From Lawyer to Business Owner

From Lawyer to Business Owner Success Story > From: Job To: Solopreneur From Lawyer to Business Owner “I was putting so much pressure on myself to find 'the one' thing, because I didn't want to make another mistake.” * From Lawyer to Business Owner Susie Jones had a prestigious job, but knew something wasn't right. She swung from idea to idea, option to option, until to her surprise, it turned out the thing she really wanted to do was right under her nose. Here's her story. What work were you doing previously? I was working as a lawyer in a Magic Circle firm. On paper, I had a dream job, following in the footsteps of numerous family members before me, earning a good salary, doing large deals in one of the world's most prestigious firms. The reality, however, was rather different. What are you doing now? Now I design and sell fine jewellery through my business, Mildred Jones Fine Jewellery. My signature piece is The Celebration Pendant, a gorgeous, heavy, 18ct gold personalised pendant designed to celebrate life's special moments. Why did you change? I knew that my long-term goals didn't involve climbing the legal ladder, but had not worked out what to do instead. I think it's quite common for lawyers and other professionals to feel this way, having studied and trained for so long and followed such a structured path. It's quite overwhelming to think there could be other options out there! The catalyst was having my son, and knowing I couldn't go back to working in the way I had been before. When was the moment you decided to make the change? I would love to be able to share a story of a blinding epiphany I had! In reality, the decision was more of a gradual process. Things were obviously not right when I signed up with a life coach about a month after I qualified as a solicitor. My coach was amazing, and opened my eyes, but I still struggled, believing that career change was a fantasy / for other people / something I couldn't do until I had a rock-solid plan / crazy / impossible. I was still so stuck in the employment groove at that stage that I thought I needed to find a different career, retrain, and start again at the bottom of a different corporate ladder. There's certainly nothing wrong with doing this, but I didn't know what my alternative career should be. I was putting so much pressure on myself to find 'the one' thing, because I didn't want to make another mistake. Unsurprisingly, no career could live up to this pressure and so I didn't make any decisions. I now realise I was looking in the wrong place: I was trying to see which alternative mould I could fit myself into, but in fact what I've ended up doing is creating my own business that totally suits me. Being on maternity leave was a huge help. When you are going into work every day, it's hard to see a different path, but after a year of being away, I actually struggled to see how I could ever return. Are you happy with the change? Absolutely! Previously, meetings were ten-hour sessions in an air-conditioned room with questionable coffee. Now, they consist of things like attending fine art fairs, shopping for diamonds, and working with the loveliest people, to create really special jewellery for them. My goldsmiths are incredibly talented, and it is humbling and exciting to see the work they produce. I still work long hours, but it is so much more rewarding now as I love what I do. Working from home and having flexibility also helps hugely. What do you miss and what don't you miss? I miss having a team of people around me. I'm now a designer, but it's things like sales, marketing, PR, bookkeeping, accounts, social media, and web maintenance that actually take up most of my time. Many of these don't come naturally to me, which makes them more time consuming. It's not just the practical support I miss, though: I miss the camaraderie and moral support of having colleagues all working towards the same goal. I feel a real responsibility for everything in my business, and while friends can sympathise and offer advice, it ultimately comes down to me to make a success of things. I also miss having a predictable income. But I wouldn't change my choices; being a business owner, I have the potential to make more money than I did previously. How did you go about making the shift? Gradually! I knew things had to change, but I had no idea what I wanted to do instead. I gather this is quite common. During my maternity leave, I came across Marianne Cantwell of Free Range Humans, and did her 'Ideas Adventure' course. This blew my mind: apparently, it's ok to choose work you love, and for your working life to be fun! Who knew? This was great, but it also meant I went from having no ideas, to having too many. I initially trained as a personal stylist, because I'm completely clothes- and shopping-obsessed. But I quickly realised it wasn't for me. In the meantime, I was looking for a piece of jewellery to mark my son's birth, and, being unable to find anything I loved, I designed my own. People loved it, and it slowly dawned on me that I could take this further. It really was right under my nose, and I think that's why it took some time for me to work it out. I'd spent