This career wasn't part of his life plan as young man, and when you hear what his interests were, what he did when he skipped school, you'll appreciate the trajectory he took.
He was well on his way toward violence and incarceration, selling drugs in his corner of Washington DC. When he started applying for jobs, it wasn't because he needed money, it was because he needed a paystub - proof of consistent, legal income in order to rent an apartment.
"I love you, now get out of here!"
That's how Tammie Schrader sent her 7th grade science students to their next class after the bell rang on the first day of school. And every day after that was the same.
After about 3 weeks, she missed the first part: "Okay, kids, get out of here!" She was gently nudged by her students who didn't stand up from their seats. "Mrs. Schrader, you forgot to start with 'I love you.'"
The moment I saw Bejanae's face on my Zoom screen, I was filled with relief, comfort, and absolute certainty that she would entertain, add insight, and bring much needed light to my day.
The conversation began with an explanation of her unusual, melodic name, shifted to a discussion about the program her agency sponsored for students in the Atlanta, Georgia region, made its way to the difference between STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math), and STEAM (add Art in there), and back to Bejanae's pivotal moments in her career, which includes the story about the program we discussed earlier in the show.
Lisa Rangel had been working hard for four years at a hotel in Pebble Beach, California. A self-labeled "people pleaser", she did what was asked of her and did her very well, always exceeding expectations. But she isn't a schmoozer, and was overlooked for promotions.
At some point we have to learn to promote ourselves, we must face the reality that we are all in sales in a way, and getting comfortable with that understanding is the key to making transformative career shifts.
Your goal in any situation cannot be about you, about making money, about getting the job, about closing the deal. The goal has to be service to others. It must reflect your humanity and align with your values, your goal is most valuable to you when it is about helping the person in front of you reach their goals or solve a problem.
The money, the contract, the job offer - those are the results of meeting the goal, not the goal itself.
Humans are biased. We're designed to identify people who are different from us, people we have things in common with, and people who pose a threat to our safety - emotional & physical.
It's easier for our brain to make a decision about a person when we allow our bias to control it. But how many times have you misjudged someone you met, for better or for worse? When we rely on our bias to make decisions about a person's potential as a friend, foe, or neutral, we seriously limit the potential of the relationship.
On this episode of the Your Stories Don't Define You podcast, I'm joined by three #NLVChicago2020 guests. Shelley Brown, Mike "Fritz" (the Fritziest) Fritzius, and Kevin Strauss shared their stories about those two days in our little #NLV bubble.
It was magical, truly, and you'll see I'm not the only one who feels that way.
