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(Introvert here) Finally introducing myself after joining two days ago

Bekit

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Welcome @Chasta_tea ! Fellow introvert here. Hey, you have me beat - I joined in August 2018, and it took me until October 2018 before I worked up the courage to introduce myself.

What's your story of your entrepreneurial journey?
 

Chasta_tea

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Welcome @Chasta_tea ! Fellow introvert here. Hey, you have me beat - I joined in August 2018, and it took me until October 2018 before I worked up the courage to introduce myself.

What's your story of your entrepreneurial journey?
lol, hello fellow introvert! So glad you took the leap in October 2018 and thank you for making me feel so welcome! So as with most, my entrepreneurial journey was and still is a challenging one. I’ll do my best to summarize below lol:

I read 100 plus self-help entrepreneurial books over the past 3 years and it was MJ’s books which really struck a chord. Making me fully dread, getting up in the morning for the 9-5. As a single mother of 1 child, I’m entangled in this 9-5 since, as MJ puts it so eloquently in Unscripted , “Children necessitate consumption”. lol. So, to lean into my entrepreneurial dream, I began testing out methods I’d picked up from those self-help books along the way at my corporate job working as a basic customer service representative. I was amazed the immediate impact it had and within 6 months I received a bonus and it was the first time I made over 6 figures in a calendar year. Not many customer service reps can say that lol. I continued to apply various methodologies receiving more bonuses until the VP of Sales approached me and asked me to join the sales team. So as of June 2020, I am officially on the sales team now and feel closer to accomplishing my entrepreneurial dream.
 

Andy Black

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Hi All,

Just wanted to stop by and say hello (finally) lol Very happy to be part of this forum among such an amazing group of people.
Welcome. You’re in good company for many reasons. I do believe there was a poll a while back and most forum members were introverted?
 
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Chasta_tea

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Welcome. You’re in good company for many reasons. I do believe there was a poll a while back and most forum members were introverted?
Hi Andy, thank you for welcoming me! Oh wow, really? I am so pleasantly surprised to hear that! I feel right at home here on this forum. :)
 

Bekit

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lol, hello fellow introvert! So glad you took the leap in October 2018 and thank you for making me feel so welcome! So as with most, my entrepreneurial journey was and still is a challenging one. I’ll do my best to summarize below lol:

I read 100 plus self-help entrepreneurial books over the past 3 years and it was MJ’s books which really struck a chord. Making me fully dread, getting up in the morning for the 9-5. As a single mother of 1 child, I’m entangled in this 9-5 since, as MJ puts it so eloquently in Unscripted , “Children necessitate consumption”. lol. So, to lean into my entrepreneurial dream, I began testing out methods I’d picked up from those self-help books along the way at my corporate job working as a basic customer service representative. I was amazed the immediate impact it had and within 6 months I received a bonus and it was the first time I made over 6 figures in a calendar year. Not many customer service reps can say that lol. I continued to apply various methodologies receiving more bonuses until the VP of Sales approached me and asked me to join the sales team. So as of June 2020, I am officially on the sales team now and feel closer to accomplishing my entrepreneurial dream.
Wow, inspiring story.

Standing ovation for your progress so far. That's awesome.

Sales is an absolutely tremendous skill to have, no matter what direction you choose to pursue as an entrepreneur. Congratulations on the new role!

I'd be really curious to hear if there are any principles you'd share with other people in a Customer Service Representative role who want to move up. What did you implement? What kinds of things worked for you to earn the bonuses and get noticed?
 

Walter Hay

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Hi Andy, thank you for welcoming me! Oh wow, really? I am so pleasantly surprised to hear that! I feel right at home here on this forum. :)
You are more than welcome her. Join the introverts and grow.

You have reminded so many of us that although being an introvert might seem to exclude the person from succeeding in such occupations as Customer Service and Sales, it can be done. Hearty congratulations.

Walter
 
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Chasta_tea

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You are more than welcome her. Join the introverts and grow.

You have reminded so many of us that although being an introvert might seem to exclude the person from succeeding in such occupations as Customer Service and Sales, it can be done. Hearty congratulations.

Walter
Thanks for the welcome Walter! I am excited to be in good company with fellow introverts and to grow together. Such a good point - It took me years to realize that I could still make a big impact even in my Customer Service Representative role. :)
 

Chasta_tea

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Wow, inspiring story.

Standing ovation for your progress so far. That's awesome.

Sales is an absolutely tremendous skill to have, no matter what direction you choose to pursue as an entrepreneur. Congratulations on the new role!

I'd be really curious to hear if there are any principles you'd share with other people in a Customer Service Representative role who want to move up. What did you implement? What kinds of things worked for you to earn the bonuses and get noticed?

Thank you so much Beckit! Being an introvert and not one to boast, I’ve not had very many opportunities to share my journey. I sincerely thank you for the appreciation and the opportunity to self-reflect on my accomplishments thus far. :)
I would love for any current or future Customer Service Reps to feel inspired by my journey so I will share as concisely as I can and could expound where interested.

To start, I will say that my customer service career began in the manufacturing industry where my role was fairly typical: process customer orders and respond to customer inquiries via phone and email. I was making around 30k/year and could just barely make ends meet being the sole financial provider for my child. That’s when I turned to entrepreneurial self-help books to set out to escape the corporate world and make a better life for myself and my child. However, it was within these books that I discovered that I needed to start where I was at: in my Customer Service Representative role.

I began to build trust with the customers - During complaint calls rather than zone out and surf the internet like I used to do, I began to actively listen, paraphrase the caller’s complaint and would never disagree with the caller’s perspective or point of view or events which transpired leading up to the complaint. I utilized empathy in acknowledging the customer’s feelings. For complaint emails received, I would acknowledge receipt of the email within 5 minutes, thanking the customer for taking the time to submit their complaint in writing.

I worked to build trust with colleagues - Even on days where I had to fight to get my son out of bed and off to school, I arrived into work grateful to be there. I greeted every colleague I came across with a warm greeting giving space to those I knew weren’t morning people so as not to be overbearing. I was professional and courteous in every interaction knowing the more easier I was to work with, the quicker I could resolve customer issues by contributing to a harmonious work environment.

