As an only child, I learned to be self-reliant and creative (imaginary friends?). We weren’t poor, yet we had enough to get by. In college, I never felt a special calling to any specific profession. The thought of having a lovely home, a loving husband, four crazy dogs, traveling to awesome places, owning a business, retiring early, and, living in paradise where the sun shines the palm trees almost every day never occurred to me.
What none of us have is the ability to see into the future and where our path will lead. Here’s what I’ve learned along the way and I hope it helps you:
Limitations – Our parents tell us we can be or do anything we want when we grow up. That’s partially true. What they didn’t tell us was that it would hard to hear valid criticism. After working in the business world for a few years, it dawned on me that I couldn’t do everything unless I accepted the need to work on some things. Things like: you can’t always rely on instinct because sometimes you are just wrong. And to listen. After many years I’ve discovered I’m not a good listener. Listening is a skill and I have to work hard at it. Also, I need to work on not being so defensive; I’m not always right. Mostly, but not always.
The importance of a mentor – It wasn’t until many years after floundering in countless jobs that I discovered my real path in business. In college I studied music. Then I was a performer in theatre at night and a temp secretary by day. I was well into my 30’s before I got it right. Don’t get me wrong … performing gave me confidence and day jobs gave me insight into multiple professions as well as honing technical skillsets. My first mentor saw attributes in me I didn’t know I had. He encouraged me to step out of my comfort zone. It was like pushing a baby bird out of the nest. He didn’t coddle; he made me work hard. Over a 10-year period, I received five promotions in the company and solidified the foundation that serves me well today. Most important, he let me fail when I needed to learn a lesson. I was then fortunate enough to have another mentor who helped refine my skills. Wow, two mentors. To this day, I hold both these men in highest esteem. They changed my life.
It’s ok to fail – It’s not fun, but it’s okay. I dislike hearing the cliché when people say that failing makes you stronger but it’s true. It does keep you humble and a dose of reality can sting. Most important failing teaches you something new. You learn and move on. Sometimes that failed idea was just ahead of its time and worth holding onto for a future time in your career.
Believe in yourself – This one is hard. Some people have an inflated impression of themselves. Others have no confidence. Somewhere in the middle is the comfort zone. It’s ok to be scared, but turn that fear into energy. Before going on stage as a performer I was nervous wreck. Once I hit the stage, I learned to turn that fear into positive energy. The same confidence applied when making business presentations. I would rewrite multiple times and rehearse to exhaustion only to doubt my ability when it was “showtime”. I used that performance energy to kick in when needed in business.
It’s useful to start at the bottom and learn the details – Don’t ever try to fake it. You will eventually get caught. People who begin at the bottom of the ladder and learn the basics are the ones most likely to succeed. I recall working at a television station when a Northeaster blew through the state and dumped a foot or more of snow. We found ourselves short staffed with a skeletal news crew and their job was obviously critical for public information. No one knew how to master the switchboard of viewers calling in, so…the President of the station took over the task. I’m talking old-fashioned technology, much harder than what we have today! He got it done. I’ve seen mailroom workers toil their way up to news anchors. I started as a receptionist and ended up 30 years later as a CMO. I am perfectly comfortable with jumping in wherever I’m needed. If I don’t know how to do it, I’ll learn. Advice: continually acquire new skills and stay fresh.
Always do the right thing – Imagine that you love your company along with their products but they want you to sell one specific product to every client along with their other products. You know that one product doesn’t work for everyone. Trust your gut … don’t sell it to every customer. Sell it instead only to someone who needs it. I was chastised in this situation despite crushing my sales goals. I left that company because it wasn’t the best fit for me; however, my former clients have become my friends because they know I will never give them bad advice. THAT, my friends, is an investment that keeps growing.
Practice – I know, it’s boring but it’s necessary. If you’re giving presentations, practice in front of a mirror. If it’s a new technology, use it at least once every day until you master it without a struggle. Musicians practice for hours every day even if they don’t have a performance lined up. Remember the old Vaudeville joke when the tourist asks for directions? “How do I get to Carnegie Hall?” PRACTICE.
How about you? What have you learned that contributed to your journey of success?
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