When people ask me how to earn more money, I typically share these tips.

1. Become an expert in something not a lot of other people know how to do. Make sure that expertise is solving a pain point that the buyer is willing to pay a lot for.

2. Surround yourself with others who are consistently exceeding expectations. You become like those people you spend the most time with.

3. Emotional intelligence is a differentiator. If you don’t have it, you will struggle. Get feedback from others and focus on getting better every day. (I offer an assessment and coaching in this area because I have seen how the lack of emotional intelligence ruins careers and relationships.)

And more recently I have started including:

4. Read a lot. Devour information, books, articles, posts from thought leaders, etc. Watch videos too. And if the topic is complex research and think about the different perspectives of the people impacted. Don’t just reinforce your own thinking. Intentionally look at it from multiple points of view. Talk to others and listen with an open mind.

5. Learning how to learn is essential. Nothing stays the same and it isn’t enough to be an expert anymore. You may have been an expert in something five years ago. Now that something has changed. You need to learn new things to continue to be an expert or shift your expertise.

What would you add to this list?

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