Category Archives: rse

13 and counting…

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Today, to celebrate my blog’s first anniversary,  I’m writing my 100th post.  It’s about my 13th job. 

That I’m up to job 13 means that I continue to stay faithful to my self-proclamation – as a strategic job hopper. 

I am now working as the commercial director at an Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) of medical supplies.

That said, rest assured that I will continue to blog – and to work on my book projects.  That’s another pact I’ve made with my readers.  I even have some inspiration to drive me through my back-to-back schedule as a writer and employee (and wife).   The other day I came across a CEO of a 50,000-large organization who blogs.  Logic tells me that if he can, well I can too. I say.  And it’s been 2 months since I’ve been keeping my pact – with you.  So far, so good…

In the spirit of keeping it real, here I answer questions I’d be asking about the change I’ve just made in my career.

How does it feel to be back on high heels and a business suit?  

As much as I loved my jeans/t-shirt & bare-footed existence (while I was writing full-time), I’m enjoying the change.  It feels kinda’ good to dress up.

Is my work-life still being guided by my reason for being?

Absolutely.  I would not have it any other way.

In addition to waking up every day as a writer with the vision to inspire and empower people to create, follow and  succeed on their own  path –  my vision as commercial director is:

To defend the safety of patients (yours and mine).

I’ll elaborate.

The OEM I work with is my family’s business.  For close to three decades this small giant has been manufacturing disposable medical supplies – like syringes and catheters.  Our company was born to produce high quality medical supplies – not a small feat in a Latin American country.  In fact we’re the only Latin American OEM supplying the market – the rest are multinationals. 

Why have I made it my vision to defend the safety of patients? 

At the risk of getting in trouble, I will share with you what I learned in my 60-day induction to the healthcare system in Colombia. 

After traveling around, visiting some of the largest hospitals and meeting with providers of health-care products (i.e. drug-store chains), it’s quite evident that most buying decisions are being made by administrators – not scientific commitees or nurses and doctors.  It’s obvious that the main driver is cost reduction, not quality or the improvemet of patient safety.  Priorities are inverted.  Product sterility and patient safety are often last on a long list of commercial priorities. 

As a manufacturing outfit, that for close to three decades has been following Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) and is certified by world-class regulatory bodies (ISO-9001-2001) – we know what it takes to manufacture high quality goods.  And this is where we differ from most of our competitors.  In other words, most lower cost products being used at hospitals and being sold at drugstores across the country, have not passed the test of our quality assurance laboratory. 

It’s these findings that set me on the path to defend the safety of patients. 

Simply put, if I, as a manufacturer don’t fight for patient safety, then who will? 

And that, my friend, is another fulfilling reason to wake up for everyday.

So was it nepotism the main reason behind my appointment at my family’s business?

Valid question – I’d be wondering that too if I were you. 

The answer is a resounding no.  

I pose the question on your behalf to share with every aspiring strategic job hopper the number one insight I’ve gained after more than a decade of hoping around jobs: (drum roll please…)

Every single job has a reason for being in your career. 

(Read that one more time – and make a mental note.)

Right now it may not be obvious to you what that is, but nonetheless, there a reason behind every experience.  Taking from my own path, not so long ago I discovered the reason behind my tour de force through the healthcare industry in Australia. 

Starting out, I had no idea that I would one day work in my family’s business.  That possibility was not a reality when I accepted my first, second, third or fourth job in the health-care industry in Australia.  On top of that, a decade ago when I moved to Sydney, Australia, I had no idea that years later I’d be coming back home.

The opportunity opened up a few months ago.  And because of my experience, because I endured stapling papers and stuffing envelopes as a marketing coordinator; waiting ad-infinitum in doctors’ offices as a medical sales representative; using my right brain to understand complex market data as a consultant; and finally (almost) giving blood as a national sales and marketing manager at a start-up malpractrice insurance company – I am now ready to cease this opportunity.  Which at times, I admit, feels like a dream come true.  Yes, I now feel that every single experience is an integral part of my career puzzle. (yes, even the time when my boss wrote me a memo for refusing to order a cab for another manager or the time when…) 

Yes reader, I have arrived. 

Being that I am now working with my family, does that mean that my job hopping days have come to an end?  Must I now remove ‘strategic job hopper’ from my blog’s heading? 

It’s hard to say – mostly because more than ever, I’m aware of my modus-operandi – and hence I’m open to the possibility that I will eventually seek out other opportunities.  Because…why not?

