The Single Greatest Success Lesson Steve Schirripa Taught Me In Vegas

Steve Schirripa. "Do I know you?"

When I first arrived in Las Vegas in late 1995, I had an audition at the Riviera Comedy Club. My job - make Steve Schirripa laugh. Steve was the Entertainment Director for the Riviera Hotel and Casino. I got my 10 minutes on stage. Steve laughed and I started working at the Riviera and a couple other venues in Las Vegas that Steve booked. The work was great, but I got so much more from Steve. He taught me a lot about Sin City and how it works. In one of our meeting, I learned the single greatest success lesson Steve Schirripa taught me in Vegas. I never forgot it. And I still use it every day.

You may know Steve from his many cameo appearances in movies and on TV. He was also Bobby Bacala on the Sopranos. You can regularly see Steve on the Animal Planet Channel.

Every now and then, Steve would call me up to his office. He had a couple projects for me. We chatted on the phone a few times and even had a chance to catch a bite at the Riviera employee cafeteria. When Steve had a cancellation at the comedy club, he called me, and I gladly filled in for the day or week.

During one of our chats, Steve shared with me the secret to Las Vegas - but this applies anywhere.

We've all heard the cliché, "It's not what you know, it's who you know." Steve flatly told me, "That's bullshit."

"Roger, if you wanna be successful in this town it don't matter who you know. It only matters who knows you."

That in a nutshell is what it's all about. You have to make a name for yourself and get people to notice you. You have to start showing up places and doing things where people remember you. You have to mingle with big shots and people who can influence your life. You want them to remember you by name.

You can take any business magazine and say, "I know him or her." So what. Do they know you?

That is why my articles about personal branding are so important. You have to form a brand that is uniquely you. You have to be different, special, noteworthy, and worthy of being remembered. You can't fake it. In Vegas, they spot fakes from a miles away. If you're genuine, you'll be respected and things will start happening for you. This philosophy can work anywhere.

So, build yourself a new brand - YOU. And you can take advantage of the single greatest success lesson Steve Schirripa taught me in Vegas. Who knows you?

Related articles:
Why It Is Important To Craft And Build Your Personal Brand
How To Build Your Brand On The Internet And Social Networks
The Key To Success: Use Downtime To Generate New Ideas And Improve

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