Is it harder to succeed in the business world being distance runner because you have the appearance of a skinny weak person

I'd say in America this is mostly true. I work for a Fortune 100 and am still a competitive runner. I know I've been passed over for a couple VP positions to guys that fit the mold of bald head, slightly heavy. Let's just say we over-index in bald head, slight heavy at the VP++ level.

However, what's pretty interesting is that during no-shave November last year, I got a sudden promotion. I had grown out a pretty substantial beard in 20+ days and was getting compliments from everyone in the office, from admin to VP+ execs. We executed an off-cadence promotion and I joke with my wife it was 100% because of my beard. I had not changed my work ethic nor my business results had improved. I continued to grind. Call it coincidence, but I say it was because a 128lbs, my beard made me look quite manly in my 40s.

Everyone is actually a salesman wrote:

Every business major should have to watch: Glengarry Glen Ross. The movie should be seen in a marketing course, reviewed and discussed then viewed and analyzed in business ethics.

Possibly the most intelligent thing ever posted on Letsun.

It's not your appearance, it is the time and effort you spend training and dealing with exhaustion, not to mention a typical consultant travel schedule (to be successful, at some point you need to meet clients). Having a fitness routine is one thing, but if you are training a lot realize that you are competing against people who will work 80 hour weeks to get ahead not concern themselves with a physically taxing hobby. Welcome to corporate America.

Tommy Ferrari wrote:

Bud Fox wrote:

Gordon Gekko is a fictitious character.

Sure, but pretty much everyone agrees that this fictional character is basically the ultimate depiction of what an alpha male in the business world looks and acts like.

Yep, I agree. Gotta be a cut throat d!€kh£ad!

Nice guys really do finish last.

Is that the movie where Alberto harangues his female athletes and yells "Donuts are for LOSERS!! Whoever LOSES 12 lbs this week gets one..the ONLY one.. donut next Monday!!""

Everyone is actually a salesman wrote:

Every business major should have to watch: Glengarry Glen Ross. The movie should be seen in a marketing course, reviewed and discussed then viewed and analyzed in business ethics.

Is that the movie where Alberto harangues his female athletes and yells "Donuts are for LOSERS!! Whoever LOSES 12 lbs this week gets one..the ONLY one.. donut next Monday!!""

Look at me I just raise my voice and trumptards listen to me

Yep, you're 100% right.

https://image.cnbcfm.com/api/v1/image/105552563-1541425371210gettyimages-1057636520.jpeg?v=1543288028&w=678&h=381

skinnnnny wrote:

It's hard because you are short, not because you are skinny.

But being short and skinny is far worse than being short and muscular/stocky. One of the guys I looked up to and wanted to be like when I was a young buck back in college was Franco Columbu, who was 5-5 & 185 lbs! This guy trained with & competed against Arnold! Columbu got respect from everybody - when you're big & muscular no one really cares how short you are. ?

I would say no. Most people I've met above entry level have been older, obese guys. As a runner I would think there's a good chance you're more attractive than most unless you work for a company full of younger employees like a tech startup or something.

I've definitely gotten interviews because I'd noted running on my resume (not "running," but something about marathoning or"long-distance running; I forget); why?

Ppl like ppl like themselves. If my resume gets seen by a runner (or a fellow alumnus and a few other things), I am more likely to get an interview--not necessarily the job, mind you, but if you get more interviews you increase the odds of getting a job.

And, as a group and versus other types of athletes, runners ARE smarter and, more importantly, more disciplined. In my experience, runners are well-represented in the higher echelons, esp. in startups (though, yes, in some more established companies you'll see a lot of older-style stereotypes).

In consulting, the answer is yes. It rewards people who are loudest in team problem solvings and sound like they know what they are talking about in front of a client.

In startups, VC, etc. no. It's much more output based and easily tracked in numbers. If you suck at running a business, it is obvious based on financial performance. If you suck at investing, same thing. If you want to be rewarded on merit, go into fields where you can demonstrate quantitative impact and are not judged on qualitative appearance factors.

For example, Travis Kalanick is by all account a complete EQ 0 a$$hole. Who cares? He created Uber which produced near infinite value to early investors. Despite the toxic culture he oversaw at Uber, investors just wrote him another $400M check to launch a new business. Make other people money and nobody cares what you do.

Height does matter. I'm 5'2'', but Filipino, so that's different than being Caucasian. But I've heard it affects promotions.

At my tech startup we have a lot of people of different sizes/shapes. Height doesn't matter. The startup I'm at has a local office (which I work in) and a corporate office. The corporate guys travel more and wear suits/ties and taller/fitter than a lot of us in the local office, and on that side all the guys are tall and slim and all the women are well-dressed and photogenic.

It's not harder when 2/3 of American adults are obese or over-weight, which is a far more sloppy look than thin distance runner

tlm1959 wrote:

It's not your appearance, it is the time and effort you spend training and dealing with exhaustion, not to mention a typical consultant travel schedule (to be successful, at some point you need to meet clients). Having a fitness routine is one thing, but if you are training a lot realize that you are competing against people who will work 80 hour weeks to get ahead not concern themselves with a physically taxing hobby. Welcome to corporate America.

I ain’t work 80hrs a week and all I do is shout with the same blue dress shirt and yellow tie on for the last week. Half the country believes me because I yell a bunch of poop

Maybe don't worry about the other guy and focus on what you need to do to be successful. Competence and confidence have nothing to do with your body type.

But don't dress like a schlub. I agree with that. No matter how your built, there's a right way and wrong way to dress yourself professionally.

The confidence you gain from fitness and good health helps you in work situations for sure. People notice your energy and respond in a positive way. It helps if you are outgoing and people-friendly.

It depends on the work environment, but appearance can help you too. Where is your consulting firm? If you wear quality, well-fitted business attire, it helps. Being fashionable and stylish can work against you if you appear to be too much the peacock.

It's funny, when I got out of college, I was sort of a hippy. But I set up a screen-printing business in Eugene and wore button down oxford shirts, new Levis and leather oxford shoes. People trusted me even though I was only 24. I was able to build a business and succeed. This is the early 1980s during a horrible recession, but my shop took off. I've long since moved on, but it was great fun.

I was 6'1" and weighed 155. Slim, but not small.

Anyhow, good luck. Look sharp, take care of yourself, and be confident.

Dress well, and make sure you can drop and do 20 good push-ups on a moment's notice (which the big blustery guys probably can't). That way you'll walk down the hall with some confidence. People respect that body language even if you never say a word.