Like clockwork, far before the arm clock rings, I awake to the unique music of the honking cars, whizzing sirens of first responders and the songs of overly active dogs. I am no longer the hospitality professional pursuing the holy grail of becoming a General Manager of a luxurious 5-star destination resort. I have packed up my love for palm trees and direct access to the open ocean for a concrete jungle where the mighty trees were carved by the most famous hands in architecture and the vines that we swing from are labeled as Red, Blue, Green and Purple lines. I’m definitely not in “Kansas” anymore.
By far, this is the biggest adventure I have embarked on to date. To take a leap and completely start a new journey where the road is unfamiliar and orienting yourself to the “new north” can be intimidating, yet exhilarating. With life changes to be certain, I am realizing that we are all in a continuous transition. We can be transitioning from being a parents of one to parents of three, transitioning to a new environment, new educational courses, etc. As I am acclimating to my current journey, there are three lessons that I have found to hold true:
- It is never that difficult
- Failure does not exist: we are either accurate or we learn
- It does not add up, but it will all make sense
It is never that difficult
Can I be honest with you? I used to be one of THOSE people. I gave myself a bucket of reasons why I could not relocate out of Florida: family, friends, moving expenses and even an imaginary dog. There was always the possibility that I would purchase a dog. What type of owner would I be to remove that poor animal from the home they had come to love? CRUEL, I know! And yet two years after my unsuccessful “attempt” to move to Minnesota, something internally continued to desire exploration. With 12 lbs of elbow grease and my fingers crossed, I now take on the title of a Business Operations superhero. As a Salesforce Consultant I am faced with challenges that hinder organizations from operating as efficiently as intended and I have the privilege of guiding them to operational bliss (or as close to it as possible).
Though getting to the state of Illinois came with its fair share of challenges, I happened to notice one thing: the lack of the inevitable apocalypse. The sun did not fall out of the sky, the trees did not topple over, and my family was more than delighted to kick me out of the Florida “nest”. Taking the chance to explore this opportunity did not end the world. It was rather simple. Similar to the process of starting college, I researched the area, chose an apartment, booked my flight and away I went. Once you believe you deserve it and you’re determined to achieve it, all will fall into place. So stay calm! It is never that difficult.
Failure does not exist: we are either accurate or we learn
In the Consulting Industry we must be the jack of all trades. A consultant is the doctor who diagnoses the problem, the surgeon who corrects the impediment and the psychiatrist that helps the family cope with the physical and emotional changes. With a hospitality background, I am fortunate to work with such experienced and intelligent professionals. Salesforce is a powerful tool that I continue to learn more of its capabilities every day. Unlike many mathematics equations, there are several ways to address a client’s concern. I am learning that with consulting, you are not considered a failure if your proposed solution is not the best option available. When this happens, great lessons can be gathered, new techniques can be developed, and we become stronger, faster and wiser. We only fail in life when we choose to quit. I will not allow quitting to be an option therefore failure doesn’t exist. I will either be accurate or I will learn. And I am fine with that.
It does not add up, but it will all make sense
If you were to look at my life as the individual roads on a map, you surely would get lost. I would not have predicted that this Florida girl would study Hospitality, travel the country, grace the likes of multiple Fortune 500 organizations, and become a technology superhero for a great company in one of the best cities in the world. Perfect choices do not exist. My service oriented background allows me to zone in on the client’s request and remain action oriented. My choice to work for large consulting firm has granted me the chance to develop my skills within the Salesforce platform. With Salesforce, I can work anywhere in the world, as long as I have access to Wi-Fi. Who would have thought?
As I continue to settle down as a Salesforce Consultant in Chicago, I am excited for what will come my way. I will greet new opportunities with open arms knowing that I have a great team of support to assist me along this journey. Additional changes will come, that is one of life’s promises, but if I know three things to be true; it is never that difficult, failure does not exist and trust me… it will all make sense. So who am I? I used to be the young Hospitality Professional in Florida hesitant to leave her comfort zone, but I would now like to reintroduce myself as the courageous adopted Chicagoan, ready for an adventure in Salesforce Consulting who enjoys learning new technologies and, more importantly, learning about herself.
Editor’s Note: This post was written by Dannielle Givens. She was recently in a unique position by undergoing two major life changes at the same time (changing careers and moving to a new city) and she wanted to share her experience and personal reflections.
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