Start Here — Whatcha Why?
Before any interview, get clear on your purpose. Not what you want to become — but why.
What reveals the problem they face. Why reveals their decision to go with you.
Ever negotiate with a 5-year-old?
They already know what they want.
By 11, they learn to read the room.
The skill we spend the rest of our lives learning is why people want what they want.
That’s not persuasion. That’s awareness.
Second order thinking.
A practical framework to help you get internships, land jobs, and grow through every experience.
Most people are active. Few are intentional. The difference is whether you can repeat it — and whether you know what you’re after, why it matters, and who it affects before you walk in the room.
Be Intentional
Not hard on yourself.
Your disappointment is your advantage. You had an experience to learn from. A loss without a lesson demotivates.
- My preparation — what I knew about them before I walked in.
- My effort — how many conversations I actually started.
- My follow-up — whether I closed the loop, and how fast.
- My attitude — how I showed up, and how I responded after.
- Not mine: their budget, their timing, who else applied, the final call.
- What worked here that I could do every time?
- Which question opened them up?
- What did I prepare that I actually used?
- What would I keep if I had one hour to prepare instead of five?
- If it only worked once, it was luck. If it works again, it’s a process.
- Conversations started this week.
- Applications sent — and how many were tailored.
- Follow-ups sent within 24 hours.
- Interviews earned, and feedback asked for.
- Outcomes you don’t control. Activity you do.
The 7 Out of 10 Mindset
You may hear “no” seven out of ten times and still be successful.
Seven out of ten didn’t choose you. That doesn’t mean seven out of ten rejected your worth. An outcome is information. It isn’t your identity.
Self-grace isn’t the absence of accountability. It’s accountability without beating yourself up.
- What did I learn today?
- What could I do better tomorrow?
- What’s one action I’ll take to improve?
The Rest Is In the BAG
- Belief — in yourself and where you're going.
- Action — how much you take daily to get there.
- Grace — how much you give yourself and everyone else along the way.
Leadership, growth, and ownership all live here. Fear kills confidence — some read that backwards. Which will you choose?
Remove the Doubt
- Ask "What must be true for this to occur?"
- Learn what actions it takes.
- Give yourself enough grace to believe in your Why.
Failure isn't part of your identity — it's part of the process. Growth requires permission to make mistakes, daily.
Three Kinds of Awareness
Know for yourself. Understand the opportunity. Solve for improvement.
There are three kinds of awareness. Tap each to open it.
Clarity
- What am I actually trying to get from this — a skill, a network, a paycheck, a direction?
- Which of those would I give up if I had to choose?
- Would I still want this if nobody were watching?
Motive
- What changes in my life if this goes well?
- Am I chasing this, or chasing someone else’s idea of it?
- What would make this worth the effort even if it doesn’t work out?
People
- Who else is affected if I take this — family, teammates, future me?
- Who am I counting on, and who is counting on me?
- Who would I want to tell about it?
Measurement
- Six months in, how would I know this was the right move?
- What can I point to — skills, work, relationships, confidence?
- What would make me say it was worth it?
Action
- What is the one thing I can do this week?
- Who do I need to talk to first?
- What am I waiting on — and is that wait real?
Their picture
- What does the job description say in plain words?
- What kind of person has succeeded there before?
- What would make someone easy to say yes to?
Their currency
- Are they trying to save money, move faster, lower risk, or build reputation?
- What does their team get judged on?
- What shows up again and again in how they talk about the work?
Your fit
- Which of their problems have I actually touched before?
- What have I done that transfers, even if the setting was different?
- Where am I light — and how do I say so without apologising?
The friction
- Where does the work seem to get stuck?
- What have they tried already?
- What would they fix first if they could?
The improvement
- What gets easier, faster, or safer?
- Who notices the difference?
- What becomes possible that isn’t possible now?
Direction
- Does this move me toward what I said was important?
- Would I take this if a better-known name offered the same role?
Contribution
- What can I do here that they actually need?
- Where would I be useful in week one, not month six?
Cost
- What am I giving up to do this?
