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One week has passed, and I have a new book to share with you. Today’s book review is about “How to Be an Overnight Success” by Maria Hatzistefanis.
As always, I tried to collect lessons for you that you won’t already get by merely looking at the index and the chapter titles.
So if you’ve read the book already, this will be a good recap for you, and if you haven’t read it yet, there is still much to learn, so don’t hesitate to grab your own copy.
Read also: The Audacity to Be Queen Book Review | Lessons + Quotes
Reading Experience
Frankly, I was a bit disappointed by this book.
While it was interesting to read about the author’s entrepreneurial rise and the challenges she overcame, I felt the book was too much storytelling and too little general advice.
I guess my disappointment stems more from my false expectations than the actual quality of the book.
Overall, it is a good and interesting read that can teach you a few things about making it in the makeup industry.
1. Overnight success is based on patience and hard work
“I have yet to find a brand that was created overnight and had a sustainable business model. Overnight success is really just overnight exposure.”
– Maria Hatzistefanis (How to Be an Overnight Success)
This really wasn’t a shocker to me. While ‘How to be an Overnight Success’ is a catchy title, I knew there is no real overnight success in most cases.
There goes lots of experimenting, planning, and planting seeds into preparing for that one breakthrough moment.
This basically tells you that no matter how long you’ve been trying to get your business off the ground, you could be mere days away from having overnight success.
It’s a very uplifting thought that will keep me going whenever I am frustrated by my efforts’ lack of results.
#1 Actionable Idea
Ditch the habit of looking out for that one big chance. Instead, make a plan of daily habits that you can commit to that will get you closer to the success you’re aiming for.
For example, I just started writing blog posts. I stopped waiting for the perfect business idea to strike me and instead simply went ahead and started a blog.
I worked every day, 7 days a week, for around 2h each on it, and with time I developed competence, confidence, and a strategy.
So just start.
2. You can’t rest on overnight success
“It takes years to make an overnight success. And once you are there you have to keep challenging yourself. Do not stand still, do not stagnate.”
– Maria Hatzistefanis (How to Be an Overnight Success)
I’m sure you can think of a few celebrities or businesses that had a comet-like rise to fame, only to seemingly vanish into thin air a few years later.
Perhaps we can count PokemonGo as an example.
Anyway, this proofs what Maria Hatzistefanis is teaching in her book. Success only remains through continuous effort.
It’s like the saying goes, if you’re not growing, you’re dying. So if you are in this game with the expectation of early retirement after your breakthrough moment, then you’re clearly not cut out to be an entrepreneur.
#2 Actionable Idea
Make sure to remind yourself after your next small or significant success that now is not the time to stop the hard work.
You have to keep going to keep the success alive and build on top of it. Once your success seems stable enough, you can put in place systems that do the work so you can relax more.
3. Lack of knowledge can be your competitive advantage when building a business
“If I was coming from the beauty industry and realised how much work it takes, I would probably not have done it. But again, my naivety helped me a long way.”
– Maria Hatzistefanis (How to Be an Overnight Success)
I’ve thought the same thing so many times throughout my life!
The first time I had this realization was after an excruciatingly long hike. I had no idea how far the distance actually would be. So after each corner, I told myself, ‘just one corner more then I’m there.‘
Safe to say, it ended up taking much longer for us to reach our hiking destination, and in the end, I was so incredibly glad I didn’t know beforehand how long it would take.
Same story with my business.
I naively hoped to start seeing results after three or six months. I am now approaching my 2nd anniversary and am yet to gain an income. If I had known how long and expensive this journey would be, it would have taken more effort to get started.
#3 Actionable Idea
If you’ve been holding back to start a business because you thought you knew too little about it, get out your journal.
Write down this limiting belief, how it makes you feel and when it comes up.
Then do some research and write a bit about successful people, that have started something with zero knowledge.
Ask yourself: If they could do it, why shouldn’t you?
4. When in doubt, try it out – Failure is better than regret
Ah, I love this lesson. I’ve really made the experience that you end up making the best choices if you consider regret in your decision-making process.
We only have one life after all, and there is no rewind button, so we have this one try at every opportunity presented to us.
If the worst-case scenario is merely uncomfortable but not unbearable, then you should most likely go for it.
Start that business, even if you don’t know where it’ll lead you.
Publish that book, even if you’re not sure if people will be interested in it.
Buy that course, even if it might end up not teaching you anything new.
After you’ve taken action, you’ll be wiser, and you won’t have to bother yourself with ‘what-ifs.’
#4 Actionable Idea
Next time, when you’re unsure about doing something, ask yourself directly and honestly how you would feel later on if you said no to this opportunity.
Would there be regret?
What would failure entail? Could you handle it?
If so, try it out and risk failure. Ask yourself these questions again and again whenever you are confronted with an opportunity.
