Although I am not a runner and have never liked it as an exercise routine, I’ve always enjoyed watching the track and field events of the summer Olympics. It’s fascinating to watch the difference between the 100 meter sprints versus the marathons. The sprints are done in a blink of an eye whereas the marathons start slow and steady and then pick up steam at the very end. The marathon runners pace themselves; they know how to conserve energy and when to ramp it up.
In my case, I’ve never been good at the art of the marathon, but rather I’ve always been more of a sprinter. Not in the literal sense, but in the working hard, getting things done quickly and making sure that everything delivered is “perfectly done”. For every task, I give it my all and have been this way ever since I was a kid.
I developed a work ethic that was extremely intense where I worked so hard until I would hit a wall and crash and burn (not literally, but you get the idea). I would go from non-stop to full stop where I had to take long breaks to recover and regain the energy required to get back to work again. I’m sure many of you can relate to this and although it’s not necessarily a bad thing, having some balance is important and healthy.
Call it a personality trait, a blessing or a curse, the truth is, that I never learned the art of “pacing myself” until I walked away from my career. I realized that going “full throttle” all the time was only hurting me, and, in the end, I could still do a good job without exerting all my energy all the time, and all at once.
“The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step”– Lao Tzu
I love this quote/proverb because it’s a reminder that sometimes you just have to take small steps, one at a time to get to where you’re going. Sometimes the journey is longer, sometimes it’s shorter, but the journey is the exciting part, it’s where we learn the lessons (hopefully) and grow as individuals and professionals.
My career track was a long and fruitful one and I will be forever grateful for all of it. It took me 22 years from being an intern to a Senior Vice President. Many people may scoff at it and say that it’s not exactly something to be proud of, but in my perspective, it was a blessing and the perfect length of time.
The First Steps
I began as a college intern, working for free (college credits only) doing all sorts of tasks, such as ordering lunch for the talent and crew, making copies, organizing things on set, welcoming guests and escorting them from the lobby to the studio, etc. Once I graduated, they gave me an opportunity to work part time as a production assistant doing the same responsibilities as an intern but now, they incremented to include more production related tasks and helping the producer with her needs. And the rest, as they say is history! I worked on multiple shows, from entertainment talk shows, to news, to live events and ultimately worked in the programming department overseeing the branding and continuity elements of the main broadcast network.
However, because I always wanted to “run” rather than “walk” and worked very hard, I often felt frustrated and discouraged when I wasn’t considered for a promotion, or for more responsibility. Many times, I wanted to quit and find something else, but I loved my profession and the people I worked with were a special community of friends and colleagues, so I carried on, focusing on the work itself.
In my eagerness to grow, I would always say yes to new projects, and challenges, knowing that I wouldn’t necessarily get the recognition in terms of salary or position increases. I did it because I loved the work and in the end it paid dividends!
I also didn’t have 5 year growth plans, agendas or specific goals, I just kept my head down and worked hard. It was a different time, in a unique professional setting that wasn’t conducive to that type of mentality. Today, the work environment is very different where setting benchmarks, and tracking your growth are instrumental to your career trajectory. It seems that in today’s world, sprinting is more valuable than running a marathon, but I would argue that the opposite can be true.
Benefits of a Long Journey
I’m grateful that my path took a long time because along the way, I learned many valuable skills and important lessons that shaped me to be a better leader, colleague and person.
Looking back on those early years, it was the best thing that could have happened to me. I wasn’t mature enough to take on managerial responsibilities, and frankly, I didn’t have the experience that was required to do so. Being at the bottom of the totem pole however, I learned the ins and outs of the creative process, operations, costs of materials, scheduling, working with vendors, managing budgets, understanding the perspective of finance and human resources and what it took to make things happen. It was like a master class in television production, and I wouldn’t have it any other way. Once I made it to the “top” all those skills came in very handy, making me a fair and better leader because I understood the entire process from beginning to end.
The Giant Step
As it always happens, life takes some sharp turns and in what seems to be a very short time, everything began to change in our company. New owners led to major changes in leadership and suddenly I found myself with new opportunities that were never presented to me before.
I had to learn how to navigate deeper waters with people that didn’t really know me, or my background and my community of peers were slowly being let go or leaving on their own accord. It was daunting and scary at times, but again, I carried on and stayed the course but this time with even more intensity because “the game was on”! This was my time, and a potential breakthrough was a real possibility.
As a result, the opportunity to be the Vice President of Marketing for one of the smaller cable networks became available and I jumped on it without hesitation. It was an interesting move that many questioned. I was going from the big network (the monster ship) to the seemingly unimportant side of the business, but I knew it was the right move for me. It gave me a chance to make a positive impact and because it was a scrappy team with little to no budget, I was able to apply all the skills I had learned throughout my career. It was also a lot of fun!
But here’s where the story gets even more interesting. A couple of consultants were hired to do an internal analysis of the company’s creative efforts and next thing I knew I was called into an office where I was told that I would be the Senior Vice President of the new internal creative agency that was being built from ground up. Wait…what?!?!?!
I’m not going to lie, rather am going to be very frank; I was overwhelmed. This role was more than I thought I could handle, but a friend and former boss gave me the best advice: “If you don’t take it, someone else will. Are you prepared to answer to someone who may have less experience than you?” That will forever stay with me, because he was right, and I had to trust in my own abilities and know that God presented this to me for a reason. So, I said YES and took it on!
It was an amazing 6 year ride that led to many more opportunities for growth. There were lots of challenges, moments of frustration and insanity, but I wouldn’t change it for the world. What I learned in those years of senior leadership made me into the person I am today. I apply many of those skills to my day to day life and have mentored many others along the way.
Dose of Wisdom: Try the marathon!
Be patient: In this fast paced world, we want immediacy in everything we do. You may think you’re ready for the big promotion, but maybe you’re not. Or maybe it’s not the right time. Take a step back and analyze the situation objectively.
Don’t compare yourself: Everyone’s journey and trajectory is different. Just because someone is a big time CEO giant at 25 doesn’t mean that you must be, to be successful. We all have unique skills and have different life experiences and expectations. Comparing yourself is only going to lead you down a road of resentment and potentially other negative feelings that can be very harmful.
The climb is not a straight ladder: It’s a misnomer to call it a “corporate ladder” because the truth is that it’s more of a “jungle gym”. There’s ups and downs, monkey bars and slides! Sometimes a parallel move can be more effective and can catapult you to the next level!
Say yes: When we are feeling frustrated or stuck, we have a tendency of saying “that’s not my job and I don’t get paid to do that”. Can I offer a different perspective? Perhaps if you say yes to taking on another task that is not in your job description, you may learn something new which can lead to an entirely different path that you may have never considered. This is not to say that you should let yourself be taken advantage of, but if an opportunity to try something new presents itself, give yourself the chance!
Be prepared: always do your homework! Never go into a meeting without knowing who will be attending or what it is about. Try and get some intel so that you can be ready for any questions that may come your way. And if you don’t know the answer, just say, “I don’t know the answer right now, but will get back to you.” As long as people see that you are organized and prepared, they will respect you for your honesty.
Current Perspective on my Past
My career was an exciting one filled with peaks and valleys, good times and bad. I do not regret my journey, the length it took or how I got to a senior position. When I reflect on it, I know that I worked with integrity, gave it my all and left it all on the field.
Would I have done some things differently? Of course! There’s always room for improvement, but I’m satisfied with how it all turned out. Ultimately, the original track is what led me to my new path. My work ethic remains the same, but now I’m like a marathon runner and not a sprinter. The slower I run, the more I get to enjoy the journey and not focus so much on the end result. I leave that to God!
