Note to self: "You're going to lose your hair. And get fatter. Ease up on the martinis."

In characteristic good humour, Nicholas Zeisler (Z) speaks to his younger self in this interview.

Z is the founder of Zeisler Consulting, ex-Director of CX at HP, and a business process management pro.

We recently recorded a podcast interview with Z where he taught us how to build a customer-centric culture.

And he regularly shares lots of insightful content on LinkedIn. Like some home truths:

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And some seriously valuable answers to your burning questions.

And in this interview, we get to dig a little deeper into his personality.

In only 369 words, Z shares:

• What he wish he knew before starting out...
• Why his biggest professional failure taught him to set expectations clearly...
• His advice to new industry professionals...

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Hey, Z.

1. What's your work routine?

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It starts the night before when I review the appointments (with others, and the ones I've made as a commitment to myself) for the next day. I always start the day with coffee and my morning pages. If you're not familiar with that, Google it and thank me later. Time with my partner too, first thing in the morning, is vital before we get our days started.

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Then I'm writing, reading, working out, on calls with colleagues and clients the rest of the day. (I also schedule a time for some Duolingo every day too!) It all stops at five pm though, and we ramp it down so we can decompress.

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Working for myself makes some of this easier, but it's also important if you're fully employed...I recommend instilling discipline in yourself and in your co-workers. You only get a certain amount of time every day, and it's easy to waste it if you're not careful. And you don't get any of it back.

2. What do you know about your work now that you wish you’d known when you first started?

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It's my world (it's your world too!)

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It IS possible to strike a balance between getting stuff done the way your environment dictates (your boss, your co-workers, the corporate culture, the meetings, etc.) and forging your own way. You needn't be a slave to someone else's image of what you should be doing and how. Focus on results rather than following the crowd and doing it "the way we do it here."

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3. What did your biggest professional failure teach you?

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Always line out expectations going into a new endeavor. You may think you know what's expected of you, but if it's not lined out, you may end up disappointing.

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4. What would you tell your younger self if you could?

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You're going to lose your hair. And get fatter. Ease up on the martinis.

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5. What book has helped you the most over your career?

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Start With Why, Simon Sinek. It's evergreen.

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6. And your parting piece of advice?‍

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You're never going to be in the *perfect* position to do something. Sometimes you just have to point your skis downhill and go for it. You'll be fine.