From Corporate Consulting to Start-up

From Corporate Consulting to Start-up Success Story > From: Job To: Startup From Corporate Consulting to Start-up “I had no time or space to have fun and create the kind of life I wanted.” * From Corporate Consulting to Start-up Bella Zanesco earned big bucks in a sought-after role, but she was overworked and fed up with not making a difference. Now, with the lessons learned from her shift, she's created a business to help others successfully navigate change. This is her story. What work were you doing previously? I was Growth and Strategy Transformation Director in a large corporate, with several similar previous consulting / innovation roles in Australia, the US and the UK. What are you doing now? I'm the creator of My12for12. We support highly successful people to identify, make and get into action with 12 life-amplifying decisions to support them to own the big game they want to play in their life and career. Why did you change? Because I was fed up doing work that didn't make a difference. I had no time or space to have fun and create the kind of life I wanted. I was also disheartened by how the profit-focused organisations I worked for treated people who had families, lives and relationships to nurture. But most of all, that pesky feeling of the bigger game I truly wanted to play wouldn't go away and every time I tried to bury it, another kick to my health and relationships would happen. When was the moment you decided to make the change? The final straw came when the growth and strategy consulting firm I was working for in Australia expected me to put in super-long hours, including weekends. As a result, my physical and mental health broke down, my relationships sucked and, as a passionate person, I lost the love for what I was doing. It just got to a point where my desire to be healthy, to live a life in line in line with what mattered most, outweighed the desire to keep consuming and feeding a system where my values were constantly conflicted. Are you happy with the change? Absolutely! I've never been happier in my life. Fully expressing ourselves in a career we love is not only a 'nice to do' but more like an obligation on our part to create a happier and healthier planet. What do you miss and what don't you miss? I do miss the certainty of a pay cheque and massive projects with big budgets. I don't miss the politics, games, egos or working with people that were equally disengaged. How did you go about making the shift? I made 12 amplifying decisions in 12 months to get my health back, my zest for life, and explored new areas that could lead to a new career direction. I retrained in Neuro-linguistic Programming (NLP), Positive Psychology and Yoga Teaching. I experimented in all of the areas I was passionate about, including photography, sailing, design, yoga, interviewing people about what made them feel fulfilled and mentoring start-ups in value proposition development, all with complete detachment from the outcome. I just let go and trusted that with the right intentional action the right career solution would emerge. A few highlights that resulted from these 12 amplifying decisions included being crowned a world champion in sailing, winning best pitch at TEDxSydney, being selected as a founding member of the Escape School by Escape the City and commercialising the My12for12 method. What didn't go well? What 'wrong turns' did you take? I joined a start-up that I was passionate about, but the founder and I shared different values and were at a different stage in our lives. This helped me realise that I needed to blaze my own trail and create collaborative partnerships with other heart-centred entrepreneurs who were more aligned with me. How did you handle your finances to make your change possible? For the last seven years of my consulting career, I developed skills in photography and filmmaking, my first loves. Over time, this turned into my bridging career. I got paid to do corporate photography for companies like Virgin, Westfield, and Barclays; I was commissioned to do wedding photography in Italy, France, the UK, Thailand and Australia; and I did shoots for yoga lifestyle brands in Indonesia, tourism operators like Abercrombie and Kent, and Kitesurfing Lanka in Africa and Sri Lanka. These projects funded my travels, love of all things nature, and most importantly kitesurfing holidays! In addition, I changed the way I spent money based on what I valued. I invested in education, yoga, sailing and really nourishing food. Instead of buying new 'things', I bought recycled things, got things repaired, such as my bike, hung onto the old iPhone, and cut out spending on clothes, shoes and handbags. The funny thing is I don't miss this one bit. I've just stayed away from the shops and the need to have those material things dissipated. Another thing I did that funded me in the transition was renting out my apartment on Airbnb (as I was travelling loads). When I was home, I rented my spare room to travellers, who've since become friends and even My12for12 participants. This was a major income earner for me. What was the most difficult thing about changing? Missing the regular pay cheque. Giving up materialism â€" but that's been the best gift ever. Who needs more stuff?! Finding a tribe that didn't think I was completely crazy. What help did you get? An awesome coach and loads of support from friends and family. What have you learnt in the process? I had to first focus on paying close attention to the thoughts that were occupying my mind, reframing those, and then over time to changing my attitudes, behaviours and habits to those that were more supportive to the life I wanted to create. I learned that we're way better when we do what we love. We inspire, engage and make shit happen for ourselves when we're fully expressed. I learned to treat my career change as one big experiment. It's ok to get out there and create, knowing that the first thing you create may not necessarily be the thing you end up with. What resources would you recommend to others? What Colour is your Parachuteby Richard N. Bolles â€" a book that helps you uncover your strengths and skills. Rewire your Brainby John Arden â€" a book that presents the latest neuroscience and offers tools to support you in thinking you way to a better life. What do you wish you'd done differently? I wish I'd leveraged into some income-producing assets (e.g. property) while I still had the borrowing capacity. I also wish I'd ditched certain people who wanted to see me stay small or back in my old career. What would you advise others to do in the same situation? 1. Find a tribe that supports you; limit time with people that try to hold you back (they're most likely just envious of your new found zest for life and creation). 2. Get very clear about your values, needs and what you want in your life, before you decide upon any career or start-up. 3. Nurture your mental and physical health as number one. It's impossible to go through major career change if you're not in good health. 4. Understand the real motivations for career change; ensure you're cut out for entrepreneurship before just jumping into it. 5. Have two years' worth of funds in savings. What lessons could you take from Bella's story to use in your own career change? Let us know in the comments below.

