How long are you willing to persist toward your goal?

I recently met my mother in New York City.  My mom is an author and she was exhibiting at Book Expo to promote her first adult novel— The Reindeer Keeper, a Christmas story for baby boomers.  Although this is her first novel, she’s also authored and illustrated three children’s picture books and has been published in Chicken Soup for the Soul, McCall’s, Highlights for Children, The Crafts Report, and has written numerous newspaper articles.  By all accounts, she’s a very successful writer.

When I learned my mother’s intention of participating at Book Expo it was just a natural thought that I would join her.  My mom has been writing for as long as I can remember- she’s actually been writing since age 7.  I’ve always felt drawn to her talent and very attuned to her aspirations of making a living from her writing/illustrative talent.  Attending a tradeshow with my mother was nothing new.  I’ve joined my mom several times in the past when she exhibited at the New York Licensing Show— an event where companies seek properties (ie. logos; images) to license for use on products.  For years my mom was focused on licensing her children’s characters to companies.  Every time we attended a show we were certain that that time would be IT.  The time when my mom’s children’s characters would be discovered and she would finally reach her goal of working full time as an author/illustrator.  But it never happened.  Not because my mother isn’t talented; not because her stories aren’t good.  In fact, my mother is a gifted writer and her children’s characters are very sweet and enduring.  However, we have learned over the years that talent and quality does not necessarily equate to success.  Often times that’s not enough.  For the lucky- the famous or shall I even say infamous- it’s easy to write and publish a book.  More often than not they don’t even have to write the book- that’s where ghostwriters come in; and publishing companies are eager to take the book on because they know the books will sell because of the celebrity on the cover. So where does that leave folks who aren’t famous, yet have great talent and a true passion for the written word?  This got me thinking…

There are so many talented and gifted people out there.  Some may aspire to be a famous novelist or singer; others may aspire to create their own business, some may have political aspirations or a desire to earn their Masters or Ph.D.  So why do some people succeed in reaching their goal and others don’t?  I don’t believe it’s for lack of talent; rather I believe it’s due to lack of persistence.  You can have all the talent in the world, yet if you lack the drive and the willingness to push toward your goal, you will not achieve it.

So this brings me back to the New York Book Expo.  As I sat in my mother’s booth, watching my mom interact with fellow authors, librarians, books agents, and publishers, I realized the true grit and determination she possesses.  Her goal has always been to make a living from her writing; yet she’s still not quite there.  So many people would have given up by now.  But not my mom.  I realized at that moment that IT never happened at all those past tradeshows because it wasn’t supposed to happen that way.  By not having her children’s concepts discovered by a major licensing company, it forced my mom to stop writing and illustrating children’s stories and begin to focus on writing for adults— which ultimately is her true strength.  That shift in focus would not have happened if she “made it” long ago.  

Everyone has a path to success.  Some of the lucky achieve success early on, some never stay on their path because they quit after incurring a few bumps in the road, and some like my mother take a longer journey.  In my mom’s case, she is still on her path toward success.  Through re-evaluation, her path took a different direction, yet it did not end.  It continues in a different direction.

I know IT will happen for my mom; the way IT is supposed to.  And IT will happen because she never gave up.

This theme of persistence reminds me of my fifth conversation I had while in New York.  I was lucky enough to spend some time with a very successful entrepreneur who lives in Manhattan.  She had a vision in 1992 and gave herself four months to achieve it.  Well that four months turned into two years— two years of rejections, brick walls, and hard work.  But she did it.  I will post this interview later this week so please check back.

You may be encountering some bumps lately on your path to success; perhaps you've experienced a recent failure, set-back, or rejection.  These come across your path to give you an opportunity to re-evaluate.  They may serve as an opportunity to change direction on your path toward success.  Note: I say re-evaluate; not give up.  Are you willing to persist toward your goal?  Are you willing to change course if needed?  I guess it depends how bad you want to achieve IT. Whatever IT is to you.