I found ways to be proactive - Unfortunately, no matter how polite one can be with a customer, several repeated offenses of late shipments, is enough to drive any customer away. So on Saturday mornings I would bring my son (and his portable TV and Xbox) with me to work to create an intense customer record filing system. My intent was to position myself to be able to foresee customers’ orders who were in jeopardy of being late, priced incorrectly, etc. This is when the magic began to happen.

I was courageous
- Being an introvert, I was generally too timid to speak up during weekly production & planning meetings. However, after discovering many concerns during my Saturday customer records organizing sessions, I knew I had to arrive at the meetings as an advocate for the customer. I would bring a list of questions to present to the production team about potential customer order issues. I would create action items from the meetings and follow up afterwards. It was at these meetings that I began to catch the attention of executive leadership members who were in attendance. There were often times the CEO would sit in and listen as well.

Achieving my first $100,000+ - After a few months of maintaining this level of being proactive and vocally voicing concerns, customers began emailing and calling to say what a huge difference I had made in diminishing their delivery issues. I also received a forwarded email from an executive team member who received an email from a Tier A customer advising that earlier, he had decided to pull his million dollars worth of business after several consecutive instances of late or missed shipments. The customer named me in the email giving me full credit for the reason he had decided not to pull his business. It was then that the executive leadership team presented me with a bonus pushing my income that year to just over $110,000. From there, the executive leadership team asked me to sit in on various other organizational meetings for my insight on things. A few other bonuses later and now here I am in my new role on the Sales team. :)
 

Walter Hay

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@Chasta_tea, I love your post above. You thoroughly deserve the promotion and higher income. You are obviously a great asset to your employer.

I have too often encountered customer service people who act and sound as though they would rather be somewhere else. In many cases they know almost nothing about the products the business sells or the systems the business uses in processing orders.

Your employer is also remarkable in being able to see the value in the changes you made to your own way of dealing with customers, and the clincher was no doubt the questions you asked at the production & planning meetings. I suspect that if you had presented suggestions rather than questions, your success would have been hindered.

Best Wishes
Walter
 
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Andy Black

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Thank you so much Beckit! Being an introvert and not one to boast, I’ve not had very many opportunities to share my journey. I sincerely thank you for the appreciation and the opportunity to self-reflect on my accomplishments thus far. :)
I would love for any current or future Customer Service Reps to feel inspired by my journey so I will share as concisely as I can and could expound where interested.

To start, I will say that my customer service career began in the manufacturing industry where my role was fairly typical: process customer orders and respond to customer inquiries via phone and email. I was making around 30k/year and could just barely make ends meet being the sole financial provider for my child. That’s when I turned to entrepreneurial self-help books to set out to escape the corporate world and make a better life for myself and my child. However, it was within these books that I discovered that I needed to start where I was at: in my Customer Service Representative role.

I began to build trust with the customers - During complaint calls rather than zone out and surf the internet like I used to do, I began to actively listen, paraphrase the caller’s complaint and would never disagree with the caller’s perspective or point of view or events which transpired leading up to the complaint. I utilized empathy in acknowledging the customer’s feelings. For complaint emails received, I would acknowledge receipt of the email within 5 minutes, thanking the customer for taking the time to submit their complaint in writing.

I worked to build trust with colleagues - Even on days where I had to fight to get my son out of bed and off to school, I arrived into work grateful to be there. I greeted every colleague I came across with a warm greeting giving space to those I knew weren’t morning people so as not to be overbearing. I was professional and courteous in every interaction knowing the more easier I was to work with, the quicker I could resolve customer issues by contributing to a harmonious work environment.

I found ways to be proactive - Unfortunately, no matter how polite one can be with a customer, several repeated offenses of late shipments, is enough to drive any customer away. So on Saturday mornings I would bring my son (and his portable TV and Xbox) with me to work to create an intense customer record filing system. My intent was to position myself to be able to foresee customers’ orders who were in jeopardy of being late, priced incorrectly, etc. This is when the magic began to happen.

I was courageous
- Being an introvert, I was generally too timid to speak up during weekly production & planning meetings. However, after discovering many concerns during my Saturday customer records organizing sessions, I knew I had to arrive at the meetings as an advocate for the customer. I would bring a list of questions to present to the production team about potential customer order issues. I would create action items from the meetings and follow up afterwards. It was at these meetings that I began to catch the attention of executive leadership members who were in attendance. There were often times the CEO would sit in and listen as well.

Achieving my first $100,000+ - After a few months of maintaining this level of being proactive and vocally voicing concerns, customers began emailing and calling to say what a huge difference I had made in diminishing their delivery issues. I also received a forwarded email from an executive team member who received an email from a Tier A customer advising that earlier, he had decided to pull his million dollars worth of business after several consecutive instances of late or missed shipments. The customer named me in the email giving me full credit for the reason he had decided not to pull his business. It was then that the executive leadership team presented me with a bonus pushing my income that year to just over $110,000. From there, the executive leadership team asked me to sit in on various other organizational meetings for my insight on things. A few other bonuses later and now here I am in my new role on the Sales team. :)
Brilliant. So many good lessons and takeaways in here. Well done for being so proactive with your career and life.

@MJ DeMarco, @Vigilante, @AllenCrawley, @ZCP, @Fox ... worth a read.
 

Chasta_tea

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Your proactive actions are impressive @Chasta_tea

We are glad to have you here.

Welcome!
Thanks so much Roz! I'm so excited to be hear among such a bright group of individuals! Looking forward to growing together.
 
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Chasta_tea

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Brilliant. So many good lessons and takeaways in here. Well done for being so proactive with your career and life.

@MJ DeMarco, @Vigilante, @AllenCrawley, @ZCP, @Fox ... worth a read.
Thank you SO very much Andy!! I can't begin to say how sharing my own story has caused me to pause and reflect on my journey. I'll never forget sitting in my car on my lunch break reading Unscripted and coming across MJ's passage on Customer Service and delivering Customer Service that "SUCS". I actually cried reading that section as it was a testament to everything I had done to get to this point.
 

Chasta_tea

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@Chasta_tea, I love your post above. You thoroughly deserve the promotion and higher income. You are obviously a great asset to your employer.

I have too often encountered customer service people who act and sound as though they would rather be somewhere else. In many cases they know almost nothing about the products the business sells or the systems the business uses in processing orders.

