I had a college mate. While still in the 4th year of studies he was lucky to find a wonderful woman with whom he created a family. They are still together, have children – everything turned out great. Except for one thing – he is constantly trying to find himself and changing jobs.
When they got married, the bride’s father suggested my mate open a small business, a small production of frozen ready-to-cook food. The man had been in this business for a long time and was ready to welcome a new member of their family into their common business. But at the same time, he wanted not just to hire him for an existing business, but to help him with the start, to help him launch the business. If you think about it, my friend was lucky not just to meet the woman of his dreams but she also had a very smart father who didn’t just present money or position but offered my mate his help in earning, launching, and developing something of his own.
My mate refused, arguing that, “I would never go from high technologies to deal with some frozen food!”
Let me remind you that at that time both he and I were college students, about 4th or 5th year of study. That is, we simply did not have any outstanding merits or achievements in the “sphere of high technologies”. He, just like me, just got his first job and tried to become a programmer. But for some reason, I remembered this phrase. Even then it seemed strange to me not to choose the opportunity to have one’s own business, but to strive to go headlong into hired employment. But it was his choice.
We went separate ways. Many years later I found myself in the position of the Chief Technical Officer (CTO) and Head of the Office of a very technological company. It would seem that the dream had come true. I was in IT, I was in a good and interesting position, I had a direct connection to what millions of people use every day. But six months later, I ended up in another company and started teaching and selling training. Because the company where I was the CTO had closed our development office and among other reasons because of a number of my mistakes. When you get fired (let’s call a spade a spade, I got fired) you become more pliable. On my last day at the previous place, I talked with my future boss in the new company and he clearly outlined his expectations from me – I was supposed to sell services and earn money.
If six months or a year ago someone would tell me that I would be engaged in training and selling training, I would probably smile skeptically.
“Never would I go from the world of high technologies, from a director’s position to sales!”
At the time of the conversation, I had a choice of several positions. Some of them were in IT, some in consulting (I already had little experience in the past). And then I remembered my mate, who had been trying to find himself for many years because he decided that it was below his ambitions to be engaged in food production. Before that, I had not been involved in sales at all and had not built such structures, but this position was closer to money and closer to really big business.
I chose this position in selling training, although of course, I was afraid that I would not succeed. My income was divided into two parts: I received one part as a fixed salary, and the other part had to be earned. It was not about going to work and “showing yourself” but about the market and making money for your company to get the second part of your income. Or not to get it.
During the first few months, I was thrown from side to side and I stayed at that place only because I found myself in a very correct environment, in a good and competent company — I was taught, my colleagues supported me, I saw people who brought millions of dollars to the business and I communicated with them a lot.
Now, looking retrospectively back at this “technology/business/money” decision, I understand that my current income and results are the consequence of my decision to turn towards business. I understand how much I could earn in the market now while staying hired and I understand that the decision was correct from the financial point of view too.
This career decision gave birth to my business mindset and shaped the next 10 years of my life.
On March 25, 2021, at 19:00 (GMT +3), we decided to hold an online seminar on the topic of Business mindset upgrade.
We will tell you what a mindset is, how it is formed in relation to money and work, how it can be changed and whether it can be done in general, and, of course, we will invite you to become students of this program.
Business mindset upgrade program: BMUP — student enrollment is open
Study the content and enter the program of your mindset upgrade
