A Risk that Paid Off

Three years ago I saw the writing on the wall. My job as a corporate recruiter was at risk. The trickling fall-in of the recession was taking its toll, seemingly one soul at a time. I surveyed the landscape of my gig and realized that, due to the changes that were taking place within my company and on Wall Street, I needed to prepare. I needed to prepare for the worst. I wasn’t really sure how to do that. My own landscape included a marriage beyond resuscitation, a job that was becoming as endangered as a spotted owl, and escalating bills.

I decided to look for work and once a new position was secured and that first month under my belt, I gave my husband his pink slip. With one less income in the house, the third issue -bills- was not going to go away any time soon. I had begun to write about recruiting and gone back to school to get my business degree, so life was well-rounded between my daytime job and the numerous activities my gut was telling me in which to get involved. Number one activity? Social Media. I had been unable to get enough of it – interestingly enough, I still feel that way today. While I watched the tragedy of the new recession unfold, my online writing increased and with much consternation from those around me, I decided that I needed to focus on new media / social media. I needed to figure it out and use it. I knew I did – I was pulled to it like a moth to flame.

I took a huge chance in making the choice to write more and dive into an unproven area of business. The thing is, the risk paid off. Through my study and writing, new areas opened up to me. I left the software sales recruiting firm at which I had landed and went in-house: my house. I started consulting small businesses about hiring practices and how to use social media to augment their online presence with the hope of increasing revenue as a result. I couldn’t stay away from the computer. I started getting asked to speak at local business meetings and networking events. I developed Bonus Track and presented the idea to Jason Davis here at RecruitingBlogs. I worked consistently every day to build my own personal online presence. I created profiles on every network I could get my hands on. I attended networking events as close as two blocks from my home and as far away as 2600 miles. My bank account was non-existent and I was afraid…, but I kept at it.

Why? Why would I keep plugging along, working so hard at something that didn’t come close to paying my living expenses and supporting my family? Because it was work. It was hard work and in my book, hard work always has a pay-off. Always. The risk seemed greater every day. Every day, bills arrived at my door. Every day, I seemed to get further away from my goal. Then, about a year into my quest to survive and thrive, I met someone at a networking event that retained me to help him market his business – using social media. Then I contracted with someone else. Then someone else… It was working, I was working and I loved what I was doing. And it was hard work, it was constant work. I worked long hours and tried everything I could to scrounge a few dollars together to buy groceries. My children needed to be fed, I needed to be fed. I will be honest with you, it was extremely difficult. It was the hardest thing I have ever done; I wasn’t sleeping because those hours were filled with worry.

As a result of my involvement and work at RecruitingBlogs, I started getting noticed and my requests for conversations were being granted. One such request was to speak to and have lunch with Kelly Robinson at Broadbean. By the end of our first conversation, Kelly offered me a job. A full-time job – not a contract position – like I had first thought. That was in the summer of 2009. The risk, the macaroni and cheese, the endless hours spent online building relationships and expanding networks, the marketing and business plans written for clients and partners, the late nights spent writing- blogging, the losses, the changes… They were all worth it. Social media proved to bring me significant ROI. The investment hurt, the ache in my stomach was hunger, and not just for food, but for total sustenance.

A risk that paid off more than my credit cards – a nice side effect, by the way.

by rayannethorn

Bonus Track # 457
http://www.BonusTrack.us

Just Tweeted

So, I just sent out a tweet as a result of reading about a dozen other tweets. Anyone else tired of the new buzz word: INFLUENCE? I am glad that it has overtaken such words as “transparency” and “authenticity” or “thought leader” but I am growing weary of this new one rather quickly.

I don’t believe influence can be measured with an algorithm or by how many friends you have. I think it goes back to what the wizard told the TinMan – a heart is not measured by how much you love, but by how much you are loved by others. And really, how do you measure love?

Is it “I love you this much,” with arms outstretched as far as one possibly can reach? It is unmeasurable – which is different than immeasurable.

Just wanted to stop in and say that. Nothing more. Influence is over-done. Already. What’s next? Maybe “follower” or “friend” – Maybe you can have too many.

by rayannethorn

“Find Your One Thing” – The Phoenix Infection, Part 5

We spend our days working toward something, trying to be successful, trying to make a difference, achieving something bigger, greater than ourselves. Maybe that is too great of an assumption. Of course, not everyone is working toward greatness. Many give up, many assume they cannot achieve it, and many are stunted by lack of leadership. Those who need a nudge are not always in the right place at the right time to receive it from the right person. I suppose I am one of the lucky ones.

