Connect with us

Success Advice

The Path to the Top Starts at the Bottom

The objective is to start at the bottom, not to stay there.

Published

on

Image Credit: Unsplash

Regardless of whether you are a recent college graduate, just obtained a two-year associate degree from a vocational school, or did neither and are about to enter the workforce straight out of high school, if I could tell you one thing—aside from “be willing to work your ass off,” it would be this: All you need to know to be at the top is learned at the bottom.

READ THAT AGAIN. Take a moment and let it sink in. We all want to be at the top — to be the top dog, the head honcho, the one calling all the shots. But not everyone is suited to be there, oftentimes because they skipped the lessons they should have learned at the bottom. The value of those at the top is frequently a reflection of their willingness to start at the bottom.

Analyze Romantic Career Notions

Some careers lend itself to idealized notions more than others, but in reality, all demand hard work if you hope to succeed at whatever it is you choose to do. Every career starts somewhere, and more than likely, that’s an entry-level position. 

We start at the bottom and, through persistence and perseverance, make our way up the employment food chain.

Someone who knew a thing or two about food chains is Bobby Flay, successful restaurant owner in a business that is often overly romanticized by aspiring chefs. It should be noted, however, that Flay, who has appeared on numerous Food Network shows like Iron Chef America, Grillin’ & Chillin’, Beat Bobby Flay, Brunch @ Bobby’s, and Throwdown with Bobby Flay, was not always a household name. 

You’d be wrong if you thought he did not first pay his dues spending time at the bottom of an industry known for repetitive tasks like slicing, dicing, chopping, and mincing.

After he dropped out of high school at seventeen, Flay took a job at Joe Allen’s, a popular restaurant in New York’s Theater District, where he spent hours just making salads. While doing this, and “cranking out countless meals,” as he says in his cookbook, Bobby Flay’s Mesa Grill Cookbook, he dreamed of the restaurant concept for Mesa Grill.

“All you need to know to be at the top is learned at the bottom.”

Pay Your Dues to Keep Moving Ahead

Flay’s boss at Joe Allen’s noticed something special about Flay and paid for him to attend NYC’s French Culinary Institute, an investment of time to learn his trade. After this, he worked several jobs learning what it was really like working in the kitchen of a restaurant. 

During this time, he realized he was not quite ready to run his own kitchen. “It was all fine and good to dream big, but I needed the skills first. I had no culinary point of view of my own yet.” And so, he took a job as a chef—not executive chef—at another restaurant where he was introduced to his now trademark southwestern-style flavors.

Flay has since amassed a culinary empire that includes restaurants, TV shows, cookbooks, and food products. His example shows that it takes wisdom to hone your skills in order for your vision to manifest. 

Said another way: Working in another person’s kitchen can help you sharpen the knives that you will use in your own. If you bypass time at the bottom where you learn what is needed to live at the top, the spotlight that shines on you may show not only what you have, but also what you lack.

Cold Calls: A Dose of Reality

In the staffing industry (or any sales related job), the bottom rung is cold calling, what those in the biz call dialing for dollars. For me, that meant plowing through the business Yellow Pages, line by line, hoping someone would pick up the phone so I could discuss the services offered by the firm where I was employed.

I hated doing it, but it had to be done. I didn’t know it then, but making those calls laid the foundation for the numerous business relationships that would ultimately foster the establishment of my two firms, BF Consultants and Encore Professionals Group.

Cold calling—spending time on the bottom rung grinding and cranking away—helped me learn the business. 

When I first started, I knew nothing about the accounting and finance positions I would be filling. I knew nothing about professional services and asking customers about their hiring needs. I knew nothing about business development or being a valued resource for those seeking to identify talent for the companies they worked for. 

I learned about all of it through cold calling, by talking with customers about their challenges and by asking them how I could help. By starting at the bottom, I gained the foundational knowledge that I needed in order to be at the top and, one day, be my own boss.

