We never realize how much society dictates our decisions—the styles we wear, the car we drive, the décor we have in our home, the music we listen to, etc. It takes a lot to sit back and ask yourself, “Am I doing this for me or am I doing this because society has made me believe I need to?”

Believe it or not, we were born to stand out. Over 7.5 billion people in the world and the only thing differentiating you from the pack is nobody else can claim to be you. It’s your uniqueness. Why aren’t you claiming that?

And here we have David’s fourth installment of his Sweet 16 “compass”: Never Ever Be Me Too. Stop trying to fit in and choose to fit out. Be yourself. Be unique. We’re not talking about solely owning who you are, we’re talking about being bold, recognizing what sets you apart from the pack, and capitalizing on what you have to offer that others can’t. Those who are the very best at everything they do, didn’t get there just by talent and hard work, they got there because they did it in their own unique way. Some may go to the office at 5:00 a.m. after the gym at 4:00 a.m. Some work 12 hours on a Sunday. Some research and implement the best diet for them instead of simply going with the kale or gluten free or chia seed fads. Some do yoga before speeches. Lebron James began biking to practices, and then to shootarounds, and finally to his games.

It’s not just about making yourself the obvious choice through hard work, it’s about knowing what you have to offer that few or nobody else can, and owning that uniqueness.

And we love seeing people stand out. Send us your resume if you want to work in an environment that appreciates your voice and what you have to offer. It’s the beauty of a growing company: we won’t make you sit down, we want to see you in action.

In a society where everyone is trying to follow the leader and fit in, why the hell aren’t you standing out? Why wouldn’t you want to be irreplaceable? It’s called job security.

What do you have to offer us that the other guy can’t?

[NMLS #1467435]