Check back later this week for Conversation #5.  Meanwhile I leave you with this:

"Nothing in this world can take the place of persistence.  Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful people with talent.  Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb.  Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts.  Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent.  The slogan 'press on' has solved and always will solve the problems of the human race."
—Wolfgang von Goethe

Conversation #4: An unexpected realization on the path to success

What do you get when you possess confidence, drive, surround yourself with great mentors— oh and not to mention have a degree from The Wharton School of Business mixed with a bit of luck?  SUCCESS

 

I sensed early on in my recent conversation with Ellen Robinson, Principal of The Robinson Group, a business and leadership coaching practice based in Denver, that Ellen meant business.  How else could she have managed to become President of Ascent Sports, owners of the Denver Nuggets and Colorado Avalanche at just 35 years old?  [The Denver Nuggets and Colorado Avalanche are now owned by Kroenke Sports.]

 

What can we learn from Ellen Robinson’s climb to the top?  Lots of things— including something very surprising and refreshing.

 

Growing up middle class, the eldest of two girls, Ellen had a very supporting and normal upbringing.  As luck would have it, she was surrounded by successful professionals within her community very early on.  Exposure to those role models planted the seed for Ellen’s climb to the top; she set her sights high from a young age.  

 

Combining Ellen’s natural drive and ambition with her family’s unwavering support, it was no surprise that she ended up at The Wharton School studying Marketing and Finance. Hard work got her there; but hard work was not enough to land her first job out of college. That took some luck. During Ellen’s senior year, Frito Lay was interviewing graduate students on her campus.  Even though she was an undergrad, she managed to procure a slot on their interview schedule. Subsequently, Ellen landed her first job as Assistant Brand Manager with Frito Lay located in Dallas, Texas.

 

Whether she knew it then or not, Ellen was following some of her own advice she'd given when I asked her what she would tell a young woman interested in moving up the corporate ladder. 

 

 “Get in a position where you can affect the company’s bottom line and develop your leadership skills”, says Ellen. “This could be in such areas as sales or line management”. 

 

 After three years of successfully increasing market share and sales for Frito Lay packaged goods, Ellen felt it was time for a change.  She and her husband relocated to Denver, Colorado— a city she felt better fit her lifestyle.

 

Finding herself in a new city; a new start, Ellen was looking forward to pursuing her entrepreneurial ambitions.  “I’ve always had an entrepreneurial spirit” explains Ellen, “stemming from running lemonade stands as a young girl.”

 

But sometimes even the best plans can be thrown off course unexpectedly.  One of Ellen’s mentors she met while working at Frito Lay reached out to Ellen when he learned she was living in Denver.  He asked her if she was interested in working as the Area Marketing Manager for Pepsi-Cola based out of Denver.  While it was Ellen’s intention to start an entrepreneurial venture, this unexpected opportunity seemed right at the time. She seized the opportunity.  Remember-never burn your bridges from jobs you leave and stay in touch with former colleagues and mentors— you never know what opportunities may arise because of such connections.  Look what doors opened for Ellen by following this rule.  

 

Continuing her self-imposed rule of setting her sights high, Ellen made her ambitions clear at Pepsi-Cola.  She strived to move into other positions requiring increased responsibility and exposure and she was not shy in letting upper management aware of her goals.  Knowing this, I was surprised to learn that at one point in her career with Pepsi-Cola, she actually took a step down by accepting a position with less responsibility while at the same time allowing her more exposure in other key areas of the company.  As part of her strategic master plan of moving up, this move afforded her invaluable experience in the company’s strategy, operation and sales.  Ellen’s luck continued. Six months after that step down, the head of sales left the position allowing Ellen the opportunity to take on additional responsibility.  Unaware of it at the time, her increased responsibility and varied experiences would culminate in both a preparation for a major career transition and a realization that would catch her by surprise.