For most of my work life, I have been led by leaders that were good at what they did and enjoyed their work. And when they no longer enjoyed it, they changed it up and tried something new, something different. I was a young high school graduate – only seventeen years old. And when I was just eighteen, I finished a certificated dental assisting program at Indiana University. It was grueling. Seriously; not kidding. Forty hours a week for three semesters that included such hits as Oral Anatomy, Oral Pathology, Radiography, Behavioral Science, Dental Therapeutics and Emergency Medicine, the list goes on. It was tough and I worked hard. But by the time I was nineteen, I had jumped in, feet first, and joined the adult world of working forty hours a week and paying bills.

I bought a car from my parents and had my own land phone (way pre-cell phone.) I purchased independent health and life insurance; those benefits are rarely provided by dentists to their employees. I think the only thing I didn’t pay for myself was car insurance; luckily, my parents kept me on the policy because it was the most affordable option and I was very thankful. The first dentist I worked for was very good at what he did, but he didn’t like it much. He only became a dentist to pay the bills but he was extremely smart and he managed his practice well; selling it and leaving the field completely after twenty-five years. When he retired? He became a substitute teacher at the local junior high and coached after school sports – basketball. He went from making an extremely good living to barely making minimum wage and he loved it. He had found his one thing.

I have written before about finding your one thing – the thing that gets you up in the morning, that gets your motor running, that motivates you, that floats your boat. My one thing is just doing it better – everything. It’s not that I want to be perfect for that is impossible, I just think I can always do better, find the better way, be smarter about it, figure out a different plan, be strategic about it all. That is my one thing. What is yours? Have the leaders in your life, in your career been clear about their one thing? Have you followed the right leaders for you? It is easy to get caught up in following someone that is very charismatic or who has power and authority or money. But do those attributes make a good leader? Yes, for some, no, for others. 

 
http://www.youtube.com/v/2k1uOqRb0HU&hl=en_US&fs=1&

I look back at the first dentist I worked for and think of the impressionable eighteen year old I was when he hired me. I learned a lot about running a small business, about ethics, and choices. The work was just a job for me too, but the path I was on became the road to my career and the first of many lessons. Perseverance and patience, study and continually learn while you mark your time, if you don’t love your work then add something to your life that you can love (my dentist loved bass fishing) and keep goals- not just have them but keep them. And, of course, find your one thing.

© by rayannethorn

Why We Follow – The Phoenix Infection, Part 4

When I think about the leaders in my life, it is difficult to not be appreciative of the fine examples that I have had the honor of following. There certainly have been those that have brought dishonor to the role of leader, but lessons were found in those experiences, as well. And well, I crave learning. Maybe learning the hard way isn’t so much fun, but learning stimulates growth and change. And growth and change are what create the adults and professionals we become and, hopefully, drive success. It isn’t always easy but it usually is worth it.

In 1990, I worked for a children’s dentist. He had already been in practice since 1963. He loved his work and struggled with the concept of retirement. He finally retired two or three years ago but it was on his own time, under his own terms. I believe he was close to 80 years old when his office doors finally closed. He had gone to dental school in Chicago, my kind of town, and perfected his craft in the army. I think working on all those tough guys made him realize he wanted to specialize in children’s dentistry and that is where he stayed until the day he turned over his keys. I used to catch him shadow boxing and doing push-ups, as well as sit-ups between patients. One time, I asked why he always worked out, why he didn’t just take it easy and enjoy some time off. He said “There’s plenty of time for that later, I need to be in shape for the kids.”

Each of us does what we have to do, what we think needs to be done in order to succeed and sometimes, merely survive. Dr. Friedman, my hard-working dentist, wasn’t your typical leader but he was a good example; he provided for his family and for his employees, always. He wanted to be good at his job and his employees were devoted. One assistant worked for him for forty years, his office manager was with him for over twenty, I was there for over ten years. The fact that he was able to retain loyal employees says a lot about the employer he was and the work he did. He led by example. And we stayed because the work was fulfilling and we felt needed and appreciated.

Of course, not every employer makes employees feel this way. As a matter of fact, most do not. Most people do not stay with a company because of the money – they stay because they feel appreciated and they like their boss or their colleagues. Leadership doesn’t have to be sparkly or done with a big bang. It can be subtle, quiet, and even gentle, as was the case with Dr. Friedman. The rise of this Phoenix was slow and methodical, taking over forty-five years to reach the destination, the finish line.

We follow for reasons. They may seem unfulfilling or less than mighty, to begin with. But the following happens, nonetheless. Believing in reasons and not excuses, I try to remember those I chose to follow, those whose influence changed me – those whose example and attention altered my core. In the study of reasons, the lessons have more clarity and the application of what was learned becomes more native and real. Reasons are there, you just have to open your eyes to them. And with open eyes, there is clearer vision; vision to apply lessons learned and examples shared. The passing of the Phoenix Infection not only happens, it should be expected.

