My Journey to Oprah…
The message in this picture popped up as a Facebook memory earlier this week. 11 years ago, this was something people said to me a lot (spoiler: Oprah and I have yet to meet).
At the time, I was a year or so into coaching, had a thriving one-on-one practice, was leading workshops, and exposure from a couple of successful speaking engagements at the Agape International Spiritual Center had brought me clients from across the country (and Europe). I did some radio interviews and even had an invitation to be featured on the TV show, Millionaire Matchmaker (my client was the bachelor). I mean, Oprah didn’t seem totally out of the realm of possibility.
Unfortunately, the TV show fell through and life took an expected turn (as it often does). My father-who had previously beaten cancer-was now suffering in indescribable ways from the effects of his treatments. I dedicated a year to help support his wellbeing and his business. Any leftover time and energy were devoted to my two young children, my husband (who had just produced his first film), and serving my small pool of regular clients.
Having that year with my dad created some of the most precious moments of my life. I will never regret the choices I made. AND, it changed everything in terms of where I thought my life was headed.
Have you ever felt like life took a sudden and drastic detour from where you thought you were going? Did it feel as soul-crushing for you as it did for me?
With my husband’s film not yet sold, and my practice shrinking, I decided to make what I hoped would be a very temporary sacrifice, and get a [gulp] “real job” to augment my coaching. It was honestly one of the saddest moments of my life.
Having made my career as an acting teacher turned personal/professional coach, clearly, I had loads of professional options (uh...not really).
Gratefully, I had clients and friends who believed in me and made introductions to open-minded executives that were willing to work with unconventional me. And so began my corporate career.
I’m not gonna lie, the first few months, there were a lot of tears. I felt like I was giving up on my life’s calling and the work I was SUPPOSED to be doing.
But then something amazing happened. Instead of judging my new environment as something different/apart from me (and my personal mission), I started to look at this new reality through MY LENS and got curious….
How can I really be of service here?
Where can my skills and perspective make a difference?
How can I do what I love (foster better communication and connection) right where I am?
How can I help others succeed?
You know what I found? There were TONS of opportunities to make a difference, right where I was. Every day, I saw small and sometimes profound ways, I could meaningfully contribute.
I spent the next several years helping to reinvent the organization's communication strategies (and gaining a bunch of new skills) through social media, by producing videos, podcasts, and articles to better serve their clients and staff.
I worked closely with leadership on topics ranging from company culture and customer service to branding and mission statements.
Even though I no longer “have to” do corporate work, I continue to do it because I truly enjoy the work and it feels like just a different expression of the coaching work I do.
All of the work I’ve done has helped me grow personally and professionally in innumerable ways. I know that I’m a better coach because of my corporate work, and I also know that the very best work I’ve done in the corporate arena happened when I showed up with all my coaching skills.
Change is inevitable and life will periodically knock you on your ass, but if you really want to feel purpose, meaning, and fulfillment in your life, then you have to release what life “should” have looked like to extract all the good that is available right where you are.
Oprah might never call now (but if she does that IS a call I would actually pick up), but it was never about that for me anyway. It has always been about the joy I get from doing work that I love and that makes a difference.
The next time you find yourself in less than ideal circumstances (hello 2020), consider what your perfect scenario would be, and what you would be contributing there. Then experiment with bringing that right where you are.