A couple days ago my career coach (I'll give more detail on why I have a career coach in upcoming posts) asked me what my "I'm king of the world" moment in my career was. I knew it instantly and it made me smile. That moment was almost four years ago - and nothing since has come close. So the more I thought about it, the more sad I became - but it's also one of the reasons I am where I am (and happy about it). My boss and I landed a huge account - we worked so hard on this pitch and thought we were underdogs going into it. We did have a few others help us, but it was pretty much her and I.
We landed it! The account should have been a signature account for the agency. About six months into the relationship, all we heard from the executive committee was "You're not making a profit - we're losing money". They slowing started to chip away at my spirit. We worked our butt off and did some great work (I'm proud of that and they will never take that away from me). Bottom line, we lost the account after two years. We had to raise our fees and the nonprofit said "we're sorry to hear that, we need to cut back".
The corporate world - I understand turning a profit, but they lost sight of the big picture. It would have attracted more business and larger accounts than what they were used to handling.
This "event" was a big one on my journey to enlightenment.
Why this was the "I'm king of the world" moment for me:
* Our hard work paid off - we nailed it!
* We were strategic
* We were creative
* We had great teamwork and collaborated
* I presented well (not one of my favorite things to do)
* We liked our clients and they have a good mission
These are things that I enjoy and why I do what I do.
What's your "I'm king of the world" moment?
This is an extraordinary question to pose. I have had a few in my life - some personal and some professional. Personally, pulling together my family for the good of the family was by far the most rewarding moment in my life. Ted even brings it up now and then as an amazing time that he could never do himself. Professionally, it would have to be being one the top presenters at the National Council of Teachers of English national conference for my integration of writing theory and technology and then being accepted for two years at the USHMM in DC.
ReplyDeleteI just nevr thought of them as King moments, but this blog will definitely help to keep me focused on what is relevant to my existence.
Tracey! These are great moments and you have achieved so much - professionally and personally. Thanks for sharing.
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