Your employer is also remarkable in being able to see the value in the changes you made to your own way of dealing with customers, and the clincher was no doubt the questions you asked at the production & planning meetings. I suspect that if you had presented suggestions rather than questions, your success would have been hindered.

Best Wishes
Walter
Thank you Walter!! I sincerely appreciate you taking the time to read and share in my journey with me. Oh boy, I've come such a long way since my earlier zoned out / disengaged customer service beginnings. Such a good point about asking questions rather than presenting suggestions. I can only see the world through my own lens and when I ask questions, I get the chance to see solutions through an entirely different lens. It's a beautiful thing. :)
 

Bekit

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Thank you so much Beckit! Being an introvert and not one to boast, I’ve not had very many opportunities to share my journey. I sincerely thank you for the appreciation and the opportunity to self-reflect on my accomplishments thus far. :)
I would love for any current or future Customer Service Reps to feel inspired by my journey so I will share as concisely as I can and could expound where interested.

To start, I will say that my customer service career began in the manufacturing industry where my role was fairly typical: process customer orders and respond to customer inquiries via phone and email. I was making around 30k/year and could just barely make ends meet being the sole financial provider for my child. That’s when I turned to entrepreneurial self-help books to set out to escape the corporate world and make a better life for myself and my child. However, it was within these books that I discovered that I needed to start where I was at: in my Customer Service Representative role.

I began to build trust with the customers - During complaint calls rather than zone out and surf the internet like I used to do, I began to actively listen, paraphrase the caller’s complaint and would never disagree with the caller’s perspective or point of view or events which transpired leading up to the complaint. I utilized empathy in acknowledging the customer’s feelings. For complaint emails received, I would acknowledge receipt of the email within 5 minutes, thanking the customer for taking the time to submit their complaint in writing.

I worked to build trust with colleagues - Even on days where I had to fight to get my son out of bed and off to school, I arrived into work grateful to be there. I greeted every colleague I came across with a warm greeting giving space to those I knew weren’t morning people so as not to be overbearing. I was professional and courteous in every interaction knowing the more easier I was to work with, the quicker I could resolve customer issues by contributing to a harmonious work environment.

I found ways to be proactive - Unfortunately, no matter how polite one can be with a customer, several repeated offenses of late shipments, is enough to drive any customer away. So on Saturday mornings I would bring my son (and his portable TV and Xbox) with me to work to create an intense customer record filing system. My intent was to position myself to be able to foresee customers’ orders who were in jeopardy of being late, priced incorrectly, etc. This is when the magic began to happen.

I was courageous
- Being an introvert, I was generally too timid to speak up during weekly production & planning meetings. However, after discovering many concerns during my Saturday customer records organizing sessions, I knew I had to arrive at the meetings as an advocate for the customer. I would bring a list of questions to present to the production team about potential customer order issues. I would create action items from the meetings and follow up afterwards. It was at these meetings that I began to catch the attention of executive leadership members who were in attendance. There were often times the CEO would sit in and listen as well.

Achieving my first $100,000+ - After a few months of maintaining this level of being proactive and vocally voicing concerns, customers began emailing and calling to say what a huge difference I had made in diminishing their delivery issues. I also received a forwarded email from an executive team member who received an email from a Tier A customer advising that earlier, he had decided to pull his million dollars worth of business after several consecutive instances of late or missed shipments. The customer named me in the email giving me full credit for the reason he had decided not to pull his business. It was then that the executive leadership team presented me with a bonus pushing my income that year to just over $110,000. From there, the executive leadership team asked me to sit in on various other organizational meetings for my insight on things. A few other bonuses later and now here I am in my new role on the Sales team. :)
This is absolutely phenomenal! SO many opportunities here for others to learn from. Thank you for sharing.

I've often observed that a change in "what you do" often follows a shift in "who you are."

"Who you are" is the hardest step. It's mindset. It's character. It's habits. It's personal discipline. There's so much in it.

When I read your post, I see someone who is empathetic. Someone who is grateful. Someone who is committed to giving your son a great upbringing. Someone who can put yourself in the customer's shoes and advocate for them to have a great experience.

What factors contributed to making you into who you are today?

I feel like a LOT of people face $30k/year incomes and the challenges of making ends meet, but they respond with complaints and excuses. "I hate my job. I can't get another one. The customers always yell at me." etc.

They wish there was a way out, but they don't get busy reading books and taking action the way you did.

You responded differently. Why?

Are there resources you'd recommend for others who want to transform themselves?

[Edit: Oooh, this was my 700th post!]
 
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Chasta_tea

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This is absolutely phenomenal! SO many opportunities here for others to learn from. Thank you for sharing.

I've often observed that a change in "what you do" often follows a shift in "who you are."

"Who you are" is the hardest step. It's mindset. It's character. It's habits. It's personal discipline. There's so much in it.

When I read your post, I see someone who is empathetic. Someone who is grateful. Someone who is committed to giving your son a great upbringing. Someone who can put yourself in the customer's shoes and advocate for them to have a great experience.

What factors contributed to making you into who you are today?

I feel like a LOT of people face $30k/year incomes and the challenges of making ends meet, but they respond with complaints and excuses. "I hate my job. I can't get another one. The customers always yell at me." etc.

They wish there was a way out, but they don't get busy reading books and taking action the way you did.

You responded differently. Why?

Are there resources you'd recommend for others who want to transform themselves?

[Edit: Oooh, this was my 700th post!]
Thanks so much Beckit for the kind words of appreciation! Most importantly, thank you for seeing me for who I am. As a single mother, I’ve been so caught up in the hustle and bustle of life that I haven’t had the chance to even reflect on how I’ve made it thus far. Reading the praise which I’ve received here on The Fastlane Forum has moved me to tears.
You ask such fantastic questions! I would be more than honored to share what has contributed to making me the person I am today and the resources I’d recommend for other CSRs who want to transform themselves too.

The Foundation for Success - I will start off by saying I wouldn’t be the person I am today without having the upbringing which I did. My parents are Navy veterans, so I’ve been raised to have a strong sense of self-discipline. My father encouraged me to understand that, as an African-American, I was born into the land of opportunity and that any oppression I felt would be a direct result of my own self-limiting thoughts. My mother instilled in me the love of reading. She would read to my sisters and I every night as young girls and we would take bi-weekly trips to the library to replenish our books. She also instilled in me the importance of taking care of myself through exercise and healthy eating.