so long following a path I felt I should take, that it felt strange to do something I actually love. It almost felt like cheating â€" I still work hard, but it is so enjoyable now! It took me a while to realise that not only is it ok to feel this way about your work, it's actually ideal. What didn't go well? What 'wrong turns' did you take? Even once I had settled on jewellery, I still had so many ideas, which meant I lacked focus. I wanted to be all jewellery things to all people, and I began to have my designs made. The costs to entry in fine jewellery are high, as a collection consists of around 12 to 20 pieces, and you need at least one sample of every piece â€" these can each cost thousands. I realised in all of this activity, I was actually neglecting the one piece that started it all â€" my pendant. So, I went back to basics, and decided to focus solely on that. Because it can be customised in myriad ways, it never feels repetitive, and each pendant has so much meaning for its owner, which makes it really enjoyable for me, too. I love hearing people's stories about what they have chosen, and why! How did you handle your finances to make your change possible? I was fortunate enough to have a generous maternity package, and at the end of that, I received a redundancy payout as well. This was enough to keep me afloat while I worked out what I wanted to do. I also have a couple of investment properties which provide a small income. Finally, I took on part-time work for an entrepreneur, which not only gave me a small salary, but taught me so much about the practicalities of running a business, which you don't really learn when you work in a huge law firm where every task is done for you by specialists. What was the most difficult thing about changing? Having to keep believing through thick and thin. Getting used to not having a regular and predictable income. Being responsible for every part of the business. Finding the right people to make my jewellery: I'm lucky enough to have found workshops who are among the best in London, and who are also fantastic people who are lovely to work with. What help did you get? I found an online community for jewellery designers called Flourish and Thrive Academy. They are fantastic, as so much of the training and coaching out there is geared towards people who sell a service rather than products. Flourish and Thrive are based in America, but that's the beauty of the internet: I've met other designers from all over the world, including some local to me here in London, through their community. I've also taken several of their courses which are brilliant. I also had some upper-body, RSI-type pain which didn't clear up even after I left my job, so I had some Feldenkrais lessons from the wonderful Maggy Burrowes, of Vocal Dynamix, who is incredible - thanks to her my pain has improved and I have so much more energy than I've had in years! What have you learnt in the process? It is crucial to hire the right people. I've learnt to stick to my standards: I've had people telling me I should reduce the quality of my work so as to lower the cost. Even though these people were more experienced than me, I ignored them as I knew what I wanted my business to be about. After all, the whole thing came about because I couldn't find anything that I loved, so I kept the faith that other people would want nice things too! Other people's advice is a great thing, but ultimately I had to decide what was right for me. I've learnt to get out there (whether in person or online) and make friends with people who are on the same path. This has meant that when I've had those frequent doubts, I've had the support of people who understand what I'm going through, and don't think I'm crazy. What do you wish you'd done differently? There are things which, in hindsight, I can see would have helped me move faster. If I had known sooner what I wanted to do, I could have achieved the same results in far less time. I would have spent less time and money on doing the wrongs things. If I had really known what I wanted, I probably wouldn't have become a lawyer in the first place! But, I had to experience all my mistakes in order to get where I am now, so there's not really anything I could say I wish I'd done differently. What resources would you recommend to others? Free Range Humans, and Flourish and Thrive Academy (see above). Richard from Wellworking â€" I bought an office chair and mouse from him. He was absolutely fantastic and provided great service. Podcasts â€" they are a great, free resource and I'm addicted! Favourite business ones areEntrepreneur on FireandChange the Game. Flourish and Thrive are about to launch theirs too. What would you advise others to do in the same situation? Just take action. If, like me, you have no idea what you'd like to do instead of your current work, you have to try things out. And I don't mean just taking a course, but actually offer your service or product, and gauge the reaction from others. See if you enjoy doing it. To find out more about Susie's business, visit www.mildredjones.co.uk What lessons could you take from Susie's story to use in your own career change? Let us know in the comments below.