Benefits of Emotional Intelligence in Business Leadership

Benefits of Emotional Intelligence in Business Leadership The technical skills that helped you start your business or get a promotion at your workplace do not guarantee you the next. To be a great leader, there is still more work that you need to put in.  Being a group leader is not easy, but you can make it even harder by ignoring some essential principles of emotional intelligence.   You need emotionally intelligent leadership for both you and your team to work as a team and remain in harmony. The principle helps you in stress management, solving conflicts, and enhances cooperation. If you are still in doubts about how this concept works, let’s have a look at how emotional intelligence benefits your business. It promotes better communication As a leader, you need to understand what other people want, what makes them happy and which areas require changes. This is the only way to promote productive interactions. Emotional intelligence makes you more self-aware. This gives you an insight into your followers’ strengths and weaknesses. You will be more open to feedback and listening to your team. It also gives you more courage to connect both with the workers and customers. You can easily talk with your colleagues, share your goals, and help them fuel their personal growth. This will, in return, promote the growth and development of your company. It promotes teamwork If you are an emotionally intelligent leader, you can communicate clearly with your team and encourage them to work together. It will be easier to trust each other and appreciate every team member’s input. When one of the team members makes a suggestion, you will be open to listen and respond positively. This is the best way to keep the team intact. Enhances internal motivation Emotional intelligence brings in self-discipline, passion, and motivation to work without money and status drive. As the leader, you will understand your internal motivation better and how this collates with your team members. Internal motivation brings in a competitive advantage in your business as you can harness it towards success. It will be easier to work towards a particular goal without looking back. There is no way your competitors will get past you with this kind of determination. It is easier to deal with changes We can all agree that dealing with changes in a business can be quite tough. Changes can be super frustrating and make you feel like you are not making any progress towards your goals. With emotional intelligence, however, you can positively handle such issues. Emotional intelligence principles are tools that you need to deal with whichever changes and obstacles that come your way. You will also be in a better position to aspire your team members to do the same. Emotional intelligence is the secret to becoming a strong leader. A strong and great leader is one who understands people. S/he knows how to listen to them, respond, influence, and inspire them. Make your leadership skills better by enrolling in an emotionally intelligent leadership course today and watch just how much it will improve your way of doing things.