Many of the deals I now work on come from people I have known for twenty-plus years. Any success I have had in business is in direct proportion to the relationships I cultivated years ago. And many of them started with that dreaded cold call. 

The Bottom: A Place to Visit Not to Live

The objective is to start at the bottom, not to stay there. Entry-level positions are opening points not endpoints. This is the time for your roots to go deep so you remain grounded, no matter how lofty the heights to which you ascend. 

It is the place that helps shape who you are and what type of employee (or employer, perhaps) you will eventually become. Experiencing the progression, and knowing what it feels like, flavors and seasons your character. Tasting what it is like at the bottom does not mean you have to cultivate an appetite for it. But it is essential you know how it tastes.

Chris Fontanella is the founder of Encore Professionals Group, a professional services firm specializing in the identification and placement of accounting and finance candidates in temporary and full-time positions. He previously served as Division Director for Robert Half International and Client Service Director for Resources Global Professionals. Prior to entering the staffing industry, Fontanella spent years studying theology and preparing for ministry, having received his bachelor of arts degree in New Testament Studies from Oral Roberts University, and his master of arts degree in Theological Studies from Fuller Theological Seminary. He is the author of Jump-Start Your Career: Ten Tips to Get You Going, and Tune Up Your Career: Tips & Cautions for Peak Performance in the Workplace. Learn more at chrisfontanella.com.

Advertisement
Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Did You Know

How to Turn a Simple Link-in-Bio Into a Powerful Brand Hub

Transform your forgotten bio link into a high-impact gateway that fuels engagement, clicks, and conversions across every social platform.

Published

on

link in bio best practices
Image Credit: Midjourney

Social media is one of the greatest marketing tools in 2025. According to a recent study, some 86% of marketers globally use platforms like Facebook and Instagram for advertisements, while 94% use it for content distribution.  (more…)

Continue Reading

Personal Development

These 11 Habits Will Make You More Productive, Successful, and Confident

Boost your focus, confidence, and results with 11 powerful habits successful people use every day.

Published

on

how to build self-confidence through action
Image Credit: Midjourney

Successful people love to help beginners. They have an incredible work ethic and rarely complain. As a result, others naturally look up to them and want to follow in their footsteps.

But here’s the truth: there’s no success without sacrifice. You’ll need to give up comfort, excuses, and sometimes even social approval to accomplish your goals.

Value comes from solving problems, and these 11 powerful tips will help you become more productive, successful, and confident, starting today.

1. Take Short Breaks After Finishing a Task

Psychology shows it’s important to reward positive behaviour.

After completing a big task or finishing a book, take five minutes to walk, stretch, or simply breathe. This quick reset helps your brain recharge and strengthens focus.

Many great writers swear by morning walks, solitude, and reflection can unlock creativity.

But if you refuse to take breaks, don’t be surprised when burnout hits. Your brain needs recovery time just as much as your body does.

2. Schedule Your Most Important Tasks First

Multitasking kills productivity. If you want to get more done, try time blocking, a method where you dedicate set periods for specific tasks.

Productivity expert Caitlin Hughes explains, “Time blocking involves scheduling blocks of time for your tasks throughout the day.”

For example, if you’re a writer:

  • Research your topic at night.

  • Write your first draft in the morning (don’t worry if it’s rough).

  • Edit in the afternoon, great writing comes from rewriting.

You can’t buy more time. Use it intentionally and without regret.

3. Eliminate Distractions from Your Workspace

Focus is the foundation of success.

According to Inc. Magazine, it takes an average of 23 minutes to recover from a distraction. That’s nearly half an hour of lost productivity every time you check your phone.

Put your phone away. Close unnecessary tabs. And yes, limit your Netflix binges.

Meeting deadlines consistently is one of the fastest ways to stand out and earn respect.

4. Take Full Responsibility for Your Life

Entrepreneur Derek Sivers once said, “Everything is my fault.”

This mindset doesn’t mean self-blame; it means self-ownership. Stop pointing fingers, making excuses, or waiting for others to change.