When the position of General Manager of the Pepsi-Cola Bottling Company in Denver opened, Ellen saw this as her golden opportunity.  The thought of running the third largest bottling operation in the country enticed her.  However, this big step up for Ellen would require bold action.  Instead of backing away from this intimidating opportunity, Ellen seized the moment; making it known she was interested in the position.  Such a bold course of action landed her an interview.  But not just any interview.

Typically, Pepsi-Cola would groom someone for a position of this magnitude; allowing them to get their feet wet before moving them into such a prominent position.  Because of this and Ellen’s young age, she was required to fly to New York to interview with Pepsi Company’s President and CEO.  To Ellen, this was not just an interview— this was her opportunity to meet her “hero” in person.  For years, Ellen had aspired to become just like this woman. 

Ellen walked away from the interview with not only the job but something quite unexpected; the realization that she did not aspire to be like her hero.  While she was still inspired by the woman’s accomplishments and career success, Ellen realized what her hero had given up to get there.  There was no work-life balance; the job was all consuming.  Ellen made a commitment right then and there to consciously weave balance into her career as she continued down her path to success.

Are there other departments or positions within your company that you aspire to?  However they might be a step up— you may feel like you are not completely qualified or lack the experience so you aren’t willing to express interest?  Just think if Ellen didn’t speak out, step up, and take a risk for the position of General Manager.  She may not be where she is today. Don’t let fear hold you back from pushing forward in your career.

Ellen was highly successful in her new position with Pepsi-Cola.  Because of her accomplishments and client contacts made while at Pepsi-Cola, she was approached by the executive team at Ascent Sports, at the time owners of the Denver Nuggets and Colorado Avalanche, for the position of President.  Ellen seized this opportunity.  Her luck had continued.  Do you feel stuck in your current role or company?  Have you lost your enthusiasm you bring to your job?  Now is not the time to put less effort into your job; now is the time to work harder than ever.  Continue with high quality work because this defines your personal brand.  This sets the stage for your next move in your career path.  You never know what opportunities may come along from clients or contacts that you interact with each day and if you’re not putting 100% into your current job and defining your personal brand, these opportunities may pass you by.

After two years spent as President of Ascent sports, Ellen could no longer hold her entrepreneurial spirit back.  From what she learned in the arena of high level sporting events, Ellen developed a software technology geared towards the meetings and events industry.  Unlike lemonade stands this venture was not without risk; this was big time.  Ellen connected with another one of her mentors who knew the venture capitalist arena.  Through his guidance and a lot of networking, Ellen secured $4 million which allowed her to move from business plan to reality.  However, this business start-up failed after three years.  Ellen took it in stride; learning more valuable lessons.

“I did the best I could knowing what I knew at the time” says Ellen.  “I’m proud of myself, never look back, and have no regrets.”

Have you had a recent failure lately?  Maybe something didn’t go as planned?  Do what Ellen did and look at your failure as a learning experience and use what you learned to move forward down your path to success.

Feeling tired and “out of balance”, Ellen took time off to spend with her family and to do some soul searching.  “I took a lot of time thinking about how hard I wanted to work, how long, and in what industry” says Ellen.  “I decided I wanted to help people develop."

Ellen started The Robinson Group— a business and leadership coaching service where she serves as Principal today.  Ellen focuses on helping business executives become more effective in the workplace.  Of course she stresses the importance of work-life balance to her clients—something near and dear to her heart.  By remaining true to herself and taking time to figure out how she wanted to work and live, Ellen truly has found success and happiness.  And of course a little bit of luck along the way helped too.

So what can we learn from Ellen’s climb to the top?

1.      Importance of mentors— looking back at Ellen’s journey, it appears that a mentor was involved at most key turning points in her career path, whether passing a job opportunity her way or assisting with advice and guidance.  If you don’t have mentors, start reaching out.

2.      Risk taking— Ellen was not afraid to step out of her comfort zone in order to move up in her career and ultimately change careers.  Are you willing to take a risk?