The Foundation for Success – While I am so fortunate to have been raised by parents so dedicated to my success, they have traditional mindsets. Success meant graduating from college, buying a house, starting a family and working in the corporate world until retirement. I set out on this track and was completely derailed when I became pregnant my senior year in college by a man who deceived me into thinking he was something he was not. After a series of unfortunate events with my child’s father, I was forced to leave my town and move two hours away to start a new life with my son.

The Path to Transformation – I worked a few different Customer Service jobs before landing at the manufacturing company where my life changed. During company-wide meetings the CEO would often repeat the phrase of having the “right people on the bus” to move the company from a position of stagnation to that of success. One day while passing through the Customer Service department, the CEO stopped and mentioned the phrase to us again, this time advising that he had read a book called “Good to Great” where he learned of this phrase and that we should all read it too. At that time, it had been honestly 4 years since I had read a book in its entirety. I decided to read the book myself to see what was in it that could inspire him to mention it during nearly every recent company meeting. After reading this book, I finally understood why. It was then that I began to reflect on the CEO’s journey himself. He had founded the company 40 years ago and had grown it to $350 million dollars. But how I wondered? What made him take the leap? What did he do that I couldn’t do myself to be able to make millions too? Being waaay too timid to ask him myself, I began reading entrepreneurial blogs and watching YouTube videos. I compiled a list of 45 books from these blogs and YouTube videos to read in 12 months or less.

The Mindset Shift and Transformation – Below is the order in which I read the first 6 books resulting in the mindset shift that I, too, could create value in my Customer Service Representative position. I believe it was the combination of these 6 books which reset my thought process from feeling like a corporate prisoner to feeling in control of my success. It is important to note I read each of the below 6 books twice or more within a 6-month period.
  • Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap…and Others Don’t”– Author: James C Collins – (I read this book twice)
  • Think and Grow Rich – Author: Napoleon Hill. (I read this book three times)
  • Rich Dad Poor Dad – Author: Robert Kiyosaki (I read this book twice)
  • The 10X Rule – Author: Grant Cardone (I read this book twice)
  • Man’s Search for Meaning – Author: Viktor Frankl (I could only bear to read this book once. It was necessary yet I’ll admit I cried off and on for 3 days after reading it.)
  • The Fastlane Millionaire – Author: MJ DeMarco (I read this book twice)
Daily Meditation – To continuously tap into the reservoirs of information which I had pulled from these 5 books, I learned meditation. It took a few weeks to get it right but I stuck with it and I would be remiss if I didn’t mention this as a crucial aid in my transformation. After a 20-minute period of meditation, a question or situation which I had struggled with earlier in the day was answered by the pool of knowledge wealth I had stored up from the books I had read.

Since then, I’ve gone on to read dozens more books including, of course, MJ’s Unscripted . If you made it this far, thank you for your time in allowing me to share my path to success with you. :)
 

Bekit

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Thanks so much Beckit for the kind words of appreciation! Most importantly, thank you for seeing me for who I am. As a single mother, I’ve been so caught up in the hustle and bustle of life that I haven’t had the chance to even reflect on how I’ve made it thus far. Reading the praise which I’ve received here on The Fastlane Forum has moved me to tears.
You ask such fantastic questions! I would be more than honored to share what has contributed to making me the person I am today and the resources I’d recommend for other CSRs who want to transform themselves too.

The Foundation for Success - I will start off by saying I wouldn’t be the person I am today without having the upbringing which I did. My parents are Navy veterans, so I’ve been raised to have a strong sense of self-discipline. My father encouraged me to understand that, as an African-American, I was born into the land of opportunity and that any oppression I felt would be a direct result of my own self-limiting thoughts. My mother instilled in me the love of reading. She would read to my sisters and I every night as young girls and we would take bi-weekly trips to the library to replenish our books. She also instilled in me the importance of taking care of myself through exercise and healthy eating.

The Foundation for Success – While I am so fortunate to have been raised by parents so dedicated to my success, they have traditional mindsets. Success meant graduating from college, buying a house, starting a family and working in the corporate world until retirement. I set out on this track and was completely derailed when I became pregnant my senior year in college by a man who deceived me into thinking he was something he was not. After a series of unfortunate events with my child’s father, I was forced to leave my town and move two hours away to start a new life with my son.

The Path to Transformation – I worked a few different Customer Service jobs before landing at the manufacturing company where my life changed. During company-wide meetings the CEO would often repeat the phrase of having the “right people on the bus” to move the company from a position of stagnation to that of success. One day while passing through the Customer Service department, the CEO stopped and mentioned the phrase to us again, this time advising that he had read a book called “Good to Great” where he learned of this phrase and that we should all read it too. At that time, it had been honestly 4 years since I had read a book in its entirety. I decided to read the book myself to see what was in it that could inspire him to mention it during nearly every recent company meeting. After reading this book, I finally understood why. It was then that I began to reflect on the CEO’s journey himself. He had founded the company 40 years ago and had grown it to $350 million dollars. But how I wondered? What made him take the leap? What did he do that I couldn’t do myself to be able to make millions too? Being waaay too timid to ask him myself, I began reading entrepreneurial blogs and watching YouTube videos. I compiled a list of 45 books from these blogs and YouTube videos to read in 12 months or less.

The Mindset Shift and Transformation – Below is the order in which I read the first 6 books resulting in the mindset shift that I, too, could create value in my Customer Service Representative position. I believe it was the combination of these 6 books which reset my thought process from feeling like a corporate prisoner to feeling in control of my success. It is important to note I read each of the below 6 books twice or more within a 6-month period.
  • Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap…and Others Don’t”– Author: James C Collins – (I read this book twice)
  • Think and Grow Rich – Author: Napoleon Hill. (I read this book three times)
  • Rich Dad Poor Dad – Author: Robert Kiyosaki (I read this book twice)
  • The 10X Rule – Author: Grant Cardone (I read this book twice)
  • Man’s Search for Meaning – Author: Viktor Frankl (I could only bear to read this book once. It was necessary yet I’ll admit I cried off and on for 3 days after reading it.)
  • The Fastlane Millionaire – Author: MJ DeMarco (I read this book twice)
Daily Meditation – To continuously tap into the reservoirs of information which I had pulled from these 5 books, I learned meditation. It took a few weeks to get it right but I stuck with it and I would be remiss if I didn’t mention this as a crucial aid in my transformation. After a 20-minute period of meditation, a question or situation which I had struggled with earlier in the day was answered by the pool of knowledge wealth I had stored up from the books I had read.

