Back in 1990, if anyone had told me I’d be speaking to audiences of 100 and more, I would have told them they were crazy and then run for the nearest exit. While I’ve always been outspoken, I had never sought attention. I always preferred to be in the background with a certain degree of anonymity. That was before I found a method of turning a challenge into an opportunity, and doing it more than once.
I used to say I had made a profession of being laid off. I was in marketing – always the first to go – in the electronics industry – on a 3-5 year cycle, and could pretty well count on a severance package about every 4 years. If I positioned myself right, I’d be one of the first out the door and those checks were very healthy.When the big 50 came along, it was obvious to me that the gig was up. I had to find a way to make a living on a more permanent basis. At the same time, I decided I really didn’t like working 8 to 5. My internal clock didn’t work that way and I really resented waking up to the very irritating sound of an alarm clock every day.In 1997 a friend went into the financial services industry, and convinced me that was where I needed to be. Insurance and securities licenses in hand, I was set to make millions. That was the first challenge – I did not like selling insurance. There was nothing fun about it. I can’t add 2 and 2 without a calculator and the paperwork was intimidating, overwhelming and downright boring.The other side of this coin is that my mother relocated to Phoenix in 1994 and we built a home together. At that time she was a very healthy 78 year old who could work circles around me. As time went by, Mom began the journey toward her last days and things got increasingly difficult for her to do around the house. She stopped driving, had an aneurism in one eye, her hearing was going and I was faced with some difficult decisions. I had to find a way to keep her healthy and happy at home because I had promised her she would take her last breath in her own home. However, I also had to make a living to pay the bills.As I worked with clients on their financial needs, the thing that kept coming up were questions about caring for Mom and Dad. How do I, what do I, who do I and so forth. Since I was doing this research for Mom, I had some of the answers. Those that I did not have, I knew people who would. Networking is a great thing. Before long, I had a box full of business cards from all areas of the elder-care industry, had formed relationships with a lot of them, and was talking with my insurance clients about their challenges.At a networking lunch, I met a gal who was trying to put together a series of educational, elder-care workshops for her employees. When she heard my story, she invited me to take over the project. That was my entrée into public speaking.
Scared witless the first time, clutching the lectern for dear life, and with raspy, shaky voice, I began my first workshop to an audience of about 50. What I learned very quickly was that I had no problem talking with five and that 50 was only 5 times 10. So, I picked five people in the back of the room, focused on them and muddled my way through my first speaking gig. My evaluation forms were almost all positive.
This company kept me coming back for six years and I’ve expanded my horizons considerably. I’ve spoken to groups of 100+, have written four books, have breezed through radio and TV interviews and now feel like a pro. But if I hadn’t had my back to the wall, faced with 8 to 5 for the rest of my life and rebelling with every ounce of my being, I don’t know if I would have taken that leap.
Here’s some advice from someone who has been there – done that. Don’t just quit your job and go into business without thinking it through from every angle. Make darn sure you have some money squirreled away, and I don’t mean petty cash. I have cashed in my 401(k)s, my IRAs, had spent one inheritance from an aunt and was well into the second before I finally turned a profit. For someone with less confidence in themselves, or less determined to never hold a JOB again, this jump may not be the wisest choice you’ll ever make.
On the other hand, if you have the financial backing, the confidence that your service or product is needed, and are not afraid to toot your own horn to anyone and everyone, then do it. It’s never too late. To paraphrase an old cliché, “It’s much better to have tried and failed than never to have tried at all.”
http://www.success.bz/articles/1911/turning_challenges_into_opportunities
