HUNGRY vs THIRSTY

We all have heard the phrase “don’t be thirsty”. If, by some crazy phenomenon you haven’t, it essentially means don’t be needy on Social Media. This predisposition towards “not being thirsty” has unfortunately led to an entire generation that shys away from reaching out in random messages, a stark contrast to the “cold-calling” our parents’ generation knew all too well. 

What it’s led to is a mental block in terms of responding to strangers on Social Media within the business world, and oftentimes, for good reason. It’s far more common for someone to reach out with an amazing opportunity for you that turns out to be a truckload of B.S than for them to be engaged in your best interests. This learned behavior has led us to simply shut down the welcoming side of our brains, assuming most people or businesses just want something, rather than actually focused on a relationship that is enriching for both parties. 

That is where being HUNGRY vs being THIRSTY becomes a valuable tool. It’s incredibly important to understand that time is a valuable asset that we all have equally, and to waste someone else’s time, is to also waste your own. This is where being HUNGRY is advantageous and being THIRSTY is not!

HUNGRY represents an opportunity for both to learn, grow, and move forward positively rather than THIRSTY which is a relationship most akin to that of a leech. Framing an opportunity as a partnership or relationship is far more valuable than simply offering product and promo codes, but why? 

Simple, because HUNGER shows you are willing to put in the effort regardless of the outcome for yourself. Being HUNGRY is why taking an unpaid internship is such a valuable resume item, because it shows you’re not simply trying to make a buck, but focused on your own improvement in your field. 

Now, I’m not saying go out and do work for free all the time, but what I am saying is be good enough when putting in that free work that it is impossible NOT to pay you. Being HUNGRY shows you will bust your ass without a shiny medal awaiting your successes. It shows you are selfless while also being selfish in your pursuit to be better. 

I can guarantee you, if you are THIRSTY in your messages to work with people, they will flip the switch within their heads that subjugates you to a negative in their business. If you are HUNGRY, that is the impression the person across the board room table will remember when you’re asking to be paid for your work. Be HUNGRY not THIRSTY!