If your habits (like smoking or drinking too much) hold you back, it’s time to make better choices. Your friends can’t live your dreams for you; only you can.

5. Invest an Hour a Day in Learning New Skills

Knowledge compounds over time.

Whether you read books, take online courses, or practise a craft, consistent learning gives you a competitive edge.

I used to struggle with academic writing, but I improved by studying the work of great authors and applying what I learned.

Your past doesn’t define you; your actions do. Every new skill adds another tool to your arsenal and makes you more unstoppable.

6. Develop a Growth Mindset

Psychologist Dr. Carol Dweck introduced the concept of fixed vs. growth mindset.

  • A fixed mindset believes success is based on natural talent.

  • A growth mindset believes success comes from effort and learning.

Choose the growth mindset. Embrace challenges. See failures as feedback. In today’s fast-moving digital world, adaptability is your biggest advantage.

7. Learn Marketing to Reach People Who Need You

I once believed marketing was manipulative, until I realised it’s about helping people solve problems.

If your work provides genuine value, marketing is how you let others know it exists. Even Apple spends billions on it.

Don’t be ashamed to promote your skills or business. Without visibility, your ideas will never reach the people who need them most.

Creative professionals who understand marketing and sales have an unfair advantage.

8. Ask Your Mentor the Right Questions

Good mentors can fast-track your growth.

While mentorship often costs money, it’s one of the best investments you can make. Great mentors don’t care about titles; they care about your progress.

If you don’t have access to a mentor yet, books are your silent mentors. Read the best in your field, take notes, and apply what resonates.

9. Build Confidence Through Action, Not Affirmations

Author Ryan Holiday once said, “I don’t believe in myself. I have evidence.”

Confidence doesn’t come from shouting affirmations into the mirror; it comes from proof. Doing hard things, keeping promises to yourself, and following through.

When you consistently take action, your brain gathers evidence that you can handle whatever comes next. That’s real confidence, grounded, earned, and unshakable.

10. Focus on Your Strengths

Your strengths reveal where your greatest impact lies.

If people compliment you on something often, it’s a clue. Lean into it.

A former professor once told me I was creative, and that simple comment gave me the confidence to go all in. I studied creativity, applied it daily, and turned it into my career advantage.

Double down on your strengths. That’s how you build momentum and mastery.

11. Identify and Challenge Your Limiting Beliefs

Your beliefs shape your reality.

For years, I believed I couldn’t be a great writer because of my chronic tinnitus and astigmatism, sensory challenges that made concentration difficult. But over time, I realised those struggles made me more disciplined, observant, and empathetic.

Your limitations can become your greatest motivators if you let them.

Avoid shortcuts. Growth takes time, but it’s always worth it.

Final Thoughts

Becoming productive, successful, and confident isn’t about working harder than everyone else. It’s about working smarter, consistently, and intentionally.

You don’t need to overhaul your life overnight. Start small: take a break after your next task, schedule your priorities, or spend one hour learning something new.

Every habit you change compounds into long-term success. Remember, true change comes from practising new behaviours.

Continue Reading

Success Advice

Why One-Size-Fits-All Leadership Will Always Fail (and What Works Instead)

The surprising truth about leadership styles that can make or break your team’s success.

Published

on

Why one-size-fits-all leadership doesn’t work
Image Credit: Midjourney

Leadership has always been as much about people as it is about performance. Ken Blanchard, in his influential book, “The One Minute Manager”, put it simply: different strokes for different folks. (more…)

Continue Reading

Success Advice

What Every New CEO Must Do in Their First 100 Days (or Risk Failure)

Your first 100 days as CEO could define your entire legacy, here’s how to make every move count

Published

on

leadership tips for new CEO
Image Credit: Midjourney

When Tim Cook took over from Steve Jobs at Apple, the world watched with bated breath. Jobs wasn’t just a CEO; he was a visionary, an icon, and a legend of innovative leadership. (more…)

Continue Reading

Trending