In line with my strategy, I am giving my current job my absolute best. That’s mostly because that’s how I know how to work.  It’s also because it is my family’s business. And lastly, it’s because I recognize that I have no idea what the future will bring.  That means that my professional track record is still on the line.  In fact, delivering results matters more now than it ever has. And more than ever, I feel prepared to deliver.

Will this blog be about strategic job-hopping?

Actually, it never has been.  Since day one, my writing,  has been  guided by my vision to inspire and empower people to create, follow and  succeed on their own path. 

While I strongly advocate strategic job-hopping, that is not the driver behind my writing. Inspiration and empowerment are.

That means that my posts will remain faithful to this vision.  Now they will benefit from my new experiences – as a commercial director in a Latin American country – with the perspective gained after more than two decades working, first in the US and then in Australia.

My advice to you:  stay tuned.  My blog has just grown up – it’s one year old!

Thank you all for your support during one of the most amazing years in my life.

Namaste.

Silvana

A New Kind of Hero for a New Kind of World, Hero #12

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(This post is part of a pact I made. Click here for the full story.) 

Meet Rebecca.   Google her name and you will quickly learn that she’s a fellow strategic job hopper.  (long live!)

Her career started with a job in environmental consulting after she graduated from college with a BA in Interior Design and Environmental Studies. Then she worked at a nonprofit raising funds for several projects.  She strategically used that experience to apply – and be offered – the job as Executive Director at MAGNET – another nonprofit that since 2004 has been focused on identifying and retaining young talent in the Madison, Wisconsin area.  Looking for more national exposure, today Rebecca is part of the social media and marketing team over at Alice.com.  As their tag line goes: EVERYONE needs an Alice…NEVER run out of toilet paper (go see for yourself if you don’t believe me).  What da? National exposure  and start-up is the reason behind this job stop.  Rebecca also is the author behind the blog Modite.com.  That’s how we met – through the blogosphere, mainly because it’s so easy to read her blog for hours. 

That said, what drew me to her story is that above it all, Rebecca is a Gen Yer who’s quite vocal – and active in social media.   That’s because she’s one of those people who’s driven by the task of changing the world.  In her own words – taken from an interview over at Conversation Agent: “Generation Y wants to change the world. Not the environment. Not healthcare. Not education. Not poverty. Not racism. Not sexism. Not war. Not cancer. Not anything, really. Just the world. We want to change the world.”

Changing the world, that’s where Rebecca finds her career nirvana – that’s her reason for being.

And what is her contribution to this generational cause?

Risk taking. 

Looking to contribute – and in the end to lead an extraordinary life –  Rebecca has re-invented herself several times over. From working in consulting to the nonprofit sector, and now at a business start-up.  Being that I’m a firm believer that every single stop in our work-lives has a purpose – one that at times you may not be aware of, but it’s there for sure – it’s obvious that Rebecca is one to continue watching.  Her current stop in the business sector is just a launch-pad to something greater. 

World, just you watch!

In her words: “There was a moment each time I changed jobs that I was terrified. I kept thinking, ‘Who do you think you are? You are going to FAIL!’ It was awful. But then I remembered that failure is a better option than staying. That you should always be growing and challenging yourself. Otherwise, you settle. Settling is boring…. The main lesson I’ve learned is that life rewards risk-takers.”

Note to self: Next time that you find yourself sitting on the fence, ask yourself: “What does it mean to lead an extraordinary life?” Then start NOW.

Is there a method to Rebecca’s aparent career madness? You bet.

“I trust my intuition.”

Note to self:  Learn to listen and to trust yours.  Once you do, you will find that your intuition acts like a magnet for opportunnities.  Attracting into your life that what is meant to be – for your good and the greater good.  (this is not woo-woo – it’s the reason why you have gut feelings).

Forget balance, lead a sustainable existence

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If you’ve been paying attention, you’ll know that the word balance gets thrown around like confetti by employers, career coaches and self-improvement gurus.

Even so, is balance really what we’re looking for in our work-lives and beyond? If you answered ‘yes’, then perhaps you’ll be able to help me define balance.  I’m at a loss for words mostly because there are as many ways to define balance as there are people.  And, truthfully, what does it mean and feel like to be in balance?  Furthermore, has anyone achieved balance? (If you know someone who has, I’d LOVE to meet them…)

Not being able to come up with satisfactory answers, I decided to question if balance is really what we’re looking for.  In other words, are we blindly looking for balance simply because we have not taken time to stop to find out what it is that we’re really looking for?  As I set out to understand what all the hoohah is about I discovered some empowering truths that I’m about to share with you.