Since then, I’ve gone on to read dozens more books including, of course, MJ’s Unscripted . If you made it this far, thank you for your time in allowing me to share my path to success with you. :)
Wow! Inspired all over again!! Even the fact that you were able to read (and re-read!) 6 books in 6 months while raising a child is quite the accomplishment.

I'm sorry to hear of the way you were hurt by your son's father.

Sounds like you are doing an amazing job of making the best of a challenging situation.

This quote really stood out to me:

What did he do that I couldn’t do myself to be able to make millions too?

Yes yes yes YES to this!!

Sounds like your CEO definitely sees that he has one of the "right people on the bus" with you.

Now I want to read "Good to Great."

Any other books that stood out to you from your reading list?

Thank you for sharing your insights! You're an excellent, articulate writer.

(Side note: it would also be really cool to hear from your CEO. Sounds like he has had a pretty cool journey. He probably has a lot of lessons to share. Has he done any podcasts or interviews?)
 

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Wow! Inspired all over again!! Even the fact that you were able to read (and re-read!) 6 books in 6 months while raising a child is quite the accomplishment.

I'm sorry to hear of the way you were hurt by your son's father.

Sounds like you are doing an amazing job of making the best of a challenging situation.

This quote really stood out to me:



Yes yes yes YES to this!!

Sounds like your CEO definitely sees that he has one of the "right people on the bus" with you.

Now I want to read "Good to Great."

Any other books that stood out to you from your reading list?

Thank you for sharing your insights! You're an excellent, articulate writer.

(Side note: it would also be really cool to hear from your CEO. Sounds like he has had a pretty cool journey. He probably has a lot of lessons to share. Has he done any podcasts or interviews?)

I appreciate it @Bekit and the time you’ve taken to read and appreciate my responses!

Reading those 6 life-changing books within 6 months was quite a game changer! Initially, I committed to reading on my lunch break and 2 hours each night after my son went to bed. Then I discovered the hidden treasure of audiobooks. Lol. I worked out a deal with my son who sold me his portable Bluetooth speaker he received for his birthday for two Hershey bars and a pack of Wildberry skittles. I was then able to listen to audiobooks while cooking, washing dishes, doing laundry, etc. I was then able to listen on my way to work and on the way home as well. So, I was reading around 2 books a week. I would read each book first for content and then a 2nd time for full comprehension, oftentimes rereading a section up to 4 times until I fully understood the concept.

Overcoming the situation with my son’s father was certainly a difficult, low period of my life. However, I am so grateful for my son to be in my life. I can’t find the words to fully express my love for him.

Yes, asking myself that one key question (What did the CEO do that I couldn’t do myself?) left me questioning my whole career past, present and future! I would strongly recommend reading Good to Great when you can. There are a few references in Good to Great which are now outdated. However, overall, it is a fantastic read.

Here are 10 other notable reads I’ve stumbled across:
  • Lean In – Sheryl Sandberg
  • Becoming – Michelle Obama
  • The Art of Seduction – Robert Greene
  • The 48 Laws of Power – Robert Greene
  • The 50th Law – Robert Greene
  • Unscripted MJ DeMarco
  • The Purple Cow – Seth Godin
  • Titan: The Life of John D. Rockefeller, Sr. – Ron Chernow – (Truly a gem, though I could only read once due to being soooo long lol)
  • Sam Walton: Made In America – Sam Walton with John Huey
  • As a Man Thinketh – James Allen (I aim to read this book every month or two and require my son to read every so often as well.)
Thank you for the sweet compliment on my writing skills! I majored in a foreign language in college and discovered that in order to fully master another language, I had to fully master the English language!

Now that is an interesting question! The CEO, founded FoamSeal Inc. in 1977 in his mid-thirties. I joined the CS team 39 years after its initial founding and even during the 40-year anniversary celebration, I had not seen him give any interviews. So, I am going to reach out on a limb and say I don’t think he has any podcasts unfortunately. :(
 
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Bekit

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I appreciate it @Bekit and the time you’ve taken to read and appreciate my responses!

Reading those 6 life-changing books within 6 months was quite a game changer! Initially, I committed to reading on my lunch break and 2 hours each night after my son went to bed. Then I discovered the hidden treasure of audiobooks. Lol. I worked out a deal with my son who sold me his portable Bluetooth speaker he received for his birthday for two Hershey bars and a pack of Wildberry skittles. I was then able to listen to audiobooks while cooking, washing dishes, doing laundry, etc. I was then able to listen on my way to work and on the way home as well. So, I was reading around 2 books a week. I would read each book first for content and then a 2nd time for full comprehension, oftentimes rereading a section up to 4 times until I fully understood the concept.

Overcoming the situation with my son’s father was certainly a difficult, low period of my life. However, I am so grateful for my son to be in my life. I can’t find the words to fully express my love for him.

Yes, asking myself that one key question (What did the CEO do that I couldn’t do myself?) left me questioning my whole career past, present and future! I would strongly recommend reading Good to Great when you can. There are a few references in Good to Great which are now outdated. However, overall, it is a fantastic read.

Here are 10 other notable reads I’ve stumbled across:
  • Lean In – Sheryl Sandberg
  • Becoming – Michelle Obama
  • The Art of Seduction – Robert Greene
  • The 48 Laws of Power – Robert Greene
  • The 50th Law – Robert Greene
  • Unscripted MJ DeMarco
  • The Purple Cow – Seth Godin
  • Titan: The Life of John D. Rockefeller, Sr. – Ron Chernow – (Truly a gem, though I could only read once due to being soooo long lol)
  • Sam Walton: Made In America – Sam Walton with John Huey
  • As a Man Thinketh – James Allen (I aim to read this book every month or two and require my son to read every so often as well.)
Thank you for the sweet compliment on my writing skills! I majored in a foreign language in college and discovered that in order to fully master another language, I had to fully master the English language!