3.      Strategic thinking— sometimes a career path unfolds naturally and sometimes it takes some strategic thinking and soul searching.  If you are on a career path, decide where you see yourself in the future and map out a course of action to get there.  Don’t have a career path?  Return to #1— get a mentor to help guide you.

Surround yourself with people who support you

As you may have noticed I've been slacking off in the post department lately.  I went through a time last month where I lost all confidence and enthusiasm for this project.  However I still managed to muster enough energy to push on with my third conversation— and I'm so glad I did.  I discovered something unexpected and something very important.  [If you missed Conversation #3 with Celia Slater, Executive Director, NCAA Women Coaches Academy check out my April 25 post].

I had never met Celia before.  She didn't know me.  We were introduced via email by a colleague of mine who used to work with Celia when she was head women’s basketball coach at Lynn University.  So when I spoke to this "complete stranger" over the phone I was taken aback by her interest in my project [quite honestly she had more interest in my project at that time than I did].  She thought it was a wonderful endeavor and was excited and honored to take part.  [Honored?  I was the one that was honored that she wanted to participate].  Not only did her personal story inspire me; she encouraged me to continue down this path of “conversations”.  After we spoke, I found a renewed energy for this project and more importantly discovered something that gave me chills and stirred my soul.

A few weeks before my conversation with Celia, I received a phone call from an old high school friend. It was completely out of the blue; I hadn’t talked to her in nearly five years however we’ve always seemed to be able to pick up just where we left off and this time was no exception.  I was glad she called and was looking forward to catching up.   I was excited to fill her in on this project, my “vision” of myself as I approach the next phase of my life and how my project ties into my metamorphosis.  [My biggest goal on this journey of conversations is that I finish what I started and hopefully discover a few things about myself; and of course I hope to motivate you to continue to move forward down your path toward success].

As our conversation unfolded a strange thing happened.  I found myself hesitant to tell my longtime friend the vision I have created for myself.  I felt awkward making this “declaration” to my friend whom I’ve known for over 25 years.  Why can’t I get my words out?  I’ve declared my vision to others lately with ease and confidence and they don’t even know me as well [I will come back to this thought later].  But I finally did it; I declared my vision— out loud; over the phone.  There was a brief silence and then my friend commented “now what is your purpose in this? Don’t you think you’re better off spending your time and energy elsewhere?  All of a sudden I was back in high school— with my big hair, neon pants and gold, metallic shoes [believe it or not this was actually cool back then]. And for the first time in my life I saw how her words cut me down.   Looking back at our friendship, I never really got her true support on things.  She always found a way to knock me off my pedestal or discourage me from trying something new.  I must have known this on an unconscious level and that’s why I was so hesitant to declare my bold, new vision.  She never truly respected me; she actually never really got me— I always dealt with it because that’s just how it always was.  But at that moment I realized that she will never get me or the person that I’ve become and am striving to be, much less support it.  And now I have the choice to react to this situation differently because I am not who I used to be.  Maybe those “strangers” that I’ve declared my intentions to lately actually know me- the person I have become and am striving to be because there is no past history between us.  They see me for who I am now and that's why it was easier for me to declare my vision to them rather than to my longtime friend.

I couldn’t wait to get off the phone; when I did I found myself crying uncontrollably, reflecting on my life and oddly enough my mother.  In that moment I finally understood what my mom has been experiencing for quite some time now.  My mother is a talented and gifted writer.  Just some of her accomplishments include stories published in Chicken Soup for the Soul, Highlights for Children, McCalls, and The Crafts Report in addition to authoring/illustrating three published children’s books and an adult novel.  However her sister never asks about her writing; never expresses an interest in her stories.  She never congratulates or encourages my mom.  To her, my mother is just “Porky” [her childhood nickname].  My mother is just her sister and that’s all she will ever be to her.  She doesn’t see my mother for the author she is today; for the person she has become. 

