Three Things I Wish I Had Known in My 20’s: Cheryl Hogan Seidel

Full name: Cheryl Hogan Seidel

Position / Job title: President & Founder, RegistryFinder.com

Why did you start your company?

It’s as simple as I had that cliché, “there has to be a better way” moment. I had an idea and happened to be at a place in my life where I was looking for a new challenge. Although I had worked for start-ups, I had never thought of creating one myself. Was I scared? No, I was terrified.

How has life changed (hopefully for the better 😉 since you launched this company? I cannot tell you how exciting it is to come to work everyday and learn something new. I have come to embrace the fact that it’s good thing to feel “dumb” every day. I’ve also learned that the key to success is to just to keep moving forward. It’s harder than it sounds. After every disappointment, every slammed door, put it aside and take what you feel is the next step toward your goal. Every time a roadblock pops up, don’t give up. Look for a way to go around it. If you can’t find a way around it, ask for help and change directions. You will be surprised where the road will take you. Starting and managing a business is difficult, VERY difficult, but if you’re passionate about it, it’s a blast!

And now: WHAT 3 THINGS DID YOU WISH YOU HAD KNOWN IN YOUR 20’S?

If you’re good at it and you enjoy it, it’s probably what you’re meant to do. I sometimes regretted my training and career path thinking I should have pursued something I was more “passionate about.” The problem was that I didn’t know what my “passion” was when I selected my major in college, or even in my 20’s. I felt I had somehow “missed out” on my true calling. I now see that in my early career I was drawn to the things that I was meant to do. When I started my company, I realized I had a background in new product development because taking something from an idea to a product is what I truly love doing.

Success in your career will not make you happy. It’s rewarding, yes, but ultimately it will not fulfill you. I was so driven by career and financial success; thinking it would make me happy, but it doesn’t. Every raise, every promotion just moved the bar up another notch, bringing more anxiety and less enjoyment. Definitely do set goals and work hard to achieve them, but try to focus on how you’re growing and what you’re learning. Meet the challenges with excited anticipation, not as another rung in the ladder. Spend time focusing on your relationships and a spiritual component. Those are the things that really matter.

You never regret being kind. This is my new mantra and I wish I had practiced it in my 20’s. When I was coming up through the ranks, there was a lot of pressure to be “man-like,” which I sometimes interpreted incorrectly. Being kind is not being weak. When dealing with co-worker, bosses, clients, or anyone, remember that they have pressures, problems and agendas of which you are not aware. Be kind even when others are not kind to you, and you will not believe the results. Even if the results are not satisfactory, you will have no regrets.