Now that is an interesting question! The CEO, Michael S. Sylvester, founded FoamSeal Inc. in 1977 in his mid-thirties. I joined the CS team 39 years after its initial founding and even during the 40-year anniversary celebration, I had not seen him give any interviews. So, I am going to reach out on a limb and say I don’t think he has any podcasts unfortunately. :(
Too bad Michael hasn't given any podcasts. Sounds like he might be a hidden gem for some podcaster to discover.

Thanks for the book list! Yay! More items to add to my list. I LOVE audiobooks!!

I was also curious to know...

In every situation, there are outcomes that you foresee and others that you didn't expect.

Example...

In going to the office on Saturdays, you would have foreseen that you were going to give the customers a better experience due to fewer late orders once you got your system set up.

You might not have foreseen the promotion to the sales team.

Were there other areas where you experienced surprising or unexpected outcomes along your journey so far? (Either in a good way or a bad way?)
 

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Too bad Michael hasn't given any podcasts. Sounds like he might be a hidden gem for some podcaster to discover.

Thanks for the book list! Yay! More items to add to my list. I LOVE audiobooks!!

I was also curious to know...

In every situation, there are outcomes that you foresee and others that you didn't expect.

Example...

In going to the office on Saturdays, you would have foreseen that you were going to give the customers a better experience due to fewer late orders once you got your system set up.

You might not have foreseen the promotion to the sales team.

Were there other areas where you experienced surprising or unexpected outcomes along your journey so far? (Either in a good way or a bad way?)

It is too bad! Michael has a great wealth of knowledge to impart and I am so very fortunate that our paths crossed!

You are quite welcome for the book list and I have no doubt that each of those books will be a huge inspiration as they were for me.

Wow! Another fabulous question which invokes a great deal of emotion from me due to the pivotal role this experience had in my life. Not that I am one to focus on the negative, I think it is important I share this not so glamorous event on my path to six figures which sincerely took me by surprise.

As I mentioned in prior posts, the more I began to lean in and become the eyes and ears for the customers, I unknowingly drew the ire of several of my colleagues. Honestly, I had grown accustomed to members of the Customer Service team snickering behind my back or complaining to me directly that I created unnecessary work for everyone. It was much to my surprise when I experienced this feeling of negativity from a member of the executive team.

The shout which shook the floor – A new Marketing VP had just joined the company and my boss informed me that I was asked to meet one-on-one with the new VP to share my vision for customer success. I was so excited! He stopped at my cubicle about 20 minutes before the meeting and mentioned he would like to meet with both me and a colleague who handled the shipment of samples. I mentioned to him that I would locate her and be up in 20 minutes. Much to my misfortune, I couldn’t find her anywhere. I tried paging her, walking down to the sample shipment area, checking with other colleagues and couldn’t locate her anywhere. I returned to the 2nd floor for the meeting and the Marketing VP was standing outside of his office. Not thinking too much of it, I told him I couldn’t find her and that we could meet and catch her up later. While emphatically pointing towards the stairs, he shouted at the very top of his lungs for me to, “GO FIND HER !” I stood in shock for what felt like a minute although I’m sure it was only a few seconds. He had a deranged look on his face and I could see his chest heaving in anger.

Everyone on the Customer Service team and surrounding offices became silent and I could feel their eyes boring into my back. I knew my response was key in this moment. I responded quickly by asking him to repeat his request. I did this so that he could reckon with his emotions and provide an opportunity for him to gain some composure. He repeated for me to go find her in a more composed tone. I then responded “OK” and that I would appreciate, if going forward, I would be shown the same respect and courtesy I had shown to him. I returned to my cubicle without awaiting his reply or without any intent to “go find her”.

Over the next couple days, several of my colleagues approached me and asked about the situation and several told me they had reported him to HR. I thanked them kindly for their concern and told them everything was fine. I was eventually called into HR due to the number of complaints received about the Marketing VP’s behavior that day. I reiterated that I was fine and was sure he probably had a bad morning or something that day.

A week later, the Marketing VP approached my cubicle in a jovial manner and asked if I had time to meet him in his office. I agreed and asked him to give me 30 minutes to wrap up a customer complaint. When I entered his office, he presented me with an engraved pen with the company’s logo. It was a beautiful pen and so heavy, I knew I had no desire to ever use it. He then told me that he apologized for his behavior and admitted he did not have very much respect for me prior to that day. He said my reaction then and there gained his full admiration and respect. I accepted his apology and let him know he was fully forgiven.

Secretly, I was grateful for that event as it showed me what I was fully capable of in the face of conflict across all hierarchical levels.
 

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Too bad Michael hasn't given any podcasts. Sounds like he might be a hidden gem for some podcaster to discover.

Thanks for the book list! Yay! More items to add to my list. I LOVE audiobooks!!

I was also curious to know...

In every situation, there are outcomes that you foresee and others that you didn't expect.

Example...

In going to the office on Saturdays, you would have foreseen that you were going to give the customers a better experience due to fewer late orders once you got your system set up.

You might not have foreseen the promotion to the sales team.

Were there other areas where you experienced surprising or unexpected outcomes along your journey so far? (Either in a good way or a bad way?)
@Vigilante @Kak

Maybe someone you could interview for your show?
 
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It is too bad! Michael has a great wealth of knowledge to impart and I am so very fortunate that our paths crossed!

You are quite welcome for the book list and I have no doubt that each of those books will be a huge inspiration as they were for me.

Wow! Another fabulous question which invokes a great deal of emotion from me due to the pivotal role this experience had in my life. Not that I am one to focus on the negative, I think it is important I share this not so glamorous event on my path to six figures which sincerely took me by surprise.

As I mentioned in prior posts, the more I began to lean in and become the eyes and ears for the customers, I unknowingly drew the ire of several of my colleagues. Honestly, I had grown accustomed to members of the Customer Service team snickering behind my back or complaining to me directly that I created unnecessary work for everyone. It was much to my surprise when I experienced this feeling of negativity from a member of the executive team.