Top 3 Resume Formats You Should Be Using to Land Your Dream Job

Top 3 Resume Formats You Should Be Using to Land Your Dream Job Top 3 Resume Formats You Should Be Using to Land Your Dream Job Oh, those pesky resumes. They always come with a Catch-22. You need to have a compelling resume to land a great job, but no excellent employer will consider you without having some great skills and experiences under your belt. But let me tell you this you can craft a rockstar resume even if you are just out of college or worked some lousy or not-that-relevant jobs in the past. The trick here is to present your humble persona in the best light.And you can do just that by:Sticking with the right resume format that highlights your achievements and takes the attention away from specific career gaps you may have.Leveraging a few “unspoken” rules of career search that we are about to distill.So before you begin drafting that rockstar resume of yours, remember this.Rule 1: It’s Never All About YouWhen companies want to sell their products, they know that they have to show value to a customer. What good will a product do for a customer? How does the product solve a problem for the customer? (Yes, people really do buy those airplane neck pillows, because the product keeps them from getting stiff and painful necks. It solves a problem).You need to solve a problem for a potential employer. The company needs someone with your skills, and you are the product he is looking for. Get the idea? No matter what resume format you use from the three we will be talking about, never forget that you are a product that can solve a problem.So align your pitch accordingly.Don’t talk about how well you did in school.Do highlight the relevant courses you took and how they helped you develop unique knowledge of the employer’s niche.Don’t just list what you did at your previous job, e.g. managed social media profiles for the brand.Do tell what you have learned and accomplished, e.g. increased the company’s following on Instagram by 35% in 6 months; built up a list of vetted influencers in the travel niche for ongoing campaigns.Instead of talking skills, talk achievements an d results. That always strikes the right chord with a potential employer.Rule 2: Remain Relevant At All TimesYou may have been the best dog walker or house sitter in the world while you were in college. And those part-time jobs were great for the extra money you needed.But you are in the big leagues now, competing for a job of substance. Your dog-walking career is irrelevant to a position in IT or teaching (unless you can equate training dogs and kids somehow).The point is this: Stick to the work or volunteer or internship experiences that actually relate to the position opening.If you spent your summers running day camp programs for kids, you have relevance to teaching. If you designed the website for your fraternity, you have some IT relevance.And show results when you can. Did you grow enrollments in that day camp program? Did your supervisor credit you with that growth and say so? Did your fraternity with the award for the best website on campus?Don’t be shy to reach out and a sk for a performance feedback of some sorts from your former bosses. Then leverage their lingo and testimonials in your resume.For those already in careers and looking for a change, this same rule applies â€" the two “R’s” â€" relevance and results. Always highlight those! Rule 3: Mind Those Keywords in Your ResumeIt’s no secret that lots of employers now use special tools to screen resumes. And if you are applying for a job with a Fortune 500 company, there’s a 90% chance that you will be up against such a tool. That software is looking for keywords and phrases that directly relate to the skills they need.But here’s the good news you can guess those “power words” from the job posting, the position description, and sometimes from the company website itself. Don’t ever skip over this element in your resume construction. If you do, it’s a first-round knockout, and you are the one who is on the mat.Rule 4: Custom Means Custom â€" in Content and in Resume Formats No one buys a custom-made suit off the rack. And no hiring manager wants a generic resume either that was obviously recycled and sent to some twenty other companies.If you don’t bother with customization, why should they bother with taking the time to consider your application, right?There are two parts to customization that you must consider:The Content: Once you have made a list of the skills the position calls for and another list of how your skills are a match, you will have the meat for the body of your resume. And you can eliminate or minimize skills and experience that are not relevant.So, if you worked someplace for five years while you earned your degree, and that job is not related to this new position, minimize it. (Do include it, though, because you don’t want an employer to think you spent five years playing video games and living with your mom). A few short phrases about what you did and that this was an interim job while you worked toward your degree will be fine. And just another important tip about your content. If the company is conservative, your language style must be very formal. If the company is a progressive startup that has just moved out of someone’s garage to an old warehouse building, you will want to be far less formal and toss in some jargon. Whatever the case, though, make sure there is not one typo or comma out of place.That Resume Format: Aye, here’s the rub. And here’s why resume formats differ. Depending on the employer and your specific situation, you may want to use a chronological, a functional, or a combination format. More on that later, but keep in mind the fact that the resume format you choose will differ by position, by employer, and by your background.The Resume Formats Guide: Your Top Three Picks As the title says, there are three basic types of formats for resumes â€" chronological, functional, and a combination of the two. Each of these formats serves a different purpose for candidates with different bac kgrounds, job histories, and skill sets that they want to present in the most compelling way.So, let’s take a look at these three types and who should be using them.Chronological ResumesThe body of this type of resume is organized by job title and structured in reverse order of the current or most recent position, moving backwards to the earliest job that you will be including. Basically, it matches your LinkedIn profile (and I hope you have one setup and polished up!).Also, you may want to include a resume objective or a career summary before listing up all that work experience.The Advantages:This is a resume that is an “easy” read for employment managers and recruiters. They can scan down the work experience and the job titles you held.The other notable feature is that they can see the progression of your career up to your most current position.The Disadvantages:If you have gaps in employment, they will really show up on the resume format.And, if your career progression look s a bit illogical, that will show up as well. Employers will be left wondering. And wondering is not a good thing. If there are other candidates with a significant employment progression, their resumes will be placed on the top of the pile for further consideration.Who Should Use a Chronological Resume?This resume format is really for candidates who have a work history that:Demonstrates a progressive and increasingly more responsible work