I read a book called Mind Platter last year. It’s by a Canadian-Lebanese author named Najwa Zebian. It’s one of those books where every page or two is a different topic, or chapter.
She had many topics on life, success, happiness, family, positivity, personal development, heartbreak, and career.
I highly recommend reading that book, but this is not a book review. There was one particular section on change that made me stop and think about my own life and career. I often take images of quotes or writings that resonate with me, and upload them into Evernote for safe keeping and future use. This was one of those times.
“Sometimes we choose to stand at a closed door and hope that it will somehow open,” writes Zebian.
Chase Growth, Embrace Change
I don’t know about you, but my oh my, do we change a lot over the years. In my case, I think that’s a great thing. If you follow my blog or my social channel, you know that I embrace change (not just for change’s sake) but real, solid, growth change.
When I was growing up, I didn’t have too many frustrating days. I’d play lots of sports, my parents and family would support me, financially and otherwise, and even when I bought my first car, a 2000 Toyota Celica, my parents were there to throw in the extra cash I needed. Things came easy.
My grades in high school were pretty good, and then in College (Cégep in Quebec) and University, as I got more independent and more interested in what I was learning (sorry Physics and Chemistry classes, you just weren’t my jam), my grades and work went from good to great.
I Was Going to Be a Hall of Fame Sportswriter
However, things always seemed to come relatively easy for me then. I got into one of the best Journalism programs in Canada (Concordia University), got an internship at the only English language newspaper in Montreal (the Montreal Gazette, my dream place to work), got published a few times in print, worked for the Montreal Canadiens writing blog posts and news articles (interesting, since I detested the Canadiens since I was 9) and then I graduated with a high GPA. All good I thought. Easy. Next up, my dream job, which was either working at aforementioned Montreal Gazette, to be a sportswriter and learn under the great Red Fisher, or to be a sportscaster on TSN.
I Didn’t Get My Dream Job
I sent out my resume to both dream jobs, as well as some other newspapers in the country, and other large television stations. Figured I’d have a job in no time. And then I waited. And waited. Finally, I heard one response back: it was the Montreal Gazette, inviting me to come in for an interview. This is it. I did it, I thought.
This was sometime in 2003, a few weeks after graduating. I thought it was a formality, afterall, I had interned in the Sports department, so I was already “one of their own.” I went through the interview, and the various writing tests in English and French. And then I didn’t hear back for weeks, until I received a letter (yes, back then it was still snail mail) saying that after consideration, I was not the fit they were looking for. What? A setback? For me? How? Why, I wondered?
Then I checked back with TSN. No answer. I wrote James Duthie an email – this was before Social Media and instant messaging became a thing – the super awesome TSN on-air personality, and he responded, (I was so grateful for the email). He said I just had to fight through it, work from the bottom all the away up, maybe try with a smaller station. They were wise words. But back then, I wanted things handed to me. I kind of expected it to be easy. No roadblocks. No curveballs. I was going to be the greatest sportswriter the world had ever seen. Couldn’t they see that?
Rejection Proved to Be My Career Turning Point
Soon after graduation, and the rejection from the Montreal Gazette and all other TV stations, I moved to Ottawa, thinking maybe that market had a better use for me, the future Hall of Fame Journalist. Nada. Nothing. Automated responses saying that my candidature was being considered. The closest I came to being published in print came in a modelling contest I entered with The Ottawa Sun. I didn’t win that either. I was now encountering a few speedbumps and roadblocks.
A few weeks into my stay in Ottawa, I got a job, but it was not in Journalism. I had applied for a Marketing role, and got it. After 2 weeks, I really enjoyed working in Marketing. I thought this was a good fit for me. And I bought a book called Guerilla Marketing by Jay Conrad Levinson. I was amazed. I was excited. I wanted to learn more and more. And that was a turning point in my career, and my life to be truthful. From that day onward, I never expected anyone to give me anything. I knew it was a grind, and I embraced it. I self-taught my way through Marketing, Branding, Advertising, how to read income statements, how to create a P&L sheet, I even learned a bit of coding and Adobe Photoshop. I had to catch up to anyone who had a degree, since my degree was essentially in writing news pieces.
My Marketing Career Was Born
A few weeks after I started my first Marketing job, I made Team Canada’s ball hockey team. We won gold. I had to fight and claw to make that team. Hard work, passion, dedication, motivation, drive – these were becoming my hallmarks, my life principles.
So I’m actually quite grateful at how things turned out. Sure, I would have loved to be on-air on TSN or ESPN and attending and reporting on major sporting events for money. But I think I wanted to do it because it was cool. So all that rejection kind of worked out well, because it forced me to pivot, and pivot I did. I absolutely love working in the world of Marketing, Digital, and Ecommerce. It’s such an exciting and ever-changing industry. It suits me perfectly.
Since those early 2000-ish years, I’ve embraced change, welcomed it in fact, fought for my chance, for relevance, for greatness. And I no longer expect that door to be opened for me. I have a firm grip on the handle.
How about you? Do you want the easy life, or the one less traveled?
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