5. Stop worrying about the competition
“It’s not about beating competition, it’s about becoming better than yourself. It’s about pushing your limits every single day.”
– Maria Hatzistefanis (How to Be an Overnight Success)
I’ve noticed this myself. At the beginning of my business journey, I was worrying a lot about competing with other content creators.
After all, they have been at it for years and have created seemingly every content piece that can be made. What do I have that could compete with that?
Nowadays, I barely ever worry about competitors. I see them as inspiration of what is possible and what works.
Beyond that, my main focus is always on myself. I always ask myself what I could improve and how I could create something new.
That way, I have had a few unique ideas already, and I am increasingly feeling confident in my role as an entrepreneur with unique value to share.
#5 Actionable Idea
If you are still obsessed with your competition, cut them out of your life.
Stop looking at their Insta feeds or their websites. Perhaps you need to delete Instagram entirely to keep yourself from seeing them, or you can mute their accounts.
Whatever you do, make sure you stay clear of them for a few weeks. During that time, you should solely focus on your work. Try to come up with unique ideas. Don’t worry about what others do; just do it your way.
That way, you will develop more confidence in your competency and uniqueness. Once you have a sufficient amount of it, you can slowly start to look at competitors again.
But make sure to do it purely from an inspirational perspective instead of a judging one.
6. You represent your brand, so act accordingly
“The reality is that as a brand owner you represent your brand and, if you want your brand to be recognised, you need to build your personal brand too. Your company and your personal brand go hand in hand.”
– Maria Hatzistefanis (How to Be an Overnight Success)
This might be the lesson that was the most novel to me. Until I read ‘How to be an Overnight Success,’ I’ve never really thought about it this way.
Mainly because I am not really using social media privately. But it’s not just about that.
Even entrepreneurs that work behind the scenes and are mostly staying anonymous step into the spotlight at least once or twice.
Even or perhaps especially for them, it is important to align their appearance with the brand since they don’t have many chances to present themselves to their customers.
I’ve noticed that the person behind a brand can make me more or less excited about the brand and its products.
In that sense, I am now aware of the responsibility I am carrying as a business owner, and I will be ready to represent my brand accordingly.
#6 Actionable Idea
If you do have a personal social media presence, take stock of it for a moment.
Does it look aligned with your business brand?
It doesn’t need to be 100% in the same aesthetic and tone of voice; after all, you are your own person.
You should just make sure to not sent entirely mixed messages.
If you have a vegan business, you might not want pictures of you eating meat on your personal Insta.
Or, if you have a fitness business, you might not want too many pictures of you lazing about and eating junk food.
7. Dress to impress
“Dress for success. Don’t dress for the job you have, dress for the job you want.”
– Maria Hatzistefanis (How to Be an Overnight Success)
“That was the moment I realised that being successful and looking good at all times go together.”
– Maria Hatzistefanis (How to Be an Overnight Success)
I’ve talked about this so.many.times!!!
I’ve also noticed this very lesson in various series and movies:
Read also: 11 Rules Of Success From The Devil Wears Prada
Perhaps you are afraid of having to dress chicé in daily life. Don’t worry; that’s not necessarily required to ‘dress to impress.’
The key is to ask yourself who you want to impress. If you’re going to impress corporate employers, a business chicé style will be the right choice.
But perhaps you are in the Art or Fashion scene, and you want to showcase your unique taste. In that case, clashing colors, chunky jewelry, ribbed or sheer clothing could be absolutely perfect for impressing the right people.
As mentioned before, you represent your brand. Any fashion sense that is in alignment with your branding is going to aid your success.
In other words: Dressing to impress means being aware of who you want to impress and consciously fitting your style to reflect what you are aiming for.
#7 Actionable Idea
Clean out your wardrobe and throw away things you don’t feel good in and unflattering items.
Don’t go on a massive shopping spree afterward!
Only buy the things you need right now and buy them fitting to your personal color pallet. Each new item should be wearable with at least 3 other things.
Find more tips here: 11 Fashion Hacks For Stylish Women
8. What makes people successful is not their motivation but their consistency
“At least I show up, and keeping consistency is more important than waiting for that day that you are fully motivated.”
– Maria Hatzistefanis (How to Be an Overnight Success)
Getting motivated is the easy part. It only takes one YouTube video, an Instagram post, or a conversation to encourage most people to change their lives and do something challenging.
But as quickly as that motivation comes, it also wanes. Successful people get bored and lose motivation just as much as ordinary people.
The key that differentiates them is their consistency and determination to work through the boredom.
Doing a high-intensity 2h workout when you are motivated won’t get you the dream body. Doing 30min exercises every day will if you stay consistent.