My Resume Is Ready. What Now - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career

My Resume Is Ready. What Now - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career People in transition or those who contemplate making a job change should not start dispersing their résumés all over the place before those résumés are up to snuff. I know that people in transition are very eager to get back in the game, to restore their (temporarily) lost identity, and to restart the flow of income, but the biggest mistake they make at this point is to start blasting weak credentials. Once your résumé hits cyberspace, you never know where it’s going to end up. Therefore, it is of utmost importance that before you post a résumé, it be a solid and strong one. Next, the question is where to post it? Generally there are three types of job boards: The big and popular job boards such as HotJobs.com, Monster, and CareerBuilder.com are musts. While there may be overlaps among them, you never know which one is used by which recruiter or which potential employer. Those in the six-figure-income range can also post their résumés on such job search sites as sixfiguresjob.com, which is still free. They can also possibly try for at least one month certain others such as The Ladders.com and ExecuNet, which charge a small fee. The value of these sites is hotly debated among their users. Some job seekers were greatly helped by them, while others considered it a waste. There are several other, specialized sites such as lawjobs.com, Biospace, and HigherEdJobs, which should be used as appropriate. A question I’m being frequently asked is how many job boards to use. My answer is that five to eight are suitable. Posting on job boards is laborious when setting them up for the first time. After doing so, it’s important to visit the sites dailyâ€"yes, dailyand make a small change such as adding or deleting a line and then saving the change. Doing that makes your résumé appear to be fresh. Recruiters have many fresh résumés to choose from, so why should they bother looking at older ones whose owners may have already found employment elsewhere? The push and the pull Now that you’ve pushed your résumé out into cyberspace, you should pull in openings that have been posted. Several job search sites do that for you. They’re known by the term aggregators. Indeed.com is one of the most popular ones, and there are others such as JobCircle and Simply Hired. The aggregators are very user-friendly, and as a job seeker, you should set up a number of job alerts, as they are called, to reach your in-box daily. In fact, you should have several of them based on different keywords you’ve used and the distance from your ZIP code that you’re willing to commute to a job. The disadvantage of these types of sites is that there will be many duplicates. It takes a few trials and errors before hitting it right. Good hunting!

Turning Your Music Passion Into More

Turning Your Music Passion Into More Okay, I admit, Im envious.  I love music, but I wasnt blessed with any musical talent. But if youre one of the lucky ones, this is just for you.  Theres a growing organization called The Womens International Music Network    whose goal it is to help you connect with other women in all parts of the music industry. . In their own words, the Womens International Music Network was founded in 2012 by Laura B. Whitmore, a veteran marketer of the musical instrument and audio industries, the Women’s International Music Network site  hosts news, events, and a community forum for women from all walks of the industry. I was fortunate to connect with Laura recently and get her response to questions that might be on the mind of  talented young women who are considering turning their music into a side hustle or maybe even a career.  Here they are: What do you see as the obstacles and challenges theyll have to overcome? Doing any kind of creative pursuit for money can be stressful and inspiration-dampening. First, it’s incredibly hard to make a living solely on being a musician and you have to put yourself out there frequently. Today you also have to be a business person as well as an artist. It can be a lot to learn and understand all the options; choose the best direction and keep on top of it all. Whats your advice on getting past them? My advice is to do what you love and just get out there and share it. Get lots of experience performing live. Make sure you network with other folks who perform and offer to help. Write, play and share with as many folks as you can. Being someone that’s helpful, talented and willing to contribute opens doors. Make sure you are willing to put in the legwork by honing your craft, and magic can happen. Then learn about the business side of things as much as you can. Ask lots of questions from friends and associates on options that have worked for them. Learn one new thing every day and you’ll be amazed at what you have accomplished in the past year as you look back. Describe your first paying gig, and what would you say to someone whos got a yes in hand for their first paid performance? Oh my gosh. I can’t remember my first paying gig. I do know that getting paid for doing something like making music is exhilarating! It’s cool to play no matter what, but getting paid too is awesome. It does add more pressure though, as you know you want to fill the place, please the audience, play great, and more. But the more you do it the better you get, and you’ll know your worth. What should a young artist do to get themselves more noticed?   What DOESNT work? Just get out there. Be everywhere. Play as much as possible. Offer to play and sing on other people’s recordings. Make sure you have a clear and well-populated website that includes photos, a concise bio, your gigs, newsletter signup, contact info. Set up socials and post regularly, tagging as much as possible. Make sure you have a sign up sheet for your mailing list at every gig. Reach out to the media and offer to let them premiere new songs. Record frequently â€" you don’t have to wait to share until you finish an album any more. Join networking groups that can help get you noticed, like female musician groups, songwriter groups, and more. There are so many things! What doesn’t work? Don’t appear desperate. You want to be out there without being annoying. It’s a fine line. Also, be judicious about how you spend your time. If you find that something isn’t working, go somewhere else. Meet new people. Try new open mics, gig at new places. List your gigs on new event listing sites. Try different post messaging and techniques. What are the the big plans for the Womens International Music Network? We’ve got our next She Rocks Showcase coming up on June 23 in Nashville at the Listening Room. We are planning a series of events for the fall and are super excited to share info on those soon. We also just opened nominations for the 2017 She Rocks Awards our 5th anniversary! We showcase a female artist every week on our Radio Memphis WiMN Spotlight, and there’s even more to come! Sign up for our newsletter at  www.theWiMN.com  to keep up with our news and events. Now, go pursue that music passion! Images: Performer Debbie Dawnslight   Guitar player Tanner Ford