Taking from how selling 101 defines features and benefits, it’s clear that balance is a feature – albeit a very desirable one.  Even so, it’s not a benefit.  Then, what is the benefit of achieving balance?  To answer that, lets start by looking at what happens when we miss the mark – and lead an unbalanced existence.  In other words, what’s the outcome of an unbalanced existence? 

To begin with, whatever we’re engaged in, does not last long.  And more often than not, the end result is riddled with negativity.   If you’ve ever burnt-out from over-training a sport or over-practicing a musical instrument, you’ll know exactly what I mean.   By the same token, too little of something also has negative outcomes.  Think all-nighters while working towards deadlines…

Simply put,  when we’re extreme about something, burn-out is a likely outcome.  Aside from undesirable because it can be physically and emotionally painful, burn-out is counterproductive.

Following that same logic, the outcome of being balanced is sustainability.  And that’s the benefit.

That means that the conversation needs to evolve.  To really speak about what we’re trying to achieve, it no longer is enough to talk about balance.  We must begin to look for sustainability in every aspect of our lives.    That is what we’re really looking for.  N’est-ce pas?

Find career enlightenment through personal branding

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Take it from a self-proclaimed strategic job-hopper; career enlightenment is about achieving your goals in a sustainable way. That said, personal branding is at the core of an enlightened career.

Rest assured that today’s tough economic climate calls for an even greater focus on personal branding.  During a time when businesses are looking for ways to cut costs, and when a large majority have recurred to laying-off staff, a strong personal brand is what will allow you – as an employee – to tip the scale in your favor. Make no mistake, a strong personal brand has the power to make employers look beyond cost and instead focus on quality.

By minding the following brand attributes, it’s possible for the ‘average Joe employee’ to reach career enlightenment.

An enlightened careerist is:

Genuine – A 100% commitment to being true to yourself will provide a solid foundation to your career. It will drive major aspects of your career such as your networking efforts, and your career goals and decisions.  It is what will say to the world that your uniqueness is your strength.

Trustworthy – In the world of work, trust is a powerful currency. Being known as someone who delivers on their promises opens doors – even for someone who does not have all the skills or experience for a role.  On the other hand, no amount of skills or experience will erase a tainted reputation.  Building trust with employers, colleagues and clients takes time.  On the other hand, breaking that hard-earned trust often takes very little. (who said the world was meant to be fair)

Solution-focused – Particularly during challenging times, it’s vital to not waste time on unproductive activities.  Asking ‘what can I do?’ rather than finding out what happened is what delivers results. This requires implementing a zero whining policy and dropping the blame game. 

Goal-oriented – Knowing what really matters to you will place you in the seat of power of your career.  Not knowing leaves you exposed to being dragged by those who have goals of their own.  Focusing on your goals is far from being inflexible.  Rather, when you know where you want to go, it’s more likely that you’ll remain nimble and do what it takes to achieve your goals – even if that means changing courses and redefining your career.

Self-aware – Ignorance might be bliss – but little by little will lead you to miss out on opportunities for growth.  On the other hand, knowledge gives you the option to improve those areas which aren’t quite right.  As much as asking the right questions is key for staying in touch with yourself, answering honestly is as important.

Risk-favorable – Taking risks is a trampoline to bigger and better opportunities.  Benefiting from risk is more a matter of reframing outcomes than of achieving the expected ones.

While you seek for career enlightenment, keep in mind that true enlightenment is at the intersection of knowledge and action. 

What one thing will you do right now to get closer to your goals?

 

Photo credit: The Sun Herald

A New Kind of Hero for a New Kind of World, Hero #5

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(This post is part of a pact I made. Click here for the full story.)

Move over, Jana has arrived. 

In a 5 feet 5 inches frame, and just over twenty years, this woman has already managed to pack what would take most several lifetimes to accomplish. 

For starters, Jana is more than half way through completing a self-funded medical degree (sans financial aid).  Already she has co-authored a research paper with one of the world’s top neurosurgeons (Dr. Charles Teo). She’s the VP of an executive board of a medical student organization. And she tutors other medical students.