So what do you do when your friends don’t encourage you?  When they don’t jive with your vision anymore?  When they don’t know you anymore?  Some friends come into your life at certain times and for certain reasons.  However as you grow and change sometimes that friendship doesn’t serve its purpose anymore.  You may find that your “friend” is no longer supporting your new vision of you, or the new goals you are trying to achieve, or the person you’ve become.  Maybe they’re not supporting the new you anymore because they only see the older version of you; maybe they’re not supportive because it will force them to take a look at themselves and their ways of doing things.  Whatever the reason, you have to decide if that friendship is working for you now.  It might be time to cut the cord with some friendships that have become toxic; or it might take you accepting the fact that you are not going to receive support from that friend as you become the new you. You can still be friends but your relationship won't be like the past.

When it comes to family it’s a bit more complicated, however it boils down to the fact that you have to envision the person you want to become and you must surround yourself with those friends and family members who see you for who you truly are and aspire to be.  And you also may find support from unexpected sources— from people that you don’t know very well.  However these acquaintances see and know the real you because they are not constrained by your past.  This support might come from members of a club you recently joined, from complete strangers who have been reading your blog and actually post a comment; or from someone you met in a class that you just started.

Visualize who and what you want to be and surround yourself with those who see you in that role.  Don’t let an old friend or family member steer you off course just because they only see you for who you were. 

You owe it to yourself to become the person you were meant to be.

I've picked myself back up from my phone conversation with my "friend", dusted myself off, and I'm back on track thanks to the encouragement I continue to receive from those like Celia Slater.  Hang in there with me...I have more conversations in the works.  This journey is a learning process— I'm discovering that these conversations take more back and forth than expected and I want to give my interviews the time and respect they deserve and in turn offer some great content for you.  I appreciate your patience as I discover the "art of journalism".  More conversations to come!

Conversation #3: The path to reinvention

“I never dreamed that I’d be directing the NCAA Women Coaches Academy.”
            — Celia Slater, Executive Director, NCAA Women Coaches
                Academy; Co-founder, Win Star Foundation

So what do you do when you know that you are done with your current job—or your current profession?  When you know it’s time for you to move on to the next phase of life but you’re not sure what your next steps are— or just how do you take the first step?  When you have visions of what you could do but don’t have a solid course of action—how do you turn a vision into reality?

You do what Celia Slater did.  You declare your vision out loud. You get out there. You push harder than ever, and you keep moving forward even when your vision isn’t going as originally planned.

At one point in Celia’s life if you’d asked her to describe herself in one word, she very well could have answered “basketball”.  As a college student, Celia played basketball for both Clemson and Florida State. Between studying and playing she managed to find time to work basketball camps. It was at these camps that she discovered her love of teaching.  For Celia, it seemed a natural progression to become a college basketball coach.  She spent 16 years in college coaching. Toward the latter part of her career as head women’s basketball coach at Lynn University, Celia sensed it was time to embark down a new path.  But what?  Although she was searching for her next step, she lacked the courage to actually make a change.

“Basketball was a huge part of my identity”, says Slater.  “I felt like I couldn’t walk away because I didn’t know who I’d be without it (basketball) so I felt fearful to leave.”

Despite the fear; even with the uncertainty, Celia was not shy sharing her ideas about a program she envisioned that would improve team experiences for student athletes. She named the program “Play with Purpose.” Celia truly believed that this program was her ticket out of coaching.  She envisioned herself teaching these workshops in her next life’s phase. However, things took an unexpected turn.  As Celia began focusing this program toward student athletes, she discovered that coaches also benefited. This sparked the development of a Coaches Program.  But coaches couldn’t attain the funding to pay for their enrolling in the workshops and any attempts made to gain workshop sponsors fell short.

