Advice from women who are redefining success
When do you know it's time to Quit?
So you want to quit....your job, your goal, your workout routine, your life. Ok let's not be SO dramatic! Have a slice of pizza, I promise it will work out ok. A peek into the average girl's routine and it would seem as though we might try to quit everything prematurely these days. But what if we are truly unhappy, locked down because of a salary? Or what if we love what we are doing but not sure how to go after that promotion? What if there are no stretch goals worth pursuing. How do you proceed to pursue a dream?
Here's a start! I've compiled pieces of advice from some of our #redefiningsuccess stories and condensed them into one spicy post for you to read each quarter! I say that because their feedback is not fluffy. You will find exactly what you're looking for from the women below. If you're wanting to take the next step and dive into your own strengths, be sure to check out my blog on the personality tests I've taken here.
Lindsay Kilbride
- Find a Mentor - Enjoy Your Free time -
If you are unsatisfied with your job or your career, make a change. Either change your mentality or change your situation. If it's difficult to do that on your own, surround yourself with people who lift you up but will also lay it to you straight. Lastly - find joy outside of your job. This one I didn't realize the importance of until much later in life being someone who puts a lot of my self-worth and time into my professional accomplishments. If too much of your happiness is wrapped up in achieving success professionally, when you have a bad day at work it's incredibly hard to crawl out from under it. You'll inevitably come across tough days, tricky situations, projects you don't enjoy, folks you'd rather not work for or alongside ... how you handle yourself will be the true test of your character and skill.
Read Lindsay’s Full Interview Here
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Nikki Smith
- Find your side hustle -
I would tell everyone (not just someone unsatisfied with their career) to find their “side hustle”! It’s that thing you do in your free time that you will love! It may be cooking, crafting, working out, blogging, ect. Find your passion and learn how to make money while doing it, which may come later down the road. It make take a few tries. The key is dedication and consistency. Slowly transition into spending more time doing your side hustle and let it develop naturally! We are all so lucky to be born in a free country with the resources available to help us learn and grow. Many people around the world would give anything to be in our position. Do not waste the simple blessings we are afforded- take advantage and you will grow more than you know you are capable of!
Read Nikki’s Full Interview Here
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Nichole Vensko
- Reach for your potential -
Women are often times put into a box; a mold of expectations that may limit or inhibit our true potential. As women we not only need to dream of extraordinary goals in order to achieve them, but we also need to support one another to go after their limitless potential as well. I also feel that women wear so many hats and are amazing at reinventing themselves. There is nothing that says that a mom staying home with her young children can’t or won’t get herself through school, start a business and be running a major company by the time those young children turn into young adults. It is possible and all at our fingertips, we just need to reach for it.
Read Nichole’s Full Interview Here
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Carleigh Morba
- Be a life long learner and take action -
I recently went to a conference that an incredibly successful venture capitalist spoke at and he had 3 pieces of advice for anyone in their twenties: 1) find a mentor 2) be a life-long learner 3) write down plans. I really took this to heart! If you are unhappy or unsatisfied in your job, seek out these 3 things. Are you getting them in your current role? Are you being challenged? Are you seeking a mentor to help you navigate this tough time? It is up to you to succeed; no one is going to do it for you. Wallowing in your sorrows gets you nowhere so take action and write down what you want. Find a mentor to help you get there. Challenge yourself to always be learning at your job. Ask for more work. And ask again for more opportunity.
Read Carleigh’s Full Interview Here
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Allie Mallinowski
- finding your passion is key -
If you are unsatisfied in your job or overall career path, you need to sit down and consider what you want. Really think – beyond the money, beyond the title, what do you want in this life? For a long time I thought I just wanted to be a classroom teacher but I realized that alone does not fill my cup. I sat down and thought about the things that filled me the most and it all came down to the things I mentioned above, inspiring others to see the best in themselves and to try new things. Whether it be in the classroom or through my personal brand, that is what I want my legacy to be. That is how I came to a place where I truly fell in love with my job and my career. Finding your passion is key and giving and working towards sharing it with the world will not only be the most satisfying thing ever, it will fill your cup in ways you didn’t know were possible. One thing that I am thankful for is that my career and my passion collide, making it easier for me to give and add value to others lives without feeling “stuck”.
Read Allie’s Full Interview Here
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Lindsay Marquis
no one is stopping me except myself
I am currently in the Oklahoma Police Academy. (Update-Lindsay accepted a job with the UCO Police Dept.)
I have wanted to do this since I was a little kid. As I got older, I saw it as my dream job but only a dream. I would always say things like, “If I wasn’t such a wimp, I’d be a cop.” I met my boyfriend about two years ago and he is a pilot. I was always a little jealous of his awesome job. He had wanted to be a pilot since he was really young. I would think to myself, “Man, I wish I had something I always wanted to do”. And honestly, it just hit me. I DID. I had convinced myself that I never knew what I wanted to do. I find that usually when we feel jealousy, the way I did toward my boyfriend and his job, it's because we are unsatisfied with something in ourselves.
He had followed his dream no matter what people said or what obstacles he faced. I finally thought, if he can do that, so can I. I had no previous experience that helped me, but maybe just being a little older and being a mom and not a young person fresh out of college helped. I don’t really care what people think as much as I used to, that’s for sure! No one is stopping me except myself. So after all of that, I think that is what inspired me to finally go for my dream and make it a reality.
Do it for you. You don’t owe an explanation to anyone. And you want to know what I figured out? People will give you all of their negative comments and when you end up doing it anyway, they come around and want to support you. They see the fire in your life and they can’t help but be happy for you.
Read Lindsay's full interview here
Well that's a wrap for this #WCW, aren't you inspired?! The very reason I started this project was to collect advice and stories from women going through the same struggles as myself. I needed all the motivation I could get to start this blog. My mission is that we would empower each other and set new standards for acheivement by breaking down walls. You are so not alone in your struggles my dear friend. We'll round up these pieces of advice every quarter for you-hope you enjoyed them! Don't forget to subscribe so you can get these delivered right to your inbox.
xoxo, with grattitude,
Ari