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Career Decision Making: An Act of Recovery

October 20, 2011 By Leave a Comment

I strongly recommend Jon Acuff’s new book, ”Quitter,” for anyone thinking about leaving their “day” job for their “dream” job.  

If you don’t want to continue in your current path but aren’t sure what’s next, then Acuff also has some suggestions for you, including a key question to focus on.

I appreciate the way he outlines the difference between a discovery and a recovery question, and why the recovery question is the one to explore. 

“It’s exhausting.  The question, ‘what do I want to do with my life?’  is nearly impossible to answer confidently and concisely.  You’re really asking, ‘How do I discover what I want to do with my life?’  That is a question that points you into the vast expanse of the entire universe for an answer.  But if finding your dream is an act of recovery, that changes everything.  Instead, the question becomes ‘What have I done in my life that I loved doing?’ Instead of a million different options from out there, you’re suddenly left with a manageable handful of options from within your own experience.”

So start giving thought to your life and history and to what you’ve consistently loved doing.  Do any patterns emerge?  I’ll share some additional helpful insights from Acuff and questions for career clarity in my next post.

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Beyond Sweet Dreams

August 30, 2011 By Leave a Comment

I recently had the pleasure of hearing CeCe Moore share the story behind the phenomenal success of her Sweet CeCe’s chain of frozen yogurt shops.  Launched just two years ago with a single store, Sweet CeCe’s has grown to 50 locations in 5 states, with a goal to open 200 by 2013. 

In this article, I share some highlights from CeCe’s message as well as some lessons to learn from her experiences.   

According to CeCe, she held onto the dream of opening up a “sweets” shop for many years, intensely researching different ideas, from a bakery to just cupcakes to finally deciding on a self-serve frozen yogurt concept.    She kept dreaming while raising four children and devoting herself to managing her husband Brian’s chiropractic business.  When CeCe and Brian decided to move from California (where his practice was struggling), she spent hours on the internet researching cities that would be perfect for her family, Brian’s business, and the launch of Sweet CeCe’s. 

Take away: Big dreams may take years to bring to life.  Be patient in the process and celebrate the small steps of progress along the way. 

When the family had finally moved across the country and settled in Franklin,TN, CeCe and Brian conducted detailed research to identify possible locations for the shop.  Once they selected an ideal spot, they tackled lease negotiations, the transformation of the space, and finding suppliers to provide the best and freshest products.   Then the real work began!  From unloading boxes of supplies to cleaning the frozen yogurt machines, operating the business was no piece of cake. 

Take away:  The popular catch-phrase “Do what you love and the money will follow” suggests that if we simply follow our passion, success will be easy.  CeCe’s story demonstrates that success takes not just passion but also a commitment to make the less than glamorous day-to-day effort.

 CeCe initially intended to open and operate just one location of “Sweet CeCe’s,” but the early, phenomenal success of the first shop quickly changed that plan.  Brian left his work in healthcare to devote his time and talents full-time to his wife’s business, leading the charge for growth through the development of the Sweet CeCe’s franchise.  Additional business partners have joined the Moore’s to  lend their expertise.  In just two years, approximately 50 Sweet CeCe’s franchise locations have opened, with more on the way!

Take away:  A dream can grow into more than you ever imagined if you’ll seek the help and expertise from  others.

For the Moore’s, their mission statement has simply been to have “a purpose greater than thy self.” CeCe shared that it brings her great delight to see people enjoying the Sweet CeCe’s experience.  She’s especially thrilled that teenagers consider it a “cool” location to hang out.  In addition, creating Sweet CeCe’s franchise opportunities has allowed others to share in her success.   In fact, a single mother who opened a Sweet CeCe’s franchise last year has already done so well that she was able to celebrate by taking her children on a cruise for their family vacation.

Take away:  Success is much sweeter when you can bring others along to share it with you.  Everyone involved in the business is now reaping the benefits of one woman’s dream.

What else can you learn from CeCe’s story?

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Five Clues for Career Direction

August 4, 2011 By Leave a Comment

I recently watched “The Tourist,” on DVD, a mystery/drama starring Angelina Jolie and Johnny Depp. I loved the film and its intriguing storyline; however, I admit that I would never have predicted the surprise ending. Perhaps the clues were there, but I wasn’t perceptive enough to spot them along the way. 

As I thought about the film and my ability to think like a sleuth, I realized that while I enjoy a good mystery, I’m actually most interested in solving the mystery. Growing up, I was a devoted reader of Nancy Drew mysteries, and as an adult, I’ve read my share of Agatha Christie novels. I admit that mysteries are hard for me to put down because I’m anxious to uncover the clues to figure out “whodunit” along with the famous detectives.

As a career management coach, I’ve realized the similarities between the solving of a mystery and the process of selecting a career path: it’s all about the CLUES! So I recommend that you give thoughtful consideration to the following clues as you’re considering a new career direction:

Career Interests

What you are you doing when you are so absorbed that you lose all track of time?  When we’re involved in something that we love, we tend to forget about time.  Think about when you’ve found yourself in “the zone” or in “flow?”  Whatever you’re doing comes easily to you, and it’s the kind of activity that so engages you that you’d do it for free. 

Lessons learned

Make a list of your past jobs and create two columns: “What I liked” and “What I disliked.” Now complete the chart as thorughly as possible for your past several positions. What patterns do you see that will help you know what you want to carry forward into your next position, and what you never want to do again!

Uniqueness

Your personality preferences offer helpful insights into “best fit” careers. If you aren’t aware of your personality type and how it impacts career direction, I highly recommend  “Do What You Are:  Discover thePerfect Career for You Through the Secrets of Personality Type” (Tieger & Barron), based on the Myers Briggs Type Indicator.  Of special value:  for each of the 16 types, the authors provide a list of the top ten elements that need to be present for career satisfaction.

Environment

In what type of company culture do you thrive:  a large, established global organization or a small start up?  Do you prefer working at an office or are you attracted to the flexibilty of working from home?  What type of collegues to you enjoy working with?  Do you prefer a formal business environment or one that is more casual and laid back?  A mismatch in company culture can lead to stress and disatisfaction no matter how much you enjoy the actual work. 

Skills

What about you as a professional makes you unique or special?  What do you do better than others?  What have you been consistently affirmed for in your professional career?  If you struggle with any of these questions, you may find it helpful to talk with colleagues about what they view as your special skills and attributes.   In addition, take a look at your performance reviews from your current and prior jobs (you did keep them, didn’t you?) and look for themes, areas in whick you’ve consistently been recognized for excellence. 

Take some time to thoughtfully consider your responses to the questions in these five areas.  And remember…it’s all about the clues!

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