I wanted to be the mentor or support system for others that I wished I had & I wanted to document my journey from my bedroom to the salesfloor to the boardroom.
It seems I hit that goal of being a member of a board at a company employing me as a representative of the commercial function last summer. What I have learned is that with all arbitrary goals or end points I set myself, I actually feel empty after having achieved them. Cliche. However, the journey is the most enjoyable part of the process. I wish I could have appreciated some of the following moments a lot more:
- First 10k take home pay moment in sales
- First promotion
- First person I promoted
- First time a direct report took home a sizeable commission check
- First time I helped a direct report overcome an obstacle that, if left unaddressed could have been a career blocker, and seeing their growth in the company
- First time one of my team members who was super shy developed enough courage to head to an event with me
- Leveraging topics from this blog to coach junior folks to land new roles or roles in sales and the WhatsApp messages they send when they get the offers
Interestingly, the moments I wish I could have stopped and smelled the roses more tend to be those involving others.
Despite my lengthy absence, I am still working on the mission. The support for others has been directed to my current and past direct reports, even as far as former players I have coached or direct reports of friends that haven’t had a fair shake. Honestly, it feels so good to help others.I read a book some time back around your 20’s being your defining decade and I vehemently agree. However, it’s important to note, if you have not made it during this time ,there is still hope. However, it’s important to have planted seeds that grow over the following years with the appropriate TLC. I must be getting older now as I spend too much time listening to jazz and just thinking or trying to be present. I was hit with a push notification from Amazon, where I store my photos, and I came across where I was at this time number of years ago, and I remember a random Friday night deciding on a whim to head to an event I must have found on some app, and unbeknownst to me, that event would change my life.
It would provide me with a launch pad for my business, allow me to fall in love with tech start-ups, and help memeet some inspiring people who I still kick it with today, 6+ years later. All of the above led to my writing this part.
Quite simply, whilst you have the energy, with minimal constraints, do more. Your future self will thank you
Bedroom 2 Boardroom 🚀 