history, without gaps and that does relate to the position opening.Shows a most recent or current position that is a great match for the skills and talents the employer is looking for.Presents a work history in organizations similar to the one that has advertised in this opening.The Common Structure Found in a Chronological ResumeThere’s no single rule to writing a chronological resume the right way, but rather a basic structure blueprint to follow:The header should include your name and your contact information. Now, this contact information sho uld include your email address and a working phone number. Adding your address is just taking up space. No one is going to send you a snail mail letter or drive by your home to check out your digs. The other potential issue is if you live in another town or state that that of the company. Employment managers may want to look at local candidates first. No reason to raise that relocation flag just yet.Usually, educational background comes next, but many chronological resume formats place this after work history too. And let’s be honest here. If you have a college degree, employers already know you graduated from high school. Leave it out, if only in the name of saving a line on the document.Work history comes next, and remember it is in reverse order.Other information that may show your value can be included in a separate section. If you received any relevant awards; if you have community leadership positions, briefly describe them. No need to be a braggart here, but they can tip th e scales a bit in your favor.Functional ResumesWhile these are probably not the favorites of most hiring managers, they do serve a purpose for candidates, whose situations may be unique. This resume format focuses on skills and abilities as opposed to specific work history.The Advantages:For candidates whose work history is not really a “match” for what the hiring manager may be looking for, focusing on skill sets rather than companies worked for can be a better option.And for candidates who have gaps in employment, these are downplayed in a functional format.The Disadvantages:This resume structure is more difficult for employers to scan, and unless your opening is stellar, many will not take the time to review your document.Who Should Use the Functional Resume Format?As stated, if you have either gaps in your employment or the companies you have worked for are not similar in “culture” to this one, then this will probably be your best option.The other job seeker who should c onsider a functional resume is a “newbie” who is just entering the career field. Obviously, you don’t have a work history to fill the body of a chronological resume, so you are better off trying to focus on the skillsets you have developed through internships, coursework projects, leadership positions, etc.Structure Commonly Found in a Functional ResumeAgain, there are some variations of functional resume templates. But here are some general guidelines you should stick with:Begin with your header as you would with any resume (see chronological above).Think about creating a compelling summary â€" one that addresses the skills you have that are a “fit” for the position. Going back to the concept of yourself as a product, remember it’s not about you; it’s about the value you can bring to an organization through your skills. This may help your resume stand out a bit more than most if you are brief and very creative with your presentation.Following the summary statement, or ganize the body of your resume by themes â€" each theme should be a skill that will provide value to the organization and relate to what they are looking for. The first theme should be what you believe to be the most important skill/talent they are looking for and then move down in descending order of importance. If you can include results, by all means, do so. Remember that fraternity website award? That’s a result.Don’t forget those keywords. You need to splatter them throughout your themes. You don’t want some machine giving you the boot.Mention projects you have completed or been a part of. This is especially important for candidates who are right out of school, but also for seekers who have worked on significant and highly related projects. And if you held any leadership positions in collaborative projects, say so.Mention employment history if you have it. You do not necessarily have to give dates of employment and put that history at the end, so it is not sticking out li ke a tumor.A strong cover letter should be in order here. You can get in those all-important keywords and also highlight the skills that make you the perfect “fit” for their needs (not yours).The Combination ResumeThis resume focuses on skill themes as the functional one does. However, these “themes” are then followed with a much more detailed work history.The Advantages:You can begin by highlighting the skill sets that are most relevant to the position offering, even if your work history is not with similar organizations.You can make any gaps in employment less noticeable.The Disadvantages: Just like with the functional resume, hiring managers may not want to read through your themes and may go directly to your chronological work history. This can be a problem is your work history does not reflect the skills you have gained over time.Who Should Use a Combination Resume?If you have had positions in a completely different career field, it will be hard for a hiring manager to see how you will “fit” into his organization. By highlighting your skills first, the reader will become more comfortable with your potential fit. This format also helps to minimize employment gaps. It is probably not a good format for new grads looking for their first position â€" there is little to no work history to include.Structure Of the Combination ResumeYou will want to look at combination resume format examples to get a feel how you can structure your own. But, basically, the structure will look something like this:The header (of course)Place your qualifications summary at the top of the body. This will be much like the summary used in the functional resume and focus on a very brief description of the value your skills can bring to an organization.Each section should focus on a “theme” as in the functional resume. And each theme needs to relate to a skill/talent that was contained in the job description posting. Don’t add skill themes you can’t back up and don’ t add any you think are great but that don’t relate. No one will really care about those.When you get to work history, you may have some that is a good “fit” and some that is not. If this is true for you, divide that work history into two sections â€" related and non-related (call it “additional work experience” or something like that). Within those sections, make the history chronological, in reverse order. And this is kind of a good way to “hide” gaps too.So, there you have it the three resume formats worth using. And, even with all of this great information, are resumes still pesky things to craft? You bet they are. Once you have decided which format is best for your situation, make sure you look at a bunch of resume templates for that format before you rush headlong into yours.Enough said â€" now go out there, do your research, get the right format, and remember the “rules” as you go! previous article Hello Free Resume Template of the Week next article F ree Newspaper Theme Resume Template you might also likeHow to Write About Your Accomplishments on Your Resume