Ways to Make Your Commute Time More Productive - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career

Ways to Make Your Commute Time More Productive - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career According to studies, as the commute gets longer, individuals become more stressed, anxious and less happy. Commutes affect our wellbeing because we cannot control how our commute will be. Will there be any delays? Will the subway be crowded? Will the weather be bad? These questions can go on. Especially, commutes longer than 30 minutes with public transportation found to be the most negative one by researchers. Commuting also affects your sleep quality because the longer the commute, the earlier you wake up and therefore, get less sleep. Plus, if there is traffic in your commute, then, you come to work already exhausted and stressed. However, there are several things you can do to make your commute more productive and less stressed. Below you can find some of them. Listen to Audiobooks or Podcasts: If you want to improve your personal skill set or just stay up-to-date with current news, podcasts and audiobooks are great options for you. They also help boost your energy for the day in addition to grow your mindset. There are many different options such as business, tech, arts, science, politics, comedy and etc. You can try different genres each month and diversify your portfolio. Make Your to Do List: If you are commuting with public transportation, one of the best things to do is to write down your to do list. In this way, you can be prepared when you get to work and know where to start for the day. Don’t worry if you are driving to work, you can still make your to do list with the help of personal assistants in smart phones or using speech to text apps. You can talk out loud in the car and your smart phone can write it down for you. Making a to-do list beforehand makes you more productive and once you accomplish those tasks, you feel happier and more successful. Rehearse Your Speeches: Perhaps you have an important meeting or presentation that day, then practice your speech in the car. This can help you get prepared in advance and also, makes you feel more confident when you are in front of others giving your speech. If you are using public transportation for commuting to work, this can be harder to do but at least you can pretend that you are speaking and just move your mouth. Another option might be taking notes about what you want to talk in your speech so you don’t forget important points.