She’s also one of the world’s youngest Bikram Yoga teachers.  And has taught yoga across Australia and around the world.

On the side, Jana plays and writes music and is currently working on a record and training for a marathon.

In her words, her career Nirvana is: ”becoming a surgeon as well as working to change our global healthcare systems.  I want to see medical care become more about education and prevention than drugs and treatment. This is where yoga comes in…”

Jana embodies a hybrid existence.  If you ever meet her, you’d agree that she comes across as ambitious and determined, yet at the same time she’s free-spirited and peaceful.  And if you look close enough, you’ll soon realize that inside her a left and a right brain co-exist in harmony. Like most left-brained doctors, Jana’s rational and factual. Whenever I’ve practiced yoga with her, she has explained, with clinical details, the medical benefits of every pose, and has been very quick to point out when someone’s pose is out of alignment.  Yet, unlike a doctor, she’ll admit that some things have happened in her life by pure chance – without any scientific explanation. Like Bikram Yoga.

She wrote to me: “I met Bikram Choudhury, (the founder of Bikram Yoga) …It was a chance meeting. He looked at me from across the dinner table, called me over and said: ‘You’ll become a yoga teacher. I know more about your life than you do and I can see your life’s path…’”

“A week later I deferred my (medical) degree, found people to take over my apartment…sat my final exams for the session, got my vaccinations and medical health all checked, and left for (Los Angeles) with $1000 in my bank (account) to study to become the youngest Bikram Yoga Teacher to date at that time.”

She goes on to say: “It wasn’t a choice. It was a path. Yogis say that everything has a ‘dharma’.  (The) wind’s dharma is to blow, fire’s dharma is to burn and humans’ dharma is “love, truth and sacrifice”. When you’re living your dharma they say all falls into place and so I think at that time and ever since, things just falling into place means that I’m on the right track, living my dharma, so to speak.”

Note to self: In a new world, unrules are the new rules of success.

More than a schedule, a day in the life of Jana sounds like a rap song where the rapper is left breathless:

“I wake at 5 most days, meditate, teach yoga, do a yoga class, go to clinic which is where I’m a student doctor, leave and teach another yoga class, then go home to study medical and yoga topics and sleep at 12am, get up and do it all again.”

She ends her line of thinking with: “There is a lot to do! I don’t watch television and I don’t think I could tell you the last time I felt like I was ‘wasting time’… Life is efficient…”

Note to self: There is no such thing as an unimportant day.

And how does she manage to lead such an efficient life?

As driven as Jana is, she lives by one mantra – and one mantra alone:

“I know the relative importance of all parts of life and know my health, mental and physical, is number one.”

As a true yogi, she wrote to me: “No matter what path you’re on – for me becoming a doctor – if you don’t have your own health, you have nothing. Like Bikram says: ‘The most important thing in your life is you  – not what you do or what or what you know or what you study or who you love – because without you, there is no your life.’ So having a complimentary practice like yoga, exercise, meditation, should be something you make time for everyday… we should praise, maintain and appreciate our health.”

And sounding like a doctor who has just finished writing a prescription, she explains: “I have so much information about how yoga and meditation lower blood pressure and benefit every system of the body. Since I started (practicing) yoga I have barely had a cold, I sleep less and feel better, I crave better foods and I feel incredible. I want everyone to have this accessible to them before they reach for medications and…fast food. It would save our healthcare system billions if people learned how to balance their lives and their health… not to mention the life years it would save.”

From what she wrote to me, it’s clear that she practices what she preaches:

“Every day that I got home from study, I would think: ‘I’m learning about health, but I have no time or outlet to be truly healthy myself. What am I doing? Even though I am learning. I’m getting fatter and unhealthier and more tired everyday.’ Then I found Bikram Yoga. It gave me the health and energy to study health at university. It was the perfect counterpart that kept me sane in an intellectual world where it is easy to go mad. There were so many times before I found yoga that my medical exams would push me nearly to the edge of a nervous breakdown; often tears and really catastrophic thinking patterns. But now I breeze through with the knowledge of how to be efficient and how to be calm and equanimous.”

Note to self: More than anything else, respect your health.  You’ll last longer. 

In spite of her achievements, Jana is far from perfect.

As she admitted in an email: “I stumbled over a few things on the way to being accepted into medical school. I missed the date of application for medical school when I was in my final year of high school because I had moved out of home, had a turbulent time and was not given guidance on the matter!”

