Three Things I Wish I Had Known in My 20’s: Mary Kaiser

Good morning from a very chilly Austin, TX. I am pretty excited that it finally feels like Fall!

We are starting off the morning with “3 Things” by Mary Kaiser, founder of Start with Strengths.

She has over 25 years of consulting and coaching expertise working with entrepreneurs, business leaders and individuals to help identify their strengths and apply those talents successfully in the workplace. She has worked across all levels of executive leadership, including CXO/board member/EVP, SVP/MD, VP/director and manager/supervisor, to grow and develop teams and improve corporate cultures.

Check out what Mary has to say:

Do what you enjoy.
Like most people in my 20s, I was busy trying to do what I was supposed to do.  According to who?  This notion was mostly based on what I thought were the “cool careers”.  They sounded good and were “prestigious”.  But, after years of trying my hand at different things, I learned a big lesson about which careers I was and wasn’t suited for. Today, I have the pleasure of helping others discover what careers they are uniquely suited for.  One of the most meaningful pieces of professional feedback I have received was from a young woman who I worked with and shared advice on career choices based on strengths and passion.  She sent me a note letting me know that I had influenced her to choose a career path based on something she wanted to do, while her classmates chose what they thought they should do.  Understanding her strengths and passions provided her with the confidence she needed to pursue her career choice and direction.
 
Don’t limit yourself to the job ads.
The world has so many opportunities that don’t come in neat and tidy job descriptions or require the perfect resume.  When I got my undergraduate degree, I wasn’t aware of all the possible paths I could take.  Instead, I took the traditional interview routes and landed a traditional job.  I don’t regret that experience because I truly believe everything gets you somewhere, but I am now keenly aware that there were certainly alternate paths I could’ve taken which I didn’t even know existed at the time.  I encourage the clients I coach to do a lot of exploring, soul searching and thinking outside of the box. Find out what’s out there by meeting with people whose careers interest you and identify the role and environment that will work best for you.

Create space and time to be introspective.
In my 20s, life was good. I had job opportunities, friends and was married to my high school sweetheart.  I was running hard without giving much thought to what made me tick or why it even mattered.  Unfortunately, in my 30s several things fell apart and I began to do some self-awareness work.  As a result, I got into the profession that I’m in now and know that I’m meant to do what I’m doing.  As a coach, I often see that people need to get to a pain point before they take a good look in the mirror.  I believe it’s critical to take time out for self-reflection before things get uncomfortable and that it’s never too late to make a meaningful change.