- Is the learning worth the hours?
Mutual
- What do they get that they couldn’t get easily elsewhere?
- What do I get that I can’t get elsewhere?
Their timing
- Are they hiring now, or thinking about it?
- Is there a deadline, a season, or a budget behind this?
The trigger
- What changed recently — growth, turnover, a new project?
- What happens to them if nothing changes?
Their appetite
- Do they train people, or do they expect you to arrive finished?
- Who there has grown, and how?
The lever
- What would move this up their list?
- What can I bring that makes it easier to say yes now?
The Cadence
Where are you in the journey?
Pick the stage you're working on. Each one reshapes around what to do, ask, and listen for.
The four-step ladder — tap each to open
Say it like this — ready-to-use language
Change the word. Change the answer.
Same question. Different door. Curiosity opens it.
Awareness earns the meeting. This earns the reply.
5-Steps to Earning a Response
How to get a response without chasing people.
Tap any step to open the swap — what to stop saying, what to try instead, and why it works.
The psychology
A UO Sales Manager reached out to a group after discovering limited information online indicating they were planning a trip to Orlando.
Good Afternoon,
Thank you for choosing Orlando & allowing the City to assist you in hosting The 2026 National Championships! (This is a mutually agreeable fact) On behalf of our Gold Key partnership with the Orange County Convention Center, your group qualifies for discounts up to 40% off Universal Orlando tickets. (Provides unique offer while acknowledging their choice & giving UO credibility)
Would you be against hosting a link for your Teams, Athletes, Coaches & Parents to save on their tickets? (Get your Yes with their No) We also have programs for you to resell them the tickets & raise money for your organization while still offering a substantial savings to the attendees. (Allow two choices, no more. Always two never three.)
If there were a way to provide your group with either one or the above options, what would be the best number to reach you at? (This is an easy to answer question)
Much appreciation,
Name
Title & UO signature line
A recent graduate from Embry-Riddle’s Engineering program was struggling to get responses to his job applications and resumes. After repeated silence, the outreach was going nowhere — so he changed the approach.
Afternoon Clay, (Email contact at Northrop Grumman he found online)
Congratulations on the launch of Lumberjack! (A mutually agreeable fact) As a recent Engineering graduate from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University and having heard about its development just over a year ago, I can only imagine how rewarding this milestone must be for you and the team. (Sharing himself as the unique offer & appreciation of someone else’s accomplishment is always adding value)
Would you be against a quick call to share 3 or 4 key decisions that helped shape your career path? (Gets a Yes with their No) Alternatively, I’d be happy to stop by next time I’m in the area to drop off my resume in person. (Allow two choices, no more. Always two never three.)
What would work best for you? (An easy to answer question)
Much appreciation,
Jeremy Jackson
A Sales Manager at Medicus Healthcare Solutions received a list of contacts from a colleague who had recently attended a healthcare conference. Using the five-step format, he successfully engaged several of those prospects.
Good Morning Todd,
We both value clinical excellence and sustainable staffing models. (A mutually agreeable fact) As you spoke with Garrett Williams at a recent conference, I understand he discussed our Transition and how it works as a bridge when insourcing a service line or switching between groups. (The unique offer — delivered as information, not a pitch)
If there were a way we could enable Peace of Health Medical Center to make the move to an employed model, ensure full schedule coverage in the process, and improve read turnaround times — would you be against meeting with my VP and I on 11/17? (Got his Yes with a No — and opened with “If there were a way…” not “If I had a way…” which would have subconsciously implied Brian knew more than the prospect)
We will be visiting Peace of Health St. Johns from 11 – 1:30pm on 11/17 to discuss our program for multiple service lines there.
Shortly after we meet to better understand your specific needs, we could move forward with a detailed clinical discussion to assess how our solution would look in execution.
Would a meeting on 11/17, sometime between 3pm – 5pm or a dinner that evening work better for you? (Allow two choices, no more. Always two never three — and easy to answer.)
Much appreciation,
Brian
Fact → Question → Silence → Connection → Permission
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