This mishap landed her in a medical science degree for two years before she could transfer to the Bachelor’s of Medicine program. 

Note to self:  So what if at first you don’t get what you want? If you try hard enough, some day you’ll get it.  How badly you want something will determine how hard you work towards it.

True to her self-awareness, she leaves us all with:

“I would say that this multidisciplinary approach has meant I can relate to a lot of people and that I feel very satisfied but I also often feel overworked and like I am never giving enough to each part of my life individually! The solution…the balance…I’m still working on that.”

Worthy of cloning*…

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The world needs more people like Jacqueline Novogratz, the founder and CEO of Acumen Fund.

Here’s why.

“Part of the journey that those of us who are privileged, which is pretty much everyone in this country, has to make is not being embarrassed by privilege or guilty for privilege or confused by privilege, but to start from that place of recognizing that your responsibility is to use that privilege in the best way you can to serve the world. And there are lots of ways of serving the world.” Taken from her interview at McKinsey Quarterly.

Do you know someone who’s worthy of cloning? I’d love to know.

*Inspired by the buzz created to celebrate the Ada Lovelace Day

A New Kind of Hero for a New Kind of World, Hero #3

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(This post is part of a pact I made. Click here for the full story.)

Meet Pablo. A Colombian who grew up in Cali, the world’s passion capital. 

In spite of living in the US since 10th grade, passion continues to run through his veins.  As he wrote to me: “Ever since I remember it has been my wish to be an entrepreneur and to drive forward a business that I am passionate about…”

That’s where Pablo’s career Nirvana lies.

Note to self: Your passion is a big (fat) clue to your career Nirvana. What are you passionate about?

Today, as the Chief Philanthropic Officer (CPO) and brain-child of Helping Mind, Pablo is able to fully express his passion. As a not-just-for-profit, Helping Mind stands for more than profit.  Like any conventional business, it must recover its production costs, yet like a non-profit it’s driven by a cause. 

That cause emerged from Pablo’s dreams while working in corporate America, with Microsoft, developing distribution channels in the Caribbean.

In Pablo’s words: “During my corporate years I worked on my free time on a business idea of a company that would produce great quality products and truly give back to people, (helping) them and their communities both locally and abroad.  Travelling to Colombia and seeing the level of poverty and need always made me think about the need to start a company which like Helping Mind (would) truly…empower people to progress.  I’m convinced that by helping people and empowering them to become better individuals…I will obtain a true sense of spiritual accomplishment and leave a mark or legacy long after I am gone.”

His dream became a reality earlier this year, when Helping Mind’s e-commerce site was launched.

As one of his fans on facebook wrote on his funwall:

“This business idea hits the center of the bulls eye of our collective social consciousness. Corporate America needs more entrepreneurs like Pablo. Good luck and count on me on whatever I can help to make this a success. YES YOU CAN!”

Pablo credits his grandfather as his source of inspiration. 

“…My grandfather…was truly my inspiration, an honest and hard working individual, someone who loved to serve and help his community and friends. (He’s) someone who provided me with the ethical compass that has guided me throughout my life.”

Note to self: Open up to positive role models – welcome their shining light into your life.

As smooth as Pablo’s ride may sound, it had a few detours along the way.  After working with Microsoft he set up a small family business.  And for the last four-and-a-half years, he worked with a financial institution that did not survive the recent economic shake up.

Even so, Pablo is still smiling and optimistic as ever. He says that: “Given that Helping Mind is a new company we still have a lot of terrain to cover.  We are sure we will cover this terrain happily and we will be help lots of people throughout the life of our company.  For the time being there hasn’t really been something that hasn’t worked (for Helping Mind), besides the occasional drawback on something due to an external factor – which we can’t really control.  At this point we are really excited that things are moving forward well and that we have launched a great graphic t-shirt collection in the US that will enable us to help people in need. …I certainly have absolutely no regrets besides sometimes wanting to go to sleep earlier which lately I haven’t been able to as I am juggling many things at the same time.  In a nutshell Helping Mind is now a reality and we are only moving forward.”

Note to self: As long as you’re learning, nothing is the end of the world.

When I asked Pablo about the major lessons he’s learned throughout his career he wrote back: “Listen to your inner self, surround yourself with good positive people, do a bit of research, believe wholeheartedly that you will succeed and drive forward your business execution with focus, determination, professionalism and lots of passion.”

Amen!