Writing 10 blog posts in one day won’t result in 5-figure blogging business. Writing one post every week consistently will do that.
Motivation is excellent, and you should definitely take advantage of it whenever it strikes you. However, it is no requirement for success, and if you keep relying on it, you will never get there.
#8 Actionable Idea
Take stock of your daily habits.
What habits do you want to do daily but not always manage to do so?
Turn them into Atomic Habits.
Make them so small and easy to accomplish that it takes no motivation at all to do them.
Besides, make sure to imbed them into your day in a way that will make them naturally turn into the full habit you had initially planned.
For example, I wanted to meditate 10 min a day. But it was difficult, and I was inconsistent about it.
After experimenting, I figured out that I can be effortlessly consistent with meditating 5 min first thing after I wake up.
9. Focus more on your strengths than your weaknesses
“Focus on your strengths rather than your weaknesses – obviously, it’s good to be aware of your weaknesses but you need to ensure you don’t make these your focal point otherwise they can undermine your confidence in yourself!”
– Maria Hatzistefanis (How to Be an Overnight Success)
Confidence changes everything. There are countless stories of people achieving the most remarkable things by being confident, while more capable people who lack confidence can’t get the job done.
Being confident is virtually impossible if all you are focusing on are your flaws. This will cause you to doubt yourself in whatever you do.
You will think, ‘I can’t do this’ more often than ‘I can do this!‘
While it is essential to be aware of your weaknesses, that’s all you need to be: aware of them.
You don’t have to focus on them all the time. It’s enough to figure them out once and store them in the back of your mind for relevant situations.
But your primary focus should always be on your strengths and accomplishments.
You need to be your biggest cheerleader.
#9 Actionable Idea
In addition to writing down three things that you are grateful for each day (truly a must-do habit, I hope you’ve included it into your daily routine already), write down one thing that makes you worthy of success.
What are you good at? Why do you deserve all the success of your dreams?
This exercise will build your self-worth and confidence, enabling you to achieve bigger success in life.
10. Never stop learning and changing
“You will find that the most successful people in the world never say, ‘Oh I am so successful, this is it.’ They reinvent themselves. It’s all about learning and progressing.”
– Maria Hatzistefanis (How to Be an Overnight Success)
Our world is changing at a pace as rapidly as never before. It would be naive to expect that things you learn today will still be relevant in five or ten years.
If you want to stay on top of the game, you always have to continue learning. For example, every time a new social media platform gains popularity, you have to be there and figure out how to use it most effectively.
The good part about this is that if you make an effort to spend some time learning something new each and every day, it will become effortless.
Learning is challenging if you do it in phases. After each non-learning phase, studying something new takes a lot of effort.
Just like after summer break while you were still in school, studying took you longer than it took you during exam time.
So make learning a daily habit. If you never stop learning, you will quickly adapt to the market changes and keep your business afloat.
#10 Actionable Idea
Do you have carved out some time each day to learn something new?
This can be in the form of listening to podcasts while you walk your dog or workout.
Perhaps you ditch some of your Netflix time for informational YouTube videos.
Or you could find at least 20min each day to read a non-fiction book like “How to Be an Overnight Success.”
Maybe you are very keen on growing into a better version, and you even decide to do all of these things.
11. The better you feel, the more productive and creative you are
Have a daily workout regime, whether it is a HIT workout, weight training, hiking, dancing, yoga, walking your dog – just make sure to move your body. The endorphins created that way will help you in your pursuit of overnight success.
Dress to feel great. We’ve already talked about dressing to impress, but your style should also alleviate your own mood. If you feel stylish, powerful, or sexy in your clothing, you are more likely to deliver outstanding work than in your pajamas.
Read also: 11 Productivity Hacks For The Modern Woman
Perhaps the most crucial groundwork you can lay for success is personal well-being.
If you feel good, you perform better, you are motivated more quickly, you have better discipline, and you are more creative.
So make sure to always feel good in your skin.
- Buy clothes that you love, even just for wearing them at home.
- Take care of any health problems immediately.
- Declutter your environment.
- Have a weekly grooming routine.
- Sleep well.
- Drink lots of water.
- Eat fresh food and take your supplements if necessary.
Just make sure you feel good all-around, and everything on your way to success will become a lot easier.
#11 Actionable Idea
What are you wearing while you are working at home? How does it make you feel? Maybe try wearing things you would usually only wear outside and see if that changes your productivity and overall mood.
What other things can you identify that make you feel ‘bleh‘ daily? Tackle one after the other and try to improve them by just a tiny fraction each.
Even tiny changes can reap significant results.
What are your thoughts?
Have you read “How to Be an Overnight Success” by Maria Hatzistefanis already?
What was the most eye-opening lesson you’ve learned from the book or this list?
I’m looking forward to sharing more great books with you.
Sophie
