The meaning of success in today's business world goes far beyond just accomplishing a goal or doing something you set out to do. A big part of the measurement of success is how much you give back to your community, and no one knows that better than high-powered music and business executive David Bolno.
Sometimes, success can't be given a dollar value. And, giving back is more than just writing a check for donations. Here's how David Bolno has defined his own success and made his mark on the Los Angeles business community.
The Value Of Quality Education
David knew how important getting a good education was to building a foundation for his future success. He earned his undergraduate degree from Duke University, graduating Magna Cum Laude with Distinction, before going on to finish his law degree at Temple University, where he graduated Cum Laude.
During his time in college, David learned that with education comes opportunity, and those opportunities are each a new chance to achieve your goals. As an Alumni Council member for Duke, David now helps create the same opportunities for the coming generation, giving back by offering new students the guidance and support they need to build their own futures.
By helping graduates find career opportunities, connecting volunteers to the support networks that need them, and making sure the council's funds go to wherever they will have the most positive impact. David Bolno leads by example here, showing students how starting with a quality education sets the stage for success no matter what career field they enter.
How Education Benefits Entertainment Professionals & Business Managers
There are many ways that a good education can benefit business managers, entertainment professionals, and others in similar lines of work, like:
Increasing communication skills and networking abilities
Diversifying your skills and building knowledge in multiple areas
Understanding how to move up the ladder in your chosen career path
Knowing how to make smart business decisions and when to cut your losses
Learning how to maximize your resources and manage them more effectively
Learning how to negotiate and write contracts between individuals and businesses
Gaining hands-on experience in the industry before starting a career
Knowing how to manage risk and reduce your professional liability
David Bolno knows that a robust education not only gives individuals the skills needed to find success in the future, it also helps them connect to people within their community and build strong relationships with others. And when more people connect with one another and contribute to the betterment of the community, the more opportunities for growth there will be.
As part of his commitment to helping create opportunities for new learners, David has established the Bolno-Pineles Family Scholarship Fund with his wife Stacy Pineles, which provides financial support to students with an interest in Jewish studies who attend the University of Pennsylvania's Perelman School of Medicine.
Reaching Your Business Goals
After completing his education, David earned a place among top entertainment industry professionals, providing financial and business advice to high-net-worth musicians, artists, recording companies, and music studios.
David was successful enough in his own endeavors that it only made sense to turn his skills to helping others with planning their businesses, structuring their business entities, and evaluating cash flows. He helps companies make the most of what's available and diversify sources of income so earning wealth becomes passive and consistent.
With his advice, dozens of famous celebrities, successful athletes, and entertainment professionals have maximized their revenue streams and built their own wealth. As a result, David Bolno has become somewhat of a household name in Hollywood with a reputation for helping the people around him achieve massive success.
How Giving Back Benefits You
David doesn't just give back to help others - he gives back to better himself, too. Did you know that beyond the career benefits, acts of altruism like volunteering at a shelter or donating to charities have a measurable impact on a person's own health and wellness?
Giving back can help trigger the brain to release hormones that make you feel calmer and happier, like dopamine, oxytocin, and serotonin. Depression has a more difficult time grabbing hold when you're involved and giving back to your community, and your body even experiences positive effects like lowered blood pressure and physical stress levels.
Moreover, David Bolno knows that regularly contributing to the society in which you live helps make you more resilient and offers perspective when dealing with day to day challenges that life often presents. It can help give life meaning and purpose, especially when things seem bleak or monotonous.
Not only does giving back feel good, it's more apparent that other people struggle with the same things you do when you're on the ground taking action. It's easier to see that others have problems that are just as big - or bigger - and that you're plenty capable of managing them. And as you contribute to the greater whole of society, the more society betters itself as a result and the fewer people experience those same problems.
What Does Success Mean To You?
David's definition of success is a great one, but you can have your own if you'd like. You can decide what feels successful to you, even if it's not what other people envision for your life. Think about what success means to you and what you need to achieve it. Some common ways other people define success include:
Getting an education. Young individuals often see graduating from high school and college the first real marker of their success as an adult.
Having money. Many people associate money with success and believe that the more money a person has, the more successful they are.
Having a good credit score. Your credit score is a measurement of how well you borrow and pay back debt, and this rating is used to decide whether or not you can get a loan, rent an apartment, or even buy a car. Lots of people feel successful when they don't have to worry about whether or not their credit applications will be approved.
Having a home. For some people, owning a comfortable home and decorating it the way they want is a marker of success.
Having a title. For others, they feel successful when they get a professional title or achieve a job promotion they've been wanting. Or, they may consider themselves successful if they work for a particular brand or company they've idolized.
Getting married. Success can also be measured in terms of relationships and if you have a fulfilling partnership with someone you love and who loves you in return.
Having children. For family-oriented people, ultimate success may come in the form of having healthy children and starting family traditions of their own.
Feeling healthy. Individuals who struggle with chronic health conditions may see success as having more symptom free days than days with symptoms.
No matter what makes you feel successful, it's important to take some of that positive energy and redirect it back into your community. Like David Bolno, the more you put out into the world, the more success you will find as you go through life.
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