Have you ever had the feeling you were not where you were supposed to be, but had no idea where exactly you belonged? A lot of people may be feeling this way right now. Maybe you want to make a transition but are not sure if the timing is right. Perhaps you just know you don’t feel happy where you currently are. I encounter this often with my coaching clients. Some want to move up in their current companies but don’t know how. Some want to start their own business but lack confidence. Some want to switch roles but are too scared to make the change. Some just want to leap out and do something completely different altogether but are just not sure what.
That was me at the beginning of 2018. I had finally reached that life-long career goal of “The Six-Figure Income Job.” I was regional director of business development for a construction company. I was given total freedom to build and lead my own team, while also doing something that truly energizes me - being on stage! The stage, in this case, took the form of countless educational events wherein I was teaching HR related classes to managers as part of my company’s marketing strategy. These classes gave me the opportunity to develop business leads by connecting and engaging, while also allowing me to sharpen my presentation and leadership teaching skills.
What was there not to like? I made my own schedule, coached a great team of business development managers that were thriving, and got to be on stage teaching regularly while making a great income!
Why was it not enough?
Something in me was still not totally fulfilled. I wanted to do the parts of my job that I loved most - coaching, training and speaking - and get paid well for it! I also wanted to be able to totally guarantee the product I was selling. If I was the product, I could control the quality. I wanted that total control and flexibility.
The first thing my inner negative Mitch would yell at me was:
“Who the hell is going to pay you for that?”
The next thing that joyless inner companion suggested was:
“There is no career like that!” (At the time, I was clueless about the professional speaker/coaching industry.)
So, I did an exercise I have my clients do now - wrote down all the activities that energized me, brought me joy, and aligned with my skills and experience. I wrote with a 3D image in mind of myself doing what I loved, and I wrote a LOT. I was working on a vision, even if it wasn’t clear yet. I had to have faith that I would know it when I saw it, like I did when I met my ideal partner at a Dave Matthews concert years prior. (It's a pretty powerful exercise!)
In August of 2018, after having worked out my vision in writing for months, I attended a conference in Orlando for the National Association of Women in Construction (Go NAWIC!) and was moved by the keynote speaker at the luncheon. I followed the speaker to her breakout session later that day. You could tell she was loving what she did: having fun with the audience while sharing valuable information and watching as they experienced some light bulb moments! I was doing that a small percent of my time, but that day I thought:
“That’s it! That’s what I want to do! Whether one-on-one or for a group, I want to inspire light-bulb moments and help create real changes in people's lives Full Time!"
Luckily, though the speaker was flying back out that afternoon, she was generous enough to offer me some time after class to ask specific questions. My question was simple:
“How do I do what you are doing?”
She pulled up a chair, sat down, and patiently laid out my next steps, if I was serious about doing this. I was serious! She suggested exactly what organizations to join, who to call, how to get certified as a coach, and what to expect as I entered this industry as a total newbie.
There it was, clear as a Technicolor movie - the Vision! My Vision!
I knew it when I saw it because I had already written it down. At the time, however, I just didn’t have all the pieces completely in place to bring the picture to life. That day the pieces fell in place. With my heart full of joy and excitement, and with a solid outlined map, I began my new journey. Sometimes, it just takes seeking out the people that will help point out the way.
Just two years after that pivotal conversation, I had gotten certified as a professional coach, delivered my first TEDx Talk, and had my own thriving speaker/coach business –
SavHill Consulting LLC!
As I tell my clients, don’t worry if your vision is not 100% clear at first. Sometimes it starts with a gut feeling or a cloudy idea. The first step I will offer you is writing - writing, not typing (pen to paper activates a different part of your brain) - writing about what energizes you, what that new horizon would look and feel like, what your ideal day would be in this new place, job, relationship, etc. Writing will put the process in motion. The process involves getting exceptionally clear on what you want, and where you want to go. The more you put it in 3D - paint a full picture for yourself - the more the universe will send you more information, more data, more pieces to complete the puzzle.
As a coach, now I get to be a part of that process for my clients! I get to see the sparks fly when a well-placed coaching question prompts the ideas that lead to putting these puzzles together for them.
The V. in V.O.L.A.R. is for "Vision - Clarify The Vision."
I get to help bring clarity to someone's vision and then help them turn that vision into reality. That process is always so exciting for me. It fulfills me to no end! Now, I am living my dream!
What fulfills you like that? What makes you excited to get up out of bed in the morning and go? If it is not what you are doing right now, you deserve more! And it is possible. You may just need a little guidance.
Seek what you truly desire, and it will meet you halfway to your horizon.
-Mitch Savoie Hill, Certified Professional Coach
Part of her Upcoming Book:
V.O.L.A.R. - 5 STEPS TO TURNING ROADBLOCKS INTO RUNWAYS TO SUCCESS!
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Mitch Savoie Hill, Certified Executive Coach, International TEDx Speaker, and DISC Certified Corporate Trainer, is the Founder and CEO of SavHill Consulting LLC.
With over 25 years of experience in Sales, Hospitality, Training and Leadership, she delivers engaging and energetic presentations for any company or group wanting to increase engagement and productivity. As a leadership coach and consultant, Mitch helps her clients clarify their vision, map out actionable strategies, and turn roadblocks into runways to success!