Despite this disappointment, Celia continued to push forward in all ways possible to find her next steps.  As she states, she was “searching hard” at this point; going to any industry event she could.  One such event was sponsored by the National Association of College Women’s Athletic Administrators.  Little did Celia realize that this move would become the major turning point in her path to reinvention. The event featured a rather unique fundraiser and when it was over Celia ended up with Judy Sweet, NCAA's VP of Championships & Educational Services as her mentor. This relationship led to Celia being introduced to the Chair of Women Athletics at the NCAA and subsequently her submitting a proposal for her Coaches Program. As a result, the NCAA awarded seed money to test how the program would be received.

In an ironic turn of events, as Celia felt her coaching career crumbling to pieces, her life was coming together.  Feeling like a failure after experiencing an awful coaching year, ironically, the right people starting showing up; the funding for the Coaching Program started to appear. The universe was listening to her ideas.  Celia quickly took steps to rebuild her self-confidence; keenly aware of the need to be at the top of her game to grasp hold of the opportunity the universe was unveiling. 

“I didn’t have a lot of time to sit around feeling sorry for myself” explains Slater.

With Celia leading the way, the NCAA pilot programs became a success and as they say, the rest is history. To date Celia has directed 22 highly successful NCAA Women Coaching Academy sessions, which are open to any coach from any sport, and any division.

“I remember sitting back and crying during the very first Coaches Academy” states Celia.  “It felt like things were clicking and coming together; and I felt so humbled doing it.”

But the Coaches Academy wasn’t the only idea that clicked. Remember Celia’s first program idea “Play with Purpose” — the idea she felt would be her ticket out of coaching?  This program, along with the Coaches Academy, now comprise The Win Star Foundation— a non-profit educational organization co-founded by Celia that provides leadership and skills training for coaches and athletes.  And the NCAA is their largest grant.

Celia’s path to reinvention was not without unexpected turns and obstacles, however she feels it was well worth the struggle.  “I can’t imagine doing anything else” says Celia. 

As you move down your journey to success, your vision might not look the way you thought it would at the start. At the beginning of her journey Celia never dreamed she would be coaching Academies for the NCAA.

“You need to let go of any attachments of what your vision looked like at the beginning because you don’t know the bigger picture.  You have to let things unfold the way they are supposed to— let go and let it happen.” 

— Celia Slater, Executive Director, NCAA Women Coaches
     Academy; Co-founder, Win Star Foundation

Declare it and persist

With two conversations under my belt I must admit that the thought of 498 more to go is rather daunting.  Not that I ever thought this was going to be a piece of cake but starting was easy. It's continuing the momentum and enthusiasm that is the difficult part.  I've already faced obstacles on this road to 500 conversations....the biggest obstacle being me.

I was struck by something Moe Keller, former Colorado State Senator said during our conversation [see my March 28 post].  Along her political journey, she just decided that mental health was going to be her mission— and it has been ever since.  Declaring her mission led her to her life's work.

So I've decided to declare this project my mission.  And to make the stakes even higher (and to light a fire under my butt) I am declaring a deadline for this project.   It's my mission to complete 500 conversations by April 10, 2013— my 43rd birthday. 

Is there something you've been thinking about doing?  Something you want to accomplish?  Something you've started but haven't given it your all?  Maybe your goal is to finish your degree, buy a new car, get out of that job you can't stand.  Whatever your goal is, make it your mission to do it.  Declare it, own it, give yourself a deadline to complete it.  Don't waiver from your mission— keep persisting even when your journey gets bumpy.  Persist, persist, persist.

I've gotta go now— I have 498 more conversations to go and I only have 2 years to complete this mission! 

Check back this week for Conversation #3.

"Nothing in this world can take the place of persistence.  Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful people with talent.  Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb.  Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts.  Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent.  The slogan 'press on' has solved and always will solve the problems of the human race."

—Wolfgang von Goethe

Conversation #2: The journey to her life's work

I recently sat down for a conversation with Moe Keller, former Colorado State Senator and currently Vice President of Public Policy & Systems Advocacy for Mental Health America of Colorado. My intention was to uncover a journey which has led her to where she is today. Quite interestingly, what I uncovered was a journey that led her to living her life’s work.