6 Ways to Keep Hold of Your Best Employees

6 Ways to Keep Hold of Your Best Employees A really great employee can be hard to come by, so when you manage to secure one, you dont want to let them go! Not only do your top workers help to keep business running smoothly and boost profit, but the cost of a replacing them if they were to leave can be monumental. However, in order to retain your best talent, youre going to have to provide them with a good reason to stay. There are a number of factors that individuals  look for in a role, from a  company culture that suits their personality, to the opportunity to progress in their career; so what can you do as an employer to ensure you are catering for your employees needs and keep hold of your best staff? 1) Hire the right people If you hire somebody who is a good fit for the role, as well as for your company culture, they are more likely to settle in nicely and stay with the company for a long period of time. By rushing or skimping on the hiring process, you are at risk of hiring  somebody who does not  suit the working environment and is high risk of jumping ship after just a short stint with the company. 2) Effective communication Employees want to be kept in the loop about whats happening in the company, so it is important that you keep staff updated about any significant changes to the business, new clients/projects, etc. They also want to feel like they are being listened to and their ideas are taken on board, so it is essential that they are given the opportunity to contribute and communicate any business suggestions.  By involving your employees and keeping the informed they will feel more valued and invested in the business. 3) Offer employee perks Though some of the largest  global firms have a the budget to offer extravagant  employee perks like company cars and staff holidays, employee perks dont have to be huge and something as simple as the option to work remotely or finish early on a Friday  could help to keep your staff sweet. Offering perks unique to your company will also help to differentiate you from other employers when recruiting. 4)  A competitive salary Employees want to feel like that they are given the compensation that they deserve, or they are likely to look elsewhere. Do your research, so that you have an accurate idea of what the average market wage is for the particular role and make sure you can either match it or even exceed it, if you can afford to do so. Salary can be one of the most competitive factors for job seekers, so you dont want to lose out on the best candidates because they got a better offer. 5)  Training or development opportunities Its never too late to learn new skills and improve on existing ones, so a lot of professionals look for jobs that offer them the opportunity  to undertake further training or personal development while in the job. By offering training courses to your staff or promoting from within the company, employees are more likely to feel inclined to stay and grow in the company. 6) Encourage feedback Creating an open environment, where your employees feel comfortable bringing up any issues they may have, can help to pinpoint problems that need to be resolved before they can cause any damage. Encourage your staff to provide feedback and suggestions about ways that things could be improved and areas they would like to see change, to ensure they dont have any bees in their bonnet.

