeated practice and meaningful relationships.

Show up. Get better. Help others. The rest tends to take care of itself.

Think Big, Make Big Things Happen!

Jeff Schmidt is the SVP of Professional Development. You can reach him here. You can also connect with him on X, YouTube, and LinkedIn.