Page 69 - SpontaneousSuccessMatos

they have the knowledge, expertise, or experience
relevant to your situation.
• Trust your gut. Watch out for warning signs like
conflicting details, unreasonable requests, or a lack
of openness.
• Start with small steps. This lets you assess their
ability to follow through before relying on them too
much.
• Get a second opinion. Make sure they have your best
interests in mind: not just theirs.
Tough times can surprisingly bring some good stuff
your way. When you're going through a rough patch and
drop all your usual guards and judgments, you can end
up reaching out for support and advice from books,
coaches, friends, and sometimes the heavens. And
sometimes, out of nowhere, serendipity drops by.
In late 1969, I married a young South African woman
I’d met in the Algarve. At the beginning of October, our
daughter was born, and in the middle of November,
with the promise of a job from a family friend of my new
wife, we flew to South Africa—on one-way tickets. But
the reality was far from glamorous. It turned out what
the friend meant by "a fashion marketing executive" was
actually me driving around the African countryside,
flogging ladies underwear and leather gloves from the
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