Using a Theladders Resume Writing Service For Your Future Career

Using a Theladders Resume Writing Service For Your Future CareerThere are many good sources for Theladders resume writing service reviews. You can get them from other people who have done the same thing as you and they will tell you what they did to be successful. If you have a copy of their resume then read it and see if it contains the things you should be mentioning.Theladders resumes can easily be written by using common writing tools such as Microsoft Word or by hand. This company offers the best quality as well as the most affordable service. They have thousands of employees in the United States and Canada and they are ready to help out people from any place in the world.Theladders resume writing service reviews can be obtained by contacting them on the Internet. The company has a website that has a customer's forum where you can post your questions. There is also a help section that you can reach anytime.Theladders resume writing service reviews can also be viewed in magazines such as 'The Gazette'. People that have worked with the company can give their experiences. This is one of the more popular forms of writing resumes because it is easy to write and can include information from other parts of the company. Besides, you can also get additional information such as travel expenses paid, a letter of recommendation, and other information that can be helpful to your future career.You can even apply for Theladders job listings and seek employment through that. Theladders offers an extensive database that can give you all the details that you need about different careers and job positions. You can search for the jobs that match your qualifications.You can also search through the listings for specific sectors that are relevant to your career. You can also search for free classified ads and online classified sites. Most of the companies that provide resume writing services also have directories that you can submit your resume to.You can also find many job open ings in many newspapers, magazine and TV. These places have computerized systems that allow them to put job vacancies on display and you can also search through the system to find out the one that matches your qualifications. Theladders also has a paid service that can help you improve your CV.Theladders resume writing service reviews can be seen on the Internet. All you have to do is to fill up the questionnaire and the company will get back to you. The company's personnel department is always willing to help people and help them in getting a new job.

The economics of crack-related violence - The Chief Happiness Officer Blog

The economics of crack-related violence - The Chief Happiness Officer Blog Violence related to the sale of crack cocaine in the US is way down. Steven Levitt, the author of the excellent book Freakonomics, looks at why, in an article in the NY times: as of 2000 the most recent year for which the index data are available Americans were still smoking about 70 percent as much crack as they smoked when consumption was at its peak. If so much crack is still being sold and bought, why arent we hearing about it? Because crack-associated violence has largely disappeared. And it was the violence that made crack most relevant to the middle class. What made the violence go away? Simple economics. Urban street gangs were the main distributors of crack cocaine. In the beginning, demand for their product was phenomenal, and so were the potential profits. Most crack killings, it turns out, were not a result of some crackhead sticking up a grandmother for drug money but rather one crack dealer shooting another and perhaps a few bystanders in order to gain turf. But the market changed fast. The destructive effects of the drug became apparent; young people saw the damage that crack inflicted on older users and began to stay away from it. (One recent survey showed that crack use is now three times as common among people in their late 30s as it is among those in their late teens and early 20s.) As demand fell, price wars broke out, driving down profits. And as the amount of money at stake grew smaller and smaller, the violence also dissipated. Young gang members are still selling crack on street corners, but when a corner becomes less valuable, there is less incentive to kill, or be killed, for it. So one of the most pressing problems for big cities in the US went away more or less on its own. Not through increased police presence, tougher laws or anti-drug programs. But through economics. This tells me, that we could use a similar approach to solve similar problems. Rather than fight it (by declaring war on poverty, terrorism, hunger or poverty) but by changing the economics involved. Interesting thought, huh? Thanks for visiting my blog. If you're new here, you should check out this list of my 10 most popular articles. And if you want more great tips and ideas you should check out our newsletter about happiness at work. It's great and it's free :-)Share this:LinkedInFacebookTwitterRedditPinterest Related