When Moe Keller was in high school, the idea of becoming a state senator never crossed her mind.  Although admittedly interested in politics, she wanted to be a teacher.  Moe loved kids; was a tutor on Saturday mornings. Her curiosity was peaked when watching a deaf woman in her neighborhood signing. This turned Moe’s focus to deaf children when tutoring. As she states, “I kinda stumbled upon some sign language stuff”.  Moe continued this focus through college. It was when she was earning her teaching experience at a school for the deaf that Moe “knew she was home”. 

For 25 years, Moe was an interpreter and teacher for the deaf. During this time, she was exposed to some politics but still the thought of running for office never crossed her mind. She became involved with community and neighborhood based issues which led to her attending local city council meetings.  Because of this involvement, she was encouraged to run for city council.  Moe admits to doubts-even fears when deciding to run.  After all, this was a totally different path for her to embark upon; something she’d never done before.  In the final analysis, several factors played a key role in her believing that she could run and in her ultimate decision to run.

Moe possessed a confidence which she herself attributes to her upbringing.  The second of four children, Moe stepped up to the plate; taking the lead role due to her older brother suffering from a mental illness. She was the “oldest” in the sense of relating to her parents and she formed a very strong bond with her father. Because of his encouragement and support, she realized from a young age that she would be going to college; that she could be anything she wanted to be.

“He was an outstanding father,” Moe states. “If I got involved in something, he was right there.”

Moe was fortunate to find these same attributes in her husband.  He’d always encourage her to be all she could be.  Besides the foundation from her father and the support of her husband, Moe was fortunate to be surrounded by capable people who could mentor her through the process of running.  They’d been through the process before. They agreed to assist her with her campaign which she won.  Moe served as a member of the Wheat Ridge City Council for six consecutive years.

Because of her decision not to run for another term, Moe spent a few years, as she describes, “catching her breath.” Although out of office, she remained engaged in city issues and events, substitute teaching and interpreting.  In 1992, the Democratic Party approached her; asking if she’d be interested in running for a seat in the House of Representatives just as a full time teaching position which she was vying for fell through. While disappointed she hadn’t been chosen for the position, at the same time, this opened the door for her to run for office again. Sometimes opportunities arise from disappointment.

For two weeks after agreeing to run, she found herself in panic mode. This was an uncharted chapter; the stakes were higher.  Fear and doubt crept in despite confidence in her abilities. However, after those two weeks of uncertainty, Moe dug in-tapping into that confidence- and a great mentor.  She followed a model that continues to work for her to this day. You see, Moe always gages what she’s going to take on and in turn, takes the steps she feels she could do.  In this instance, although it was untested territory that brought fear and doubt, it was a logical next step. It felt somewhat familiar. It made sense. She was ready for the next turn in her road.

Moe won the seat. She was an elected member of the House of Representatives. However, even at this point, she did not aspire to be a state senator.  In 2000 she was termed out. She became a campaign manager; spent two years as a sign language interpreter.  It was during this break that she realized her aspirations of becoming a State Senator; deciding she would run if the opportunity arose. It did in 2002. 

The race for State Senate was, “the most difficult thing I’ve ever endured,” Moe recalls.

The campaign was a horrible experience; her first exposure to the viciousness that goes on in today’s politics.  It made her physically and emotionally ill.  If she would have known how brutal the attacks were going to be, she states "I would have never run".  However, no matter how downtrodden she felt, she continued to push forward.  Moe credits her husband’s support and that of her team for getting her through.  Looking back, she’s glad she ran.  She’s glad she stuck it out because, as she says, “ I was able to do a lot of good things in my eight years in the Senate”.

