Outlining the career journey, Stein and Burton manage to hit all the crucial beats that professionals cannot afford to miss when launching their greatest employment pursuits. Throughout the book, the authors target important work-ethic and relationship issues, as well as personal growth habits.
One of the themes running through the 26 steps advocated by this book is the value of networking and building a team of allies. Everyone has heard the saying "It's not about what you know; it's about who you know," which holds true in most cases. Making sure not to devalue the importance of hard and earnest work, Stein and Burton expound upon this principle in various steps throughout the book.
With steps like "To Serve is to Rule," "Make Connections—They're Everything," and "There Is No Such Thing as Being Too Likeable," the authors explain how to create good and lasting relationships throughout your career and that the wealth of those investments will always pay off if you have invested honestly and wisely.
In chapter five, "To Serve is to Rule," they teach that no matter how much stature someone has in the business, he or she needs to "serve" someone, meaning that you always "get ahead by serving others." This section features a quote from Bob Dylan that supports this idea: "Everyone in the world has to serve someone."
Stein describes his personal experiences with making connections in step seven, "Make Connections—They're Everything," explaining how his entire empire of successful ventures has been based on his father's friendship with Milton Friedman, a Nobel Prize-winning economist who influenced three U.S. presidents. After Stein's father, Herbert, befriended Friedman while the two were studying at the University of Chicago, Stein's connection was set in place. Friedman helped get Stein's father a job at the White House as Richard Nixon's Chairman of the Council of Economic Advisors, which eventually led to Stein's job as a speech writer for Nixon, and the rest is history.
In step number eight, "There is No Such Thing as Being Too Likeable," Stein and Burton open the first paragraph with "Let the losers call it 'ass kissing' or 'apple polishing.' The fact is this is how people get won over and influenced to do good things for the apple polisher and the ass kisser." They explain that no matter what job someone has, no one ever does well if he or she is perceived as "unfriendly" or "aloof."
Besides some smart tips on how to cultivate and manage your business ethic and relationships, Stein and Burton touch on some personal habits that blooming professionals should embrace. Steps like "Live in Reality," "Don't Get into Financial Hot Water," and "Get a Rabbi," explain that no one can ever be successful if he or she has a heap of unresolved personal struggles and issues.
Throughout the book, Stein and Burton also frequently quote other successful people to illustrate their ideas, bringing additional perspectives and depth to the book and its advice. They seem to have a real fondness for American singer and songwriter Bob Dylan's wise words.
Whether you are in sales, law, medicine, the performing arts—you name it—26 Steps to Succeed in Hollywood...or Any Other Business will teach you the basic must-dos in order to develop a worthwhile future. Follow even a few of these steps to career prosperity and watch your business experience and reputation climb to new heights.
