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Be Shameless

I respect people who use cunning and guile to get what they want, within reason. It means their will is so strong that they've really gone to the trouble to think about how to create opportunities for themselves.

Gabrielle Peluso showed that kind of chutzpa when she got her start. She already had Def Jam in mind when she was studying communications and the music industry at Syracuse University. She was determined to get her foot in the door of the one record label she loved.

After graduation she called the New York office to see if she could get a summer internship. The person filling in for the receptionist that day said, "Oh sure, come in Monday at ten." She was kidding. But Gabby was dead serious.

She packed up her dreams in her little Volkswagen Fox and drove. The regular receptionist Sonya, who was on duty that day, was surprised to see her. When she told her she had an appointment with Jeff Trotter, the head of A&R, Sonya told her he'd left for L.A. four days earlier and wouldn't be back until Wednesday.

Suddenly it dawned on Gabby that she'd been played. She was on the verge of tears. Then she heard the receptionist tell Julie Greenwald, who was vice president of promotions at the time, that her food was in reception. She knew Julie's sister from college, but she'd never met Julie. So she pretended that she had when Julie walked through the door.

"Julie?" she said. "I'm Sina's friend, remember? We met at commencement?"

Julie didn't remember any such thing, but she was too polite to admit she had no idea who the hell Gabby was. At that point Gabby was visibly upset and the tears were flowing. She told Julie what happened. By pure coincidence the new director of video promotions needed an intern, and Julie gave her the spot. Gabby started the next day, and she's been in the building ever since.

Gabby knew that the only way she was going to get her foot in the door would be to create that opportunity for herself. If you don't know anyone, pretend that you do. Get yourself to the right parties, clubs, offices, events, and network like crazy.

Don't let fear hold you back. Your future bosses will respect you for being gutsy enough to find a way. They'll know that you'll use that same determination to get the job done. Today, Gabby is vice president of video promotions at Def Jam. She's one of the label's most valued employees.

That doesn't mean you should act crazy. Don't turn into a stalker. Deidre's persistent calls were at my invitation. Gabby walked in the door of Def Jam that day because Julie opened it for her. But as a busy executive there's nothing I hate more than being bugged by someone who's got nothing to say but can you give me a job.

A few years ago, this one guy just kept calling. I had my calls screened, because I refuse to take cold calls, so my assistant had to deal with him. Every day, several times a day, that pest would call. This guy just wouldn't give up! He begged my assistant to set up a meeting and promised her that if she did that one favor for him, he'd never bug her again. So, just to get him off her back, she did.

At eight the next morning, there he was, sitting inside my office. I entertained the guy's pitch for a few torturous minutes and sent him on his way. But my happy morning mood was ruined and I was ready to kill someone for wasting my time. He was selling a CD distribution system that I already knew was wrong for us. Otherwise, I would have called him!

There's a time and a place for everything. Not everyone is going to share your sense of urgency. Make your own luck and open up that window of opportunity, but don't piss people off! Excerpted from 'Make it Happen: The Hip Hop Guide to Success' by Kevin Liles. Copyright© 2005 by KWL Enterprises, LLC. Permission granted by Simon & Schuster.