I was recently asked what advice I would give to those who wanted to succeed and achieve their goals. I always take questions like this very seriously, because to be honest I think I’m still working to achieve the goals I have set for myself. However, I’ve been living by 7 principles since the day that my parents (mother and stepfather) moved us out of the trailer park.

Truth is I come from very humble beginnings and I remember them vividly. My father left my mother when I was very young. My mother had no formal education beyond high school, so she was required to work three jobs to support her two girls and even then those three jobs often didn’t make ends meet. We struggled and we learned what it was like to be poor. I was young, but I believe growing up in these circumstances and watching my mother do whatever it took instilled in me the drive that I have to succeed.  Since I can remember, I’ve lived by the following principles:

1. Principle 1: Never ever give up or count yourself out.
2. Principle 2: Strive to learn something new every day.
3. Principle 3: Keep the passion about what you do.
4. Principle 4: Be willing to share your knowledge.
5. Principle 5: Don’t rest on your laurels.
6. Principle 6: There is no job too small, there is opportunity everywhere – it’s your job to be aware of it.
7. Principle 7: Be willing to help others achieve their dreams.

Watching my mother struggle and do the best that she could I vowed that I’d always be able to take care of myself. I’ve done that. I always thought that I wanted to work in accounting, because it was secure and you didn’t hear of many layoffs when it came to number crunching. I wanted to take the stability route – but realized my passion was in something else… marketing.

The realization came from a gig that I truly started as a hobby in 1998 – it was a small Internet company, called The Mining Company. I agreed to write articles for $100 per month on how individuals and businesses could communicate using online technology – wow, who ever would have thought it would take me down the path it did. This opportunity, that I considered a hobby took my career path down a different road. I started to study consumers every day – what made them respond, what triggered the correct response and what did they want from companies that would make them buy. Over time I had learned more about the consumers mind than I ever would have had I graduated college with a marketing degree.

In 2003 I was accepted to write for the Marketing column for About.com, formerly known as The Mining Company and now owned by The New York Times. In 2009 I became a published author of Consumer Behavior for Dummies and all because I lived by the seven rules above.

The Facts: You can do what you put your mind to, if you are committed and you are driven there is nothing that can stop you; too many people give up too soon. I still write for About.com and now consult with businesses on using integrated marketing to reach potential customers and get them to respond by purchasing their products or services.

I even went as far as to write my own definition of marketing, because I felt the definitions that were used were too vague. My marketing definition:

“Marketing is the process of teaching consumers why they should choose your product or service over your competitors; if you are not doing that you are not marketing. It’s really that simple! The key is finding the right method and defining the right message to use to educate and influence your consumers.

Companies make the mistake of thinking that marketing is just “one” thing, but marketing is everything that the consumer encounters when it comes to your business, from advertising, to what they hear, to the customer service that they receive, to the follow-up care that you provide. It’s all marketing and creating the decision within the consumer whether or not to choose you initially or for repeat business.”

I’ve been blessed with so many opportunities from speaking, to being published by a top publishing company and under a recognized brand, to working with tremendous clients. My secret is that I strive to learn something new every day and I believe this makes me stand out in knowledge and from among my competition.