[rank_math_breadcrumb]

Dorie Clark | The Legacy Project

About

Dorie Clark | The Legacy Project is an Adjunct Professor of Business Administration at Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business and the author of Reinventing You (Harvard Business Review Press, 2013) and Stand Out (Portfolio/Penguin, 2015).

A former presidential campaign spokeswoman, she is a frequent contributor to the Harvard Business Review, TIME, and Entrepreneur. Recognized as a “branding expert” by the Associated Press, Inc., and Fortune, Clark is a marketing strategy consultant and speaker for clients including Google, Microsoft, Yale University, Fidelity, and the World Bank.

Dorie Clark Definition Of Success | To me, success is about fulfilling your potential – whatever that means to you as an individual. The saddest thing in the world is someone who feels like they could have “been more” but never tried to reach for it.

A Key Talent | I have been incredibly persistent. I wrote three book proposals, all of which were all rejected before my first book, Reinventing You, was finally published. I have found new approaches despite professional setbacks, such as getting laid off from my first job as a journalist and working on two prominent-but-losing political campaigns. I think it’s very important not to accept others’ external judgments of you.

Just because you’re not succeeding at a given task or in a given job doesn’t mean that you’re a failure. Instead, it means that it just may not be a fit or – perhaps even more likely – other people aren’t properly appreciating you, so you should keep persevering until you find the place where your true talents are recognized. Dorie Clark | The Legacy Project was motivated by an unyielding faith that I wouldn’t let ignorant people decide my future; I was going to be successful even if it took far longer than I wanted.

The Characteristics Of Success | I read the newspaper every morning and believe it’s really important to be a well-rounded, informed citizen. That allows me to be aware of world trends, make connections between my work and other ideas, and find ways to connect with almost anyone I meet because there’s a ready store of anecdotes and information I can draw from (if they’re from a certain country, I can talk about the news in that country, etc.).

Principles I Live ByI think it’s essential to always do what you say you’re going to do. Promises are your currency as a businessperson – and a businessperson. People need to be able to rely on your word, and it’s extremely important to me to make sure that I follow through on my commitments. Sometimes it may take a while (like writing an article or the like), but I always do it.

Critical Skills I Develop | Probably the most important skill I’ve developed is writing quickly and well, honed when I was a journalist (and was responsible for writing 3500+ words per week). Some people thought that the importance of writing would diminish in the Internet era, but it’s actually the opposite. The ability to craft interesting emails and blog posts that capture people’s attention – not to mention writing books that can share your ideas with a broader audience – is critically important.

How I Use My Mind | I think it’s essential to focus, so every six months, Dorie Clark | The Legacy Project try to limit myself to three overarching goals. For the first half of 2015, it was 1) trying to make my new book Stand Out a bestseller; 2) growing my email list (with a goal of 20,000 subscribers by the end of 2015); and 3) getting a girlfriend. Those were my only focus areas and represented a simple lens through which to evaluate my use of time. If an activity wasn’t contributing to one of those three goals, I moved it to the back.

Dorie Clark | The Legacy Project

Performing At My Peak | I am a major fan of sleep! I don’t in any way accept the machismo of only sleeping a few hours a night; every study in the world shows that cripples your productivity – not to mention makes you grumpier and leads to weight gain. I’ll cut out everything else first before I cut sleep; if I don’t get 7-8 hours per night, I’ll feel off my game all day.

Resources I Use To Stay Inspired | I listen to podcasts all the time – for at least an hour or two per day, anytime I’m doing something physical (cooking, working out, walking, etc.). Some of my favorites are the James Altucher Show, Ask Altucher, The Art of Charm, and my friend John Corcoran’s Smart Business Revolution.

My Future Dreams And Ambitions | I’m very interested in the future of higher education in a world that’s being disrupted by the Internet and globalization. Why should you pay $50,000 per year for an education when MOOCs are free? That’s a really good question and one that universities must answer. One day, I’d like to become a college president so I can roll up my sleeves and help invent the next generation of what a great college education looks like.

Advice On Building Wealth | Dorie Clark | The Legacy Project always try to live below my means and limit debt. When I bought my condo outside Boston, I bought in an “emerging neighborhood” – meaning that, while it was getting better, there was the city’s largest drug bust nearly across the street from me just a couple of years after I moved in.

As a consultant, I know I have variable income and I never wanted to be laid low by cash flow problems. There is real security and comfort in knowing that even in your lean months, you can always pay your bills without resorting to desperate measures. You have to plan for the worst possible financial scenario, not the best one. Living modestly is the best way to give yourself freedom.

Contact Us at WeSpeak Global and click here to find more Motivational Speakers

Interview Questions

[everest_form id="26923"]

View further interviews.

The Legacy Project

As a graduate social entrepreneur from TSiBA Education, founder director of a social enterprise – Nebula, I possess a variety of skills and 5 years’ experience in facilitation, coaching and organisational development. Combined with a deep-seated passion for social change, I thrive on working with like-minded individuals who are committed to personal growth and creating […]

The Legacy Project

Andrew Barsa is the creator of the financial wealth mindset program ‘The Inner Millionaire’. Over the years, he has associated with some of the richest and the most challenged people in the world. His biggest question was, “Why do some people become wealthy, and others do not?”. Andrew quickly eliminated the usual reasons that most […]

The Legacy Project

Ernie Els has 70 professional career victories to his name, including four Major Championships, two World Golf Championships and seven World Matchplay titles. He is ranked No.1 in all-time career earnings on the European Tour and is known as “The Big Easy” due to his imposing physical stature, along with his fluid golf swing. I […]

The Legacy Project

George Saunders is a New York Times bestselling American writer of short stories, essays, novellas and children’s books. In 2000, The New Yorker named him one of the “Best Writers Under 40.” He writes regularly for The New Yorker and Harper’s, as well as Esquire, GQ, and The New York Times Magazine. My Definition Of […]

The Legacy Project

Götz was born in Berlin and has since built businesses all the way to Africa, making him a truly well-traveled EVENTrepreneur. From advanced business planning, consulting, project management and implementation, he has been involved at all levels, of all kinds of business, with all kinds of people (from whom he always inspires the best). He […]

Dr. Robert Muggah

For the past two decades Dr. Robert Muggah TLP has tracked gun smugglers in the Horn of Africa and the Middle East, counted cadavers in Colombia and Haiti, and studied warlords from Congo to Papua New Guinea. Dr. Robert Muggah TLP (Legacy Project) To better understand these issues – including ways to disrupt them – […]

  • Brazil
  • Cyber Security
The Legacy Project

Dr Marlene Wasserman is an internationally trained Clinical Sexologist & Couple and Sex Therapist in Private Practice in SA and New York and founder of the Dr Eve brand and enterprise. She is an Academic, Educator, Author of 4 books, a well known media celebrity on both TV and radio and a single Mum to […]

The Legacy Project

Manuel Lima is a designer, author, lecturer, and researcher based in New York City. Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts, Founder of VisualComplexity.com, Design Lead at Codecademy. Nominated by Creativity magazine as “one of the 50 most creative and influential minds of 2009″. WIRED describes Lima as “the man who turns data into art” […]

Disclaimer
The profiles and images embedded on these pages are from various interviews conducted by The Legacy Project.

These remain the property of its owner and are not affiliated with or endorsed by WeSpeak Global.

Our Mission

We are your partner creating memorable and engaging experiences that go beyond the event itself.

© All rights reserved 2025. Created using VOXEL THEME