3 crucial steps to conquering the dreaded Freshers Fifteen

3 crucial steps to conquering the dreaded Freshers Fifteen This post was written by an external contributor. Corina Chan breaks down the best ways to beat the bloat during Freshers. Fresher’s Fifteen (n): An expression coined for freshers who gain a considerable amount (15 pounds) of weight during their first year at University because of cheap pints, post-night out kebabs, takeaways, pizzas… (the list goes on) As tempting as it is to munch on that 35% off Domino’s meteor pizza after a long day of lectures and seminars, you might want to slow it down and think twice about that next slice of pizza, next pint, and next chip, because your body will not thank you for it. It’s simply not worth it. So, here it is, an achievable guide to conquering the Fresher’s Fifteen. Remember: it’s about the little changes in your daily lifestyle that will make all the difference! Cut down on alcohol and drink lots and lots of water Did you know that one can of beer equates to roughly 180 calories and one Jägerbomb is approximately 158 calories? And let’s not be daft here, the likelihood is youre not going to stop at just one can or one Jägerbomb. That means these calories can reach an ungodly number. Beer bellies aren’t a myth they are very much real. Drinking more water is a very underrated weight loss tip. Generally, drinking water before a meal can help you feel more satisfied and therefore reduce the habit of snacking, whilst also reducing bloating. P.S. Drinking water in between drinks will lessen the effects of a hangover the next morning. You’re welcome. Swap late-night pizzas for an early night in And since youll be up at a reasonable hour, dont skip breakfast.  This diet myth is in fact true having a large breakfast in the morning does indeed boost your metabolism, which leads to a lessened desire to overeat throughout the day and, in effect, a lower BMI. But of course, I’m not suggesting stuffing your face in a platter of butter pancakes with honey and chocolate chips every morning. Switch it up; make breakfasts fun but healthy! Go for fruity oatmeal, yoghurts, eggs and avocado… Whatever you like. For all you students out there, having breakfast in the morning even has the added benefit of boosting your concentration level throughout the day. So take care of your body and mind, do it for yourself.   Health is wealth, am I right? Join sport societies for socials When I first joined university as a Fresher, I definitely had presumptions about alcohol being the main source of socials when it comes to meeting new people. Man, I thought wrong. Instead of possibly forgetting half of the people you meet during pre-drinks, why not join a sports society and actually connect with people of similar interests? Not only are you subconsciously burning those calories whilst exercising, you are also having fun and bonding with your other teammates. If you’re not exactly the most sports-inclined person and you’re afraid of committing fully to something like football, swimming or badminton, don’t worry there’s something for everyone out there! At the end of the day, remember that university is a golden time to explore your interests and be the best version of yourself. Invest in you, and baby steps towards tweaking your lifestyle habits are a good starting point. And most importantly, always remember to love your body and yourself! Connect with Debut on  Facebook,  Twitter,  and  LinkedIn  for more careers insights.