Moe never thought her about her journey as a “path to success”.  She actually never really thought about her journey because she was too “in it” at the time to think about the path she was on.  She never reached a point when she thought she’d “made it”.  To her, it was never about her title but instead what she could do in every role she held. It was never her goal to be in the Senate or Chair of the Joint Budget Committee.  It was a gradual, unplanned series of “doors to be opened” that presented themselves over the years.  And she opened every door that crossed her path.

By the time she became Senator, she’d obtained the wisdom and experience which afforded her a clear picture in where she was going.  She was certain.  Because of her journey, she knew exactly what she stood for: mental health and child welfare.  It wasn’t until she was appointed Senate Chair of the Joint Budget Committee that she asked herself “how did I get here?”.

The culmination of Moe’s journey came with her current role as Vice President of Public Policy and Systems Advocacy for Mental Health America of Colorado where the public policy she focuses on is geared to individuals with mental illness and their families— something she knows personally.  Moe not only follows legislation closely, she is also able to influence that very same legislation through the advocacy group she represents.  This allows her to stay involved in legislation while fighting stigma; helping the afflicted gain treatment; and influencing policy on both a State and Federal level through Mental Health America’s National Conference.

“I love what I’m doing”, states Moe.  “This is what I am meant to do”.

Just think if Moe Keller gave into her fears when new opportunities came her way.  And what if she quit that Senate race when it really got tough?  Would she be living her life’s work today?

Don’t let fear prevent you from exploring a new opportunity that comes your way; and don’t give in when times get tough.  Dig into your strengths, lean on those around you, and push forward.

Thank you Moe for sharing your journey that led you to the important work you do today on behalf of the mentally ill and their families.

Facing setbacks and failure on the road to success

I'm gearing up for Conversation #2 this week with......well I'm not saying.  You'll just have to check back to see (pretty sneaky of me huh?). 

As I prepare for this second conversation, I am reminded of my experience with conversation #1 and how I walked away feeling like I failed my mission. For a moment it made my stomach turn.  As I'm approaching another interview and reflecting on my first experience, feelings of doubts creep in and I remind myself that "I am not a journalist".  What if I have the same experience again?  Fear of failure is a powerful force.  It can make us quit trying, prevent us from trying something new, or hold us back from taking a risk.

As I recently reflected on my first conversation or my so-called “failed mission”, I stumbled upon this quote by Thomas Edison, "Many of life's failures are people who did not realize how close they were to success when they gave up".  This quote was all I needed to make me remember that my "perceived" failure with my first conversation was just that....it was my initial perception.  But after further reflection I realized that that "failure" was actually a learning experience that I will continue to use as I move forward down this path of 500 conversations. I'm not ready to quit this journey because I had one experience that didn't go as expected or because I am fearful at times.  My excitement for this project out-weighs my fear so you're stuck with me as I inch closer toward 500 conversations with women who have found success.

Check back soon as I reveal the mystery guest for Conversation #2 and share her path to success. 

Meanwhile, if you've experienced a recent failure on your path to success, read these five "stay focused on success tips" from Charles Manz, PH.D., author of The Power of Failure. [Fitness magazine, April 2011].

1. Stick to the facts:  Think of your failure as an experiment that had a result different from the one you expected.  Try to analyze the situation the way a scientist would analyze data from a lab experiment.
2. Question your logic: Why did things go differently than you expected?  Did you make an incorrect assumption?  Was your timing or execution flawed?  Pinpointing an error or lapse in judgment will help you avoid it in the future.
3. Learn from it: Failures can give rise to new ideas, expose erroneous assumptions and prevent us from becoming too self-satisfied.
4. Stay positive:  The greatest risk is not failure itself but the possibility that it will make you think of yourself as a failure.  If you lose confidence in your skills, you may not be willing to try again.  Instead, practice seeing yourself as a successful person who had a bad moment.
5. Go for it again:  Don't quit now; psych yourself up to give it your all again.  Without a full effort, you won't know whether you failed because an idea was flawed or because you didn't give yourself a chance to succeed.  Most great victories come through perseverance, not instant triumph.