As good as it gets…?
I couldn’t believe my luck. Somehow, through the twists and turns of work, I’d become a Silicon Valley digital marketing consultant for hire.
It meant I could indulge in, and be paid for, some of my favorite mental pursuits.
Conduct SWOT (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, threats) analysis for organizations
Assess the competitive landscape, and craft go-to-market strategies for some of technology’s most well-known brands
Lead website-build and editorial teams, to turn those strategies into compelling messages for clients and prospective customers
Though I worked in two of the world’s most volatile industries - marketing & technology - and had to ride the job uncertainties that came with the territory, I relished the intellectual stimulation. Every project was uncharted strategic territory, a new ecosystem of people, processes, and technologies to unpack, make sense of, and drive forward.
The hours were grueling, but the perks - business travel, gourmet meals, being in rooms of game-changing conversations - were stimulating and gratifying.
And though I couldn’t see it at the time, I deeply enjoyed meeting new people across business functions and geographies, and learning how they see their versions of the world. (It still informs the soul guidance work I do now).
Professional gumbo
Some years ago, I read a statistic that the average employee will change jobs 7 times. (Between the pandemic, and massive shifts induced by technology, I bet that number is higher now.)
And if you’re self-employed, you’re likely juggling several gigs or projects at once.
If we’re not conscious of where we extend our professional selves, and why, our souls usually begin to feel splintered across multiple roles & responsibilities. Throw in the daily distractions of media and screen time, and it can quickly become a recipe for inner dis-ease.
There’s an art to the juggle, a way to blend these ingredients into a cohesive, even tasty, whole. I don’t claim to have all the answers, and we’re all souls on unique journeys, but I’ve gathered some thoughts that may help.
Picture, if you will, a pot of gumbo.
Some years ago, I was invited to a Christmas dinner hosted by a New Orleans (NOLA) native. It was my first home-cooked gumbo meal and, thanks to my family of great cooks, I made a beeline for the kitchen to watch the culinary magic unfold.
I was soon introduced to Roux (pronounced “roo”), a flour-and-oil paste that gives gumbo its deep, rich, flavor. My host’s mother proudly showed me her special Roux blend, passed down through the generations, a closely-guarded family secret.
Roux establishes the essence of a good gumbo. The other ingredients may be what we see and taste first, but it’s the Roux that provides the texture, and binds all the flavors into a satisfying symphony.
To bring it back to our ever-expanding work lives…do you know your Roux i.e. the essence of what binds it all together?
The inner compass
There are many words to describe your essence. Soul, inner GPS/compass, that still small voice…feel free to choose your own word adventure!
Why does your essence matter, and how does it relate to the title of this blog post “My one life regret?”
For the record, I’m a “carpe diem” kind of person, seizing every opportunity that comes my way. This had led to detours, distractions, and some nasty falls (another well of “hard knocks” wisdom I pull from as a soul guide 😉). It’s not for everyone. And it definitely wasn’t for me when I was younger. Though I had a fiery & curious spirit, I quickly learned there were social consequences to coloring outside the lines. So, for the most part, I played along.
Wherever possible, I’d expressed my maverick impulses through those digital marketing jobs. Most of those ideas would run up against (understandably) conventional decision makers, who had a reputable brand to uphold, and multiple stakeholders to think about.
The ideas were grounded in extensive research, and would often show up in the world years later. I’d feel vindicated, and often wondered if I could’ve been better at persuading those decision makers upfront.
Now, though, I see the bigger and deeper picture.
Knowing nudges
Intuition is a core part of my essence.
(My essence includes other delightful elements, like making music, and tuning in to the vibe of a person or a room.)
A funny thing, intuition. We can’t fully explain it, nor can we fully explain it away.
In hindsight, working in those marketing & technology jobs didn’t honor my intuition. I was battling an environment where logic and reason ruled the roost. I couldn’t always justify my strategic recommendations because, sometimes, they came from a deeper place of knowing, and an intuitive leap of faith. By the time those recommendations bore themselves out in the marketplace, I’d usually have left that job, in search of new mental pursuits.
We all contain multitudes, and contradictory multitudes at that. My “carpe diem” tendencies battled with my “let’s put on the brakes” analytical mind. My compassionate heart would argue with my calculating head. And the more chaotic the outside world became, the harder it was to know what next step to take.
It was only when I took the time to uncover, understand, and express my soul’s essence, that life began to blend into a satisfying symphony, one that flowed in profoundly beautiful ways.
It’s opened me up to new ways to be, and to serve others.
I’ll never ignore my essence again.
Your soul is often a battlefield, upon which your reason and your judgement wage war against your passion and your appetite.
Would that I could be the peacemaker in your soul, that I might turn the discord and the rivalry of your elements into oneness and melody.
But how shall I, unless you yourselves be also the peacemakers, nay, the lovers of all your elements?
(from “The Prophet” by Kahlil Gibran)