The shout which shook the floor – A new Marketing VP had just joined the company and my boss informed me that I was asked to meet one-on-one with the new VP to share my vision for customer success. I was so excited! He stopped at my cubicle about 20 minutes before the meeting and mentioned he would like to meet with both me and a colleague who handled the shipment of samples. I mentioned to him that I would locate her and be up in 20 minutes. Much to my misfortune, I couldn’t find her anywhere. I tried paging her, walking down to the sample shipment area, checking with other colleagues and couldn’t locate her anywhere. I returned to the 2nd floor for the meeting and the Marketing VP was standing outside of his office. Not thinking too much of it, I told him I couldn’t find her and that we could meet and catch her up later. While emphatically pointing towards the stairs, he shouted at the very top of his lungs for me to, “GO FIND HER !” I stood in shock for what felt like a minute although I’m sure it was only a few seconds. He had a deranged look on his face and I could see his chest heaving in anger.

Everyone on the Customer Service team and surrounding offices became silent and I could feel their eyes boring into my back. I knew my response was key in this moment. I responded quickly by asking him to repeat his request. I did this so that he could reckon with his emotions and provide an opportunity for him to gain some composure. He repeated for me to go find her in a more composed tone. I then responded “OK” and that I would appreciate, if going forward, I would be shown the same respect and courtesy I had shown to him. I returned to my cubicle without awaiting his reply or without any intent to “go find her”.

Over the next couple days, several of my colleagues approached me and asked about the situation and several told me they had reported him to HR. I thanked them kindly for their concern and told them everything was fine. I was eventually called into HR due to the number of complaints received about the Marketing VP’s behavior that day. I reiterated that I was fine and was sure he probably had a bad morning or something that day.

A week later, the Marketing VP approached my cubicle in a jovial manner and asked if I had time to meet him in his office. I agreed and asked him to give me 30 minutes to wrap up a customer complaint. When I entered his office, he presented me with an engraved pen with the company’s logo. It was a beautiful pen and so heavy, I knew I had no desire to ever use it. He then told me that he apologized for his behavior and admitted he did not have very much respect for me prior to that day. He said my reaction then and there gained his full admiration and respect. I accepted his apology and let him know he was fully forgiven.

Secretly, I was grateful for that event as it showed me what I was fully capable of in the face of conflict across all hierarchical levels.
Just wow. What a bold and strong personality. I am envious. Some ways I can be like that in those situations?
 

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Now that is an interesting question! The CEO, Michael S. Sylvester, founded FoamSeal Inc. in 1977 in his mid-thirties. I joined the CS team 39 years after its initial founding and even during the 40-year anniversary celebration, I had not seen him give any interviews. So, I am going to reach out on a limb and say I don’t think he has any podcasts unfortunately.

If he hasn't... I am game!

AWESOME stuff you are sharing here!!!
 

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It is too bad! Michael has a great wealth of knowledge to impart and I am so very fortunate that our paths crossed!

You are quite welcome for the book list and I have no doubt that each of those books will be a huge inspiration as they were for me.

Wow! Another fabulous question which invokes a great deal of emotion from me due to the pivotal role this experience had in my life. Not that I am one to focus on the negative, I think it is important I share this not so glamorous event on my path to six figures which sincerely took me by surprise.

As I mentioned in prior posts, the more I began to lean in and become the eyes and ears for the customers, I unknowingly drew the ire of several of my colleagues. Honestly, I had grown accustomed to members of the Customer Service team snickering behind my back or complaining to me directly that I created unnecessary work for everyone. It was much to my surprise when I experienced this feeling of negativity from a member of the executive team.

The shout which shook the floor – A new Marketing VP had just joined the company and my boss informed me that I was asked to meet one-on-one with the new VP to share my vision for customer success. I was so excited! He stopped at my cubicle about 20 minutes before the meeting and mentioned he would like to meet with both me and a colleague who handled the shipment of samples. I mentioned to him that I would locate her and be up in 20 minutes. Much to my misfortune, I couldn’t find her anywhere. I tried paging her, walking down to the sample shipment area, checking with other colleagues and couldn’t locate her anywhere. I returned to the 2nd floor for the meeting and the Marketing VP was standing outside of his office. Not thinking too much of it, I told him I couldn’t find her and that we could meet and catch her up later. While emphatically pointing towards the stairs, he shouted at the very top of his lungs for me to, “GO FIND HER !” I stood in shock for what felt like a minute although I’m sure it was only a few seconds. He had a deranged look on his face and I could see his chest heaving in anger.

Everyone on the Customer Service team and surrounding offices became silent and I could feel their eyes boring into my back. I knew my response was key in this moment. I responded quickly by asking him to repeat his request. I did this so that he could reckon with his emotions and provide an opportunity for him to gain some composure. He repeated for me to go find her in a more composed tone. I then responded “OK” and that I would appreciate, if going forward, I would be shown the same respect and courtesy I had shown to him. I returned to my cubicle without awaiting his reply or without any intent to “go find her”.

Over the next couple days, several of my colleagues approached me and asked about the situation and several told me they had reported him to HR. I thanked them kindly for their concern and told them everything was fine. I was eventually called into HR due to the number of complaints received about the Marketing VP’s behavior that day. I reiterated that I was fine and was sure he probably had a bad morning or something that day.

A week later, the Marketing VP approached my cubicle in a jovial manner and asked if I had time to meet him in his office. I agreed and asked him to give me 30 minutes to wrap up a customer complaint. When I entered his office, he presented me with an engraved pen with the company’s logo. It was a beautiful pen and so heavy, I knew I had no desire to ever use it. He then told me that he apologized for his behavior and admitted he did not have very much respect for me prior to that day. He said my reaction then and there gained his full admiration and respect. I accepted his apology and let him know he was fully forgiven.

Secretly, I was grateful for that event as it showed me what I was fully capable of in the face of conflict across all hierarchical levels.
@Chasta_tea that is crazy!

What was he thinking?

I'm with your coworkers... that was so unprofessional of him.

Thank you for sharing your story. I never imagined my question would elicit something like this.

And I am SUPER impressed at your quick reaction to such an unexpected behavior by him.

I don't think it would have occurred to me to (a) ask him to repeat the request and (b) then NOT go again in search of the coworker OR attend the meeting afterward.

Sounds like you know how to keep stable, cool emotions AND also set good boundaries.

It also sounds like the way that you had worked to build rapport with your coworkers really played out in your favor.

