Lessons learned from Charlie Sheen

DISCLAIMER: First and foremost, I don't condone excessive partying under most circumstances and never condone domestic violence or abuse in any form so spare me the moral and judgmental responses. I live in a glass house.

"We are all born originals - most of us die a copy" - Abraham Lincoln

Many consider Charlie Sheen a playboy, a genius, an addict, honest, an abuser, a top actor and in some circles, simply crazy. Perhaps all may true to varying degrees. But by any standard, Charlie Sheen is an original. And being such, he was the highest paid television actor (and seems that will continue...see below), he's sold out arenas...is the top story on every tabloid news channel...has the fastest growing twitter account in history (and commands 5K to simply reference a product in his tweets) and by no coincidence, rumor has it CBS wants to bring him back, with a raise!

Lessons learned:

1) Be an original. Copies can be replicated and as such are cheaper the more you make.

2) Be honest, regardless of the ramifications. You'll sleep better and be more respected.

3) Having the best product will always supersede having the best service. Think Soup Nazi!

4) The squeaky wheel gets the grease. These sayings were made up for a reason.

5) Any press is good press. See #4

6) Focus on "Winning". Based on the above, looks like he's right.

How to parallel this to recruiting?

1) Propose something unique. Saying you work harder, have the best technology, have the best people, and saying you work with the best candidates...just makes you look stupid (to anyone who will fill your pockets)!

2) If you have a superior product, clients will tolerate slips in service. The reverse is not true! Clients can care less about updates and emails about failure and how hard you're working...they want product, results. I recall one of my bosses who would get to work before anyone and leave after everyone. Some would say he worked hard...others would say he worked slow.

3) If a client screws you, tell them so and move on. Otherwise, you've given them a license.

4) Do anything you can to get your name out there. Be memorable and brand, brand, brand. I've met 100's of recruiters...but I only remember one. A guy walking up and down wall street during the recession with a sandwich board with all the wall street jobs he's working on. I remember him!

5) Keep your eye on the prize...MONEY! Don't be so pretentious as to believe this isn't the measure of success. Frankly, it's the only measure. And for those who wrap themselves in the Snuggie with hot cocoa on a Sunday afternoon and catch up on Oprah re-runs thinking the best measure is making the right fit, think again. If you are making the right fit, you're making the most money.

Fill your veins with Tiger Blood, people!

Comment by Dan Hunter on March 24, 2011 at 11:39am: I don't think anyone is confused by it, it was just a bit of fun about being different. Well at least that's how i read it. Besides im bored of people looking to jesus as a role model, maybe in 2000 years people will worship at the alter of sheen and people will say how great he was?

Comment by Julian Boylan on March 24, 2011 at 11:44am: 1. Charlie Sheen is in the Media business as an Actor ( although if you have ever watched the show that is so popular you might question - Actor? ) and also the son of a very connected father. He is no genius as he claims to be. And he is far from original! Hollywood and TV is filled with these "originals"

2. Money is not the only measure of success. Charlie is a prime example. What about his children? His health? His Family?

3. The soup nazi is out of business.

Honesty is the best policy - Agree.

And in Recruiting - Product + Service = everything

Comment by Sandra McCartt on March 24, 2011 at 11:50am: A good post with some darn good points. I have stayed away from the Sheen stuff because to me it's like watching a horrible , bloody wreck. Those of us who have had our lives torn up by drunks, druggies and all of the psychotic stuff that goes along with their outrageous behavior, albeit sometimes funny, until they hit that final wall and either really hurt themselves or someone else, have a sick feeling when we watch the manic phase of it. We have seen it with our friends or family and pretty much know how it's going to end. It sometimes takes a very long time.

Comment by Louis Volpe on March 24, 2011 at 12:29pm: Got to wonder how anyone could make the connection between a narcissistic, spoiled, alcoholic actor to excelling in the recruiting industry! What surprises me more is the absolute obsession this country and perhaps the world has with celebrities; the more dysfunctional the better. If Sheen were your brother-in-law, most of us would probably have a totally different opinion about this pampered pathetic person, and no one would be equating that person to traits that should be, in some form copied in order to achieve success.

Comment by Ginnie Bellville on March 24, 2011 at 1:15pm: I really like this article - clever, thought-provoking, and enjoyable! But, do you people know just how many drugs Charlie Sheen does???? (that's the question.) ANSWER: Enough to kill 2 and a half men!

Comment by Tom Dimmick on March 24, 2011 at 1:38pm: Pretensions aside . . . Money is the goal. Recruiting is work and we deserve to be paid for our efforts (results). However; clients feel abused if you abandon the "fit" and concentrate too much on their money.

Comment by Paul Alfred on March 24, 2011 at 2:30pm: Christopher - You forgot to mention or forgot about Reputation ... It goes along way in the Recruitment business. All the stuff you pointed out gets killed if your Industry Reputation and Credibility sucks if you are talking about the Recruitment Industry that is ...

Comment by Christopher Poreda on March 24, 2011 at 4:27pm: @ Julian...http://www.originalsoupman.com/ As yummy as ever!

Comment by Mat von Kroeker on March 24, 2011 at 6:27pm: It helps if you have Martin Sheen for a father and a television character written to exactly who you are in real life, so there's very little acting necessary. It isn't "Tiger Blood" or "Winning"--- it's called be VERY lucky. duh.

Comment by Gregory Caldwell on March 24, 2011 at 6:27pm: Christopher! Original? Please!

This is a Wallstreet 1987 rerun and in this re-make Bud Fox grows up and gets to play Gorden Gekko! Gotta love the branding though. "Winning"? Remember"Greed is good"? "Tiger Blood"? Remember "I just bagging an elephant?"

How about this great line? "If your enemy is superior, evade him. If angry, irritate him. If equally matched, fight, and if not split and reevaluate."

I think Charlie is definately "looking into the Abyss" right now. But is this original? I think not.

Do we love to watch this stuff?

As Gorden Gakko said; "It's a zero sum game, somebody wins, somebody loses...."