When will corporations value my entrepreneurial skills

When will corporations value my entrepreneurial skills Would love to get your comments below on this post from a client of mine. How can he use his entrepreneurial skills to land a corporate job that desires those skills? If you have some insight here, please share! Coach Wolfgang Im in the middle of a job search and working with Wolfgang Career Coaching. Theres a big question I have that doesnt have clear answers. Amy Wolfgang suggested we ask it in the context of a blog and see what answers come back. Corporate jobs are frustrating I currently work in the marketing department for a good company that provides a reasonable amount of security. Sometimes the work is interesting, sometimes it is challenging but many times its frustrating. Its frustrating for a few reasons: My role is often reduced to routine project management. I really dont feel my full skill set is being utilized. We arent trying to tackle the real issues that hold back our success. We move so slow to get just simple things done. This isnt the case all the time but it is fairly routine. Thus, Ive been passively looking for jobs for months now and recently stepped up to actively looking. Entrepreneurship offers more satisfaction So why do I feel this way? What am I comparing my current job to? The answer: helping to run a small business. My partner has a small business that Im actively involved in. I lead the way with digital marketing initiatives (website, ads, emails, blogs, etc.), bookkeeping, operational projects and our sales metrics. Its a lot of work but I enjoy it because: Im on the leadership team developing our strategy I get to wear many hats that utilize a variety of skills We focus on what matters and will make the biggest impact We see the impact of what we do immediately Im compelled to develop my entrepreneurial skills and learn new things. So heres the question: When will these entrepreneurial skills Ive developed and results Ive delivered be relevant in applying for new corporate jobs? Barriers to listing my entrepreneurial skills Im hesitant to add my experiences with my startup to my resume. I fear that companies will look at my entrepreneurship skills and think: This guy is distracted and just wants to work on his side business. All these skills he is listing arent needed for this role. His successes and experiences in a small business dont translate into corporations. Thats the conservative thinking coming through (and winning). My gut tells me that my work as an entrepreneur makes me a very valuable hire and that experience will actually set me apart. The problem is that I cant get past the gamble. I just dont know that recruiters and hiring managers are open-minded enough to entrepreneurial skills. Even if they are, I question my ability to present these skills in an effective way. So why dont I quit my corporate job and be a full-time entrepreneur? My partner is full-time in the business and the income isnt covering one salary let alone two. It would take awhile to get the business up to that level. The short-term would require a reduction in our savings account and a cutback in our lifestyle. Im hesitant about taking the leap and my partner is very much against it. Why dont I put my entrepreneurial skills to work at my corporate job? This is a tough question to answer because I do and I dont. My favorite parts of my corporate job involve identifying and trying to tackle a complex problem that others seem to ignore. On the other hand, most of my day is spent struggling to keep up with all the project work that is on my plate. Corporations actually suppress innovation At my corporate job and in most job descriptions I get the strong sense that they want someone who can follow instructions. Of course, they need to use their expertise in a particular area. Sometimes that involves making changes and suggesting new ideas, but the impact of those changes/ideas are minor. Mainly, Im there to execute what someone else devises. In reality, this suppresses my entrepreneurial instincts, not just because my time is eaten up by project management, but because ideas are pushed to me and no one ever asks me what my ideas are. I find this ironic because Im someone on the front line who has a good sense for how our marketing is received. I would think Directors would want my opinion for that reason! The other way entrepreneurship is suppressed in my corporate job is the pervasive sense of fear. No one will get in trouble for doing things the way everyone else does them. Thus, everyone and I mean all the way to the VP level sticks to the current set of expected tactics. When the results are poor, no one gets in trouble, probably, because everyone would do things the same way. Managers respond by saying we need to get faster or we need to improve communication or our workflow the whole process is very stuck in doing what people already know. Corporations dont know what innovation is Its funny in the corporate world when someone chooses a different tactic or different way of doing things. The differences are minor yet the managers and directors behind the change, tend to toot their own horns as being innovative and thinking outside the box. I think its funny because its so minor compared to being in a small business. Entrepreneurs have to deal with figuring out how to do things so that they deliver better results. Oftentimes, that is something very new or something developed by testing. Doing the same old thing in the corporate world will eventually have its day where that same old thing is returning decreasing value. Thats where entrepreneurial-minded people would have a great impact. When will corporations want to hire those people and use them correctly? Id love to discuss your thoughts below in the comments section. Thank you!

How to Maintain a Fresh Look for Your Resume

How to Maintain a Fresh Look for Your ResumeThere are many ways to make sure your resume is attractive and easy to read, but the most important factor that you need to consider is the skill of the resume parser. The recruiter can check whether your resume will be easy to read and use. Here are some tips to make your resume look more polished.Using Manual Scanning: The recruiter will scan it only from the top part. Make sure that you have formatted your resume well before the recruiter reads it. Be sure that you also paste it properly in a word document and that it follows a certain formatting format.Recruiters usually try to match resumes that are formatted in different ways. It is always better to be prepared and check it first before reading it for the first time. After all, a recruiter does not want to waste your time if it will not serve his purpose.Read it Fast: The recruiter will read your resume faster if it looks like it is really out of date. Before the recruiter even gets t o the signature line, make sure that you clean it up. If it looks unprofessional and may be a distraction to the recruiter, the recruiter will leave the resume blank.Recruiters are keen to find candidates who are organized. They are very much aware of how difficult it is to read and do not waste their time with something that will just waste time. It is always better to be on time when you have the opportunity to interview.Short and Simple: The recruiter will be looking for a few paragraphs that have the best quality information. You should avoid too much information or any unnecessary information. Employing this strategy can give you an edge.Employing software: Software is the perfect solution for all these problems. One of the best part of using these tools is that you can make your resume even more professional by using a few features of the software. The software will help you in writing your resume smoothly. It will also help you in making it easier to read and it will be less boring.Using Software: Make sure that you are not confused in picking out the right software. In order to get the best results, you must use software that is easy to read and also very easy to use. Always make sure that you have the option of switching the software off and on.