© by rayannethorn

The Leader Within – The Phoenix Infection, Part Three

When I was 12 years old, I ended up at a swim meet. Swimming wasn’t ever really a sport I aspired to, but I liked it and I figured with my long arms and legs, I might be pretty good at it. As it turns out, I was. My dad entered me in several races: 50 free, 100 free, 50 breast, 50 fly (I didn’t even know how to do fly), 50 back, 100 back and a medley. I ended up winning almost every race. I came home with several ribbons and a deeper love for the water than I had before. I swam in a few more meets and by the time I got to high school, I realized that freestyle and back stroke sprints were my races.

I made friends with other swimmers. One, in particular, named Susan Royer had been swimming and playing water polo with a club team since she was six or seven years old. She was amazing in the water, I was a newbie, having only swam in those few meets. I learned more from watching her and listening to her stories than from any coach or book I could have read. She was my age, she was a peer and her drive and fortitude were incredible to me. She talked me into joining the water polo team and then taught me the basics of the sport and how to do a lightening-fast pop shot.

Water polo can be a brutal sport, especially with girls…, what they got away with under water was just unbelievable. Susan was a leader on our team and within my circle of friends. Why? Because she had the experience that gave her credibility and her skill was matched by no other. She carried herself like a champion, because she was one. And she lured us each along with her to fulfill her vision and, as a result, our sophomore year brought us an undefeated team with two sophomores on the starting team (she and I). As fifteen year olds, we stood before the student body when our undefeated status was announced and we beamed. Her student leadership and constant support drove our team to greatness.

The mantle of leadership sometimes lands on the most unsuspecting of recipients. And those around, sometimes, don’t even recognize the rank that has been bestowed; it can very naturally fall upon a peer or colleague from within, before even an official title or position has been granted. Leading from within is the most organic and easily accepted paths to leadership. The parties involved rarely question this very logical choice, most don’t even recognize it has happened. In the case of my water polo team, we grew in greatness because greatness was amongst us and we followed the magnetic force that was in our midst.

The 360° Leader by John C. Maxwell marks the plight of the middle manager with no real decision-making power or the ability to implement necessary change through traditional routes within an organization. But in the telling, we learn that the middle manager, that is a natural leader or who has mastered that art, wields more power than initially thought. Growing in greatness, the strengthening of a team, and the Phoenix Infection: all endowments to a department or organization led with openness and a natural order. 

Doesn’t sound like much of a plight to me.

© by rayannethorn

.

The Rising – The Phoenix Infection, Part Two

There have been leaders throughout my life whom I have followed with vigor, some since junior high. My parents, of course, and then there was Mr. John Grandi, my history and drama teacher during those tortuous years. He quickly became a mentor, as many junior high teachers do for their students. Those between years mark a passage of time that can be very impressionable. My life changed quite a bit during that time: someone stole from me, a friend betrayed me, a boy held my hand, and one of my brothers passed away.     Trust lost.

It could be said that I was probably not ready for high school. I was a delightfully innocent and naive young woman. I had never seen anyone my age smoke a cigarette, let alone imbibe in alcohol or do drugs of any kind. I lived a kind of Utopian youth that I am thankful for today. Given my propensity to engage quickly and be a people pleaser, I can imagine that my life might have taken a very different turn during those years had I not had parents that were strong leaders and influential teachers like Mr. Grandi that understood the freedom a twelve- and thirteen-year old girl needed to test – it wasn’t much, believe me, for I didn’t know any better. 😉

Different phases in our lives require different types of leaders. They are not all good experiences, but those in my life have taught lessons that have altered my core, my precepts, and made a mark on either my soul or brain. That is what happens when we really learn, we change and the change may be small or even imperceptible to others, but inside – there is a difference. It may not be how we act but it might be how we react. It may not be what we do, but it might be what we think. It may not be how we respond, but it might be how we feel. Change is a direct result of learning.

My brother, Andrew, recently made a statement and asked a question in his group on facebook a few days ago and I was compelled to answer; that answer contained an idea that has been brewing in me for awhile. It is the idea of The Phoenix Infection.

Andrew Thorn: Leadership can be defined as the ability to motivate a group of people toward a common goal. How do you define leadership?

Me: A leader inspires by passionately sharing a vision and allowing participation in the creation and fruition of that vision. A leader is not bogged down by fear or jealousy. The active sharing of knowledge and the Phoenix Infection they gladly pass along define the line between leader and manager.

The Phoenix Infection is what happens when a leader is able to take you with him to fulfill his vision; you gladly join because his dream and aspirations are infectious – you, as a follower, really have no choice. The engagement is so pure, so true, that the joining is natural and fulfilling. The mythical phoenix has long held a magical place in my thinking. It represents immortality, the triumphant rising from disaster or struggle, always strategizing – looking ahead. It is a visionary with the capacity to continually re-invent itself and stimulate enthusiasm and continual motivation.

This fulfills part of my definition of a leader – a leader I can learn from.

© by rayannethorn

.