Tag Archives: career change

Beth Nichols on Career Change

You are responsible for your own careers, plural. You need to be curious, to look for opportunities that interest you, and not be afraid to take risks – Beth Nickels 

With the economy changing, new trends and innovations arising at rapid pace and people living longer, it isn’t a question of if you’ll change careers but how often. Even if you stay within the same company, you’ll likely change roles.

Are you staying curious and alert to what is happening around you?

Are you staying updated on the news in your area?

Are you keeping in touch and adding to your connections?

Are you learning new skills and raising your hand for new experiences?

 

George Lucas on Talent

Everybody has talent. It’s just a matter of moving around until you’ve discovered what it is – George Lucas

Are you moving around enough to discover your talent?

I write about experimenting your way into a career change in my Forbes post: Want A Career Change But Unsure What? Do This First

How to Be a More Nimble Entrepreneur – Purple Clover

In my business advice post for Purple Clover, I share tips for the executive-to-entrepreneur career change. There are habits, beliefs and behaviors from your corporate days that you do not want to carry over when you launch your business:

Most people recognize that traditional employment and entrepreneurship are different and therefore require different skills and temperaments. But surely, the corporate experience helps, right? You have extensive networks — you might even be able to sell into your former employers. You have skills and expertise — these could be your first offerings. You have the savvy that comes with navigating different environments — and therefore the savvy to navigate the different clients you might call on. However, there are also behaviors and beliefs that might be a holdover from your corporate days that no longer serve you when you strike out on your own.

“Sales is someone else’s job”

A former corporate colleague of mine who went into business for herself proclaimed assertively, “I don’t sell.” When I asked how she expected to get clients, she mentioned that she knew enough people from her corporate networks to keep her busy. That worked for a few months. Last I heard, she hired a copywriter for her site and was figuring out how to explain what she does.

In corporate America, you could focus on what you did best, and someone else was selling. If you were in sales, you could focus on that while someone else took care of marketing, finance, operations, etc. When you’re in business for yourself, you take on all jobs, especially sales. Even when you expand your team and can outsource functions, you still have to know enough about each area and be active enough in each to maintain oversight and quality control. Even when you can bring on a salesperson, you will still be the backstop in selling as no one will advocate for your business like you will. Whatever business you launch, you are in sales.

Read more Big Corporate behaviors and beliefs to avoid at Purple Clover: How to Be a More Nimble Entrepreneur.

Coach World TV – On Extreme Career Change, Branding and Why Every Entrepreneur Is In Sales

I was excited to guest on Coach World TV with Laurie Lawson. We talked about a wide array of topics from my journey from employment to entrepreneurship, to personal branding (does everyone need social media, a blog, a website?) to sales and the small business owner:

One of the resources I mentioned is a free audio on the 5 Strategies I used to take SixFigureStart to multiple six-figures. You can request the free audio HERE.