A little conversation can go a long way
I like to think I have a good relationship with the CEO of the last company I worked at, and we do have the opening to be real and honest with each other. Last week, after I had time to process some of my learnings from the last congress I'd been to, I sent him a message to see how things were going for him and his company and update him on what's has been going on with me. We talked a bunch, he introduced me to a friend of his who was looking to scale up her own company and filled the conversation with many great advices. One of them stuck with me and got me thinking. Let's get into that.
How do you mix what you like and dislike with what you know how to do?
One of the topics in our little discussion over a Zoom call was: what do I actually like to learn about, read about, and get to know news about? What are some of my genuine likes and dislikes? What are some of the things I actually know a lot about and have been interested in for years? Is that an industry? Can you work with that?
The industry I landed on and decided to stay in is eComm. To narrow it down, I've worked in two different tech start-ups and know a thing or two about SaaS (software as a service). I firmly believe in the tech start-up's power to change our world and hope to be a part of that industry for as long as I can, but how can I add more meaning and longing to it?
As I previously discussed here, here, and here, in order for me to have a better relationship with my career, I have to figure out a way to put more meaning into it. To feel fulfilled in my work and have it be more than just my job title and how much I make. That is where my interests come into play. Two fields I'm really passionate about are Cosmetics and Fashion.
It took to me the longest time to be ok with it. Ever since I was first interested in those two topics, as a little girl, I was told they were dumb, it was too girly, futile even, and should always be no more than just a hobby. I was supposed to like more important and less girly things like finance, international politics, geopolitics, etc...
Don't get me wrong, I did end up liking those other subjects, I have a bachelors in International Relations, but that was never enough for me to drift away from liking what I liked in the first place.
Back to the present, I have this mentor telling me it was ok for them to be a passion and asking me to think of ways to bring my interests into my work life.
So what now?
Ever since the conversation took place, that thought has not left me. How can I incorporate all of this and have Fashion and Cosmetics be part of my work life? Do I need to open an online retail shop focused on Korean cosmetics, for example? Do I open a multi-brand outlet online shop? For now, what I decided I can do is offer my services as a freelancing service provider in areas I know more of such as catalog and portfolio management or CX (customer experience). Coming to future conversations with that figured out will better guide opportunities and make me more comfortable in my own performance. But hey, I haven't given up on having a shop of my own in the future, who knows?
A little conversation can really go a long way
I haven't started working as a freelancing service provider like that yet, but things are looking better. I went out for coffee with a friend I haven't seen in a long time and we were updating each other on what the last few years have looked like for us and what we were planning to do with our lives. She said she had already started construction at her house to be able to have a stock space for the online clothing shop she'll be launching very soon. She asked me to help her with the site, payment features of the online store, catalog management, etc... Of course, I said yes! The ball hasn't started rolling yet as there is much to be done on her side, but when I tell you I got so excited about work, I mean it.
The lessons I got from it are to not be afraid to tell people what you've been working on, how you envision your future, and what you can do right now. I'll keep updating you on how this project is going! Hey, we both got this, ok?
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