“New beginnings are often disguised as painful endings.” ~Lao Tzu
During the Great Recession I lost my business. And I was devastated.
My business partner and I built the company from an idea we were kicking around over wine into a thriving brand strategy agency. We had twenty employees. We had a cool studio office. We were winning creative awards competing against agencies many, many times our size. And then—slowly at first and then so, so fast—it was over.
I remember when I called time of death. We had yet another client come in and say they couldn’t pay us anymore. Not because they were going to a competitor, but because they were in financial trouble themselves.
We had already laid off all our employees except for our office manager. We had already reduced our own paychecks. We had one or two clients left, but it just wasn’t fun anymore. I couldn’t see the way forward. And I was exhausted.
I told my business partner that I needed to stop, and that we needed to shut it down. I was beyond sad. I was numb.
I would have looked for a job, but it was the Great Recession. No one was hiring. Luckily, my husband still had a job, so we were in better shape than many.
I tried to focus on my health by taking up tennis and playing golf. But I wasn’t motivated.
I tried getting more involved in the kid’s school. But I didn’t feel fulfilled.
I felt like I had no identity. I was embarrassed and ashamed even though every other agency I knew about had either closed or was struggling.
I graduated from Duke University. I had an MBA. I was supposed to do great things. And yet, here I was with nothing to say when someone asked, “What do you do?”.
We spent a few weeks in California with my in-laws. The change of scenery helped a little. (My mother-in-law did not.)
I finally got around to taking the Meditation for Stress Relief program. That helped a little too.
Finally, about nine long months later I was playing golf with a friend who was an executive-in-residence at a nearby university, and her phone rang. It was her department chair wanting to know if she knew anyone who could teach entrepreneurship. She handed the phone to me, and a few meetings later, the job was mine—if I wanted it.
Now, I knew I knew lots about entrepreneurship. But teaching? Nada. Nothing.
And that wasn’t the career I had planned.
And, because it was an adjunct position, the pay wasn’t nearly enough to make it interesting.
I went round and round. Do I do it? Do I not do it? It’s not in the right direction. It doesn’t pay enough. That doesn’t move me forward. What if I don’t like it……
I was making my family and friends nuts with the indecision, and I had to work quickly because the new semester was only a month away.
What should I do. What should I do.
But the universe (and my golf buddy) had opened a door for me. So I took a deep breath, gathered all my courage, put my money concerns aside, and walked through.
Today I consider myself an educator first. Walking through that door connected me with my life’s purpose. I am a teacher.
But before this all happened, the thought had never crossed my mind.
Becoming a professor (they brought me on full time after one semester) and figuring out how to TEACH entrepreneurship completely reframed the way I think about business. I couldn’t just tell my students “that’s how it works because I did it and it worked for me.” I had to be able to explain WHY. And find examples of each step working for other people.
Taking advantage of an opportunity I had never even considered opened up door after door and shaped the business I have today. Even though it initially looked like it was a complete detour from my career goals and the money in no way justified the decision.
If you find yourself at a crossroads—a career crossroads, a relationship crossroads, a financial crossroads— look around and see if there are any doors that might be open that you’re ignoring. Laser focus on a singular outcome can be a powerful motivator, but it also drastically reduces your options and can obscure other routes to success. It can be useful to remember that career/relationship/financial growth is almost never a straight line.
How will you know a door when you see one?
Someone asking you if you know someone who can do X. Maybe that person is you?
Maybe an organization you belong to is looking for workshop facilitators or volunteers? Maybe that person is you?
Maybe you hear about an opportunity to do something that scares you a little bit—an open mic night, a writer’s retreat, a community gathering on a local initiative. Maybe you go and say hello to the person sitting next to you?
And once you find that open door, here are a few things you might consider before you walk through:
Does the opportunity appeal to you other than it’s not in line with your stated goals?
In my case, I was absolutely intrigued about the opportunity to teach. It was scary because I wasn’t sure I’d be good at it. It was challenging because I hadn’t done it before. But I felt like it might be really fun. And fun counts.
Will you learn something and connect with new people?
As a lecturer in entrepreneurship, I would be developing an entirely new skill set. Additionally, I would have a chance to work with a large group of colleagues that would significantly expand my network.
What is the next best alternative?
For me, it was continuing to mope around and send resumes into the ether at a time when no one was hiring. Engaging in something, even if it wasn’t financially rewarding, gave me new energy and a much more positive perspective. And it led to the next opportunity to join the faculty full time and be compensated accordingly.
Sometimes the most transformative opportunities come disguised as detours or distractions. But when there’s a door that’s sitting open, consider walking through it and seeing what’s on the other side. It’s rarely irreversible, you will always learn something, and it might be EXACTLY what you were looking for all along.
About Laura Zavelson
Laura Zavelson, MBA, is a corporate escapee turned serial entrepreneur, former professor of entrepreneurship and business strategist. She helps GenXers who are laid off, pissed off, pushed out or burned out by corporate life, capitalize on what they already know to build businesses that lead to more meaning, flexibility and financial success. She is the creator of The GenX Escape Plan - A 3 step guide to your new career as a coach, consultant or independent expert.
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