5-Part Millionaire Mindset Success Formula - Part 1

5-Part Millionaire Mindset Success Formula - Part 1 Shark Tank.    The Apprentice.  Chopped. American Ninja Warrior.  Amazing Race.  The Voice. What do all these shows have in common? Ordinary people like you and me making their dreams a reality.  They dont all win on the show.  But all of them gain  from the experience. That is the Millionaire Mindset. So I thought Id walk you through some of these lessons Ive learned through my 50+ years of this adventure-we-call-life, that illustrate the Millionaire Mindset.  One that you can live in your life whether your goal is to earn a million dollars a year (or a billion), or it is just to enjoy living life to the fullest (another version of success). So lets jump right in. Passion Plus Persistence Turns Daydreams into Dollars It was 1996.  I had just been let go from my first wireless telecom site acquisition job following completion of the Sprints first cellular network project in Northern California.  The project was over and my services were no longer needed. I liked the work.  Met interesting people.  Drove all over the East and North Bay.  I was making decent money for a twenty-something about $40k a year (I know that seems like almost nothing now). This was my first time ever being laid off (and wouldnt be my last).  Not a fun time. I did some interim work helping out a friend I worked with previously.  Did some budgeting for the outpatient surgery center he managed. Opportunity Knocks I stayed in touch with a couple people Id worked with and for on the Sprint project.  Then in one of those conversations (checking in and asking if they had any work I could do) my friend says, We need site acqs in Cincinnati, Ohio.  Are you interested?  The pay is really good. After checking with my wife and finding out more details (they paid a bit more than my last wireless job AND paid a per diem of several thousand dollars a month on top of that which would double my take home pay) I decided to go for it. I called him back and said, Yes, Im interested.  Whats next? He told me to come out there and theyd hire me.  Sounded cool.  And Id never been farther east than Utah.  Would be an adventure of a lifetime. So my wife and I packed our stuff into storage.  Put what we needed into the Chevy Blazer (including our cat and bird).  And prepared to drive across country. And then it happened. I made a final call to let my friend know I was heading out and would be there in about nine days. He says, Well, that opportunity is no longer available.  Were not in Cincinnati anymore.  Were now in Cleveland and I dont  have anything for your right now.  Im sorry. It was like a punch in the stomach.  Took the air right out of me. What now?  Id put all my eggs in that basket.  Told friends and family about it.  How could I face them now and tell them the deal was off?  I wasnt about to lose face over this.  I WOULD make it work.  I dont know how but it has to. So, not to be deterred, I told him, Then were going to go on a nine-day vacation.  When I get out there Ill call you.  And if there is something when we get out there, well take it. Maybe a little rash taking that kind of risk.  But my wife had faith in me and it was an experience I couldnt pass up.  And wed already packed (and I hate undoing things or giving up once Ive made up my mind). The Adventure Begins So we drove from Pleasanton, California out Interstate 80.  Through the Sierras, across the Nevada desert, into Utah, Wyoming and on.  Into the  mid-West through the wheat and corn fields (and thunderstorms and tornado warnings). I kind of felt like I was  one of the early settlers of the West, heading out in a  wagon train, pursuing my fortune in the gold fields of  the foothills of Sacramento. And on I went.  Up to Niagara Falls.  Because, why not see it if were that close, right?    Then  back into Pennsylvania where I made my next call. So whats the latest? He says, Well, if you can get here tomorrow, we need a site acq and you can interview with my boss then. I told him, Ill be there. So that night we drove to Cleveland.  Interviewed the next morning.  And started that day. Success! So what made it  work? I had the passion.  I loved the site acq work I had done for Sprint and wanted to do more of it.  I saw an awesome opportunity to learn, be paid well, and see the country.  Something I felt if I didnt do then, I would regret my decision and always wonder, What if? I persisted.  There were plenty of times I could have given up and just packed it in.  But I didnt. I could have just written the opportunity off by not even considering moving out of state.  My family was all in Northern California as was my wifes.  We knew no one out there besides my work friend. I could have cancelled the trip when they told me the job in Cincinnati wasnt available. I could have turned around when I hit the crazy thunderstorms and tornadoes. I could have just taken the trip and not followed up on the job or not driven out there to apply. If you want to achieve something great, passion and persistence are critical.  Without both you wont follow through.  And without follow through, nothing great is ever accomplished. What are you passionate enough about to take those kinds of risks?  Are you willing to keep going in spite of the huge odds against you? Passion + Persistence = Achievement Which brings us to the next step. To be continued P. S. Want to be notified when Part 2 comes out (and get a free report that will put these ideas on rocket fuel)?  Go here to get it now.  Plus youll get my weekly newsletter with  cool links to I search out each week to help you, whether with your career, your business, or to get more out of lifes adventure.