I worked to build trust with colleagues - Even on days where I had to fight to get my son out of bed and off to school, I arrived into work grateful to be there. I greeted every colleague I came across with a warm greeting giving space to those I knew weren’t morning people so as not to be overbearing. I was professional and courteous in every interaction knowing the more easier I was to work with, the quicker I could resolve customer issues by contributing to a harmonious work environment.

I also think this is worth noticing:

As I mentioned in prior posts, the more I began to lean in and become the eyes and ears for the customers, I unknowingly drew the ire of several of my colleagues. Honestly, I had grown accustomed to members of the Customer Service team snickering behind my back or complaining to me directly that I created unnecessary work for everyone.

Small-minded people will be jealous. It's funny that they were complaining about "creating unnecessary work for everyone" while YOU were the one ACTUALLY COMING IN WITH YOUR CHILD ON A SATURDAY to build your system.

I'm glad you didn't let it affect you or slow you down.

I just have to quote this, too:

Just wow. What a bold and strong personality.

While I believe you that you are an introvert, it also sounds like you are a force to be reckoned with!

In a very good way.

I imagine that you haven't stalled one bit in your quest to reach higher.

Other than getting trained and adjusting to the sales role, what's your new horizon? What are you reaching for or working on for your continual improvement?
 
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Just wow. What a bold and strong personality. I am envious. Some ways I can be like that in those situations?
Thank you
Just wow. What a bold and strong personality. I am envious. Some ways I can be like that in those situations?
Thank you @BlackMagician!! It is amazing what you are capable of when faced with such a predicament. The human tendency of fight or flight was such that I knew that fleeing the situation would have left the issue open-ended and unresolved. In addition, I had an audience consisting of my fellow Customer Service colleagues so I also knew my response would go down in “water cooler chatter history” Lol. I would need to respond in a way which would preserve our future working relationship.

Question: Have you read, “Leadership and Self-Deception: Getting Out of the Box”? It is a fantastic read and certainly helped to reshape my thinking when placed in a confrontational setting such as the one I was in with the Marketing VP.
 

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If he hasn't... I am game!

AWESOME stuff you are sharing here!!!
I would LOVE to hear an inter
@Chasta_tea that is crazy!

What was he thinking?

I'm with your coworkers... that was so unprofessional of him.

Thank you for sharing your story. I never imagined my question would elicit something like this.

And I am SUPER impressed at your quick reaction to such an unexpected behavior by him.

I don't think it would have occurred to me to (a) ask him to repeat the request and (b) then NOT go again in search of the coworker OR attend the meeting afterward.

Sounds like you know how to keep stable, cool emotions AND also set good boundaries.

It also sounds like the way that you had worked to build rapport with your coworkers really played out in your favor.



I also think this is worth noticing:



Small-minded people will be jealous. It's funny that they were complaining about "creating unnecessary work for everyone" while YOU were the one ACTUALLY COMING IN WITH YOUR CHILD ON A SATURDAY to build your system.

I'm glad you didn't let it affect you or slow you down.

I just have to quote this, too:



While I believe you that you are an introvert, it also sounds like you are a force to be reckoned with!

In a very good way.

I imagine that you haven't stalled one bit in your quest to reach higher.

Other than getting trained and adjusting to the sales role, what's your new horizon? What are you reaching for or working on for your continual improvement?

Thanks @Beckit for posing that fantastic question which could allow me to show as well that my journey was met with some challenging circumstances. I was so completely thrown off by the lack of professionalism and so grateful I responded in the matter which I did as the situation could have escalated in an unproductive manner.

Yes, I’m so glad you mentioned that as it was the small-minded chatter which was one of the most difficult things for me to mentally overcome. I couldn’t understand how my own peers could berate and ostracize me for wanting me to do better. Sometimes it was tough for me to mentally unpack this and was brutal for day to day work. I credit my parents who allowed me to vent my frustrations and be the true voice of support. My Dad would constantly ask me during these discussions, “Who’s name is signed on the bottom of your paycheck?”. When I would respond that it was the CEO’s, he would remind me that it wasn’t my small-minded colleagues who had signed my paycheck and to keep pushing on through the negativity. Thank goodness I did!

So great point about being a force to be reckoned with! I studied and learned qualities of extroverts and adapted this into my professional persona. At the end of the day, I am a true bonafide introvert who relishes solitude and a good book. Lol

So, I am very glad you ask the question of what is cooking on the horizon now. After 3 years of building out my Customer Service and much of my Sales career at FoamSeal, Inc, I’ve since embarked on a new journey. So, in my current Sales role, I am working to build out the pharmaceutical client base as well as assist with rebranding efforts for a manufacturing company which spun off as its own entity in 2014. I struggled with the decision to leave my former employer after the success which I experienced particularly in my Customer Service career. The CEO of FoamSeal, Inc retired in 2019 so I felt this was a sign that it was time for me to move on as well. I feel my current Sales role is better aligned with my ultimate goal of possibly experiencing a 7 figure income.
 

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My Dad would constantly ask me during these discussions, “Who’s name is signed on the bottom of your paycheck?”.
Smart man your Dad.

You can take this a step further too... you don’t work for the company, you work for whoever signs your timesheet. It took me ages to figure that out when I was an IT Contractor. Make the person who signs your timesheet look good and have an easy life and your contract is much more likely to get extended.

Upgraded to Notable. Thanks for dropping all the knowledge bombs @Chasta_tea.
 
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Smart man your Dad.

You can take this a step further too... you don’t work for the company, you work for whoever signs your timesheet. It took me ages to figure that out when I was an IT Contractor. Make the person who signs your timesheet look good and have an easy life and your contract is much more likely to get extended.

Upgraded to Notable. Thanks for dropping all the knowledge bombs @Chasta_tea.
Thanks so much Andy!! I am so very blessed for those nuggets of wisdom I picked up along the way from my Dad.

Such a fantastic observation about making the life easier for the person signing your timesheet! Tucking that piece of info away and keeping it top of mind for sure. :)

I am so very grateful @Andy Black for the upgrade to notable and especially grateful to @beckit for her curiosity and taking the time to get know my journey. I feel it was meant to be to have discovered MJ's "The Millionaire Fastlane " a couple years back and to be part of the forum today. :)
 

Andy Black

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You and @Bekit should have a chat @Chasta_tea. You seem like two peas in the same pod.
 

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