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If you’ve ever asked yourself “What am I doing with my career?” or you’re dissatisfied with your current work situation, or you simply want to explore that big idea you’ve had but aren’t sure how to get started, you’ll want to listen to today’s show and our guest, Pam Slim.
Pam is an award-winning author, speaker and business consultant with a passion for career and organizational development in what she calls the “new world of work.”
In this episode, Pam shares her own personal career journey with us, including how her experience as a foreign exchange student in Switzerland sparked an entrepreneurial zeal within her and set her on her current trajectory. Join us as we talk about all of this and more on the 43rd edition of How’d You Get Into That?.
MORE ABOUT THIS SHOW
Pam has always had the bug to teach. Both her mother and grandmother were teachers. In the first grade, Pam had an opportunity to go read to the kindergarteners, which she absolutely loved! Growing up in San Anselmo, CA, her family did not have a lot of money. She started working at the age of 12 as a dishwasher at Swensen’s Ice Cream Parlor, and by the age of 14 had been promoted to Assistant Manager.
Her parents were always very encouraging of her creativity and exploration, which led her to Switzerland as a foreign exchange student in her senior year of high school. Money was tight, but she didn’t let that stop her. She clawed and scraped until she finally had enough money to go. Through the experience of really going for it and making the trip happen, she realized things that seem out of reach are actually quite possible.
Pam believes everyone wants to do meaningful work that brings out their very best contribution to the world, and that fits their personal definition of success. For some, this means moving from a corporate job to becoming an entrepreneur and building a dream business. Some of you may just want more flexibility between work and home and not have to commute to an office everyday.
THE FINER DETAILS OF THIS SHOW:
- Why being open to what’s right in front of you is KEY
- Why finding the right “work mode” matters in any profession
- The secret behind Pam’s leap from her corporate job to entrepreneurship
- How entrepreneurs can help corporate employees and vice versa (and why it matters)
- Meaningful work: what it is, according to Pam.
- The one thing you MUST do to move from a corporate environment to being an entrepreneur
- And so much more!
Regardless of which work environment is best for you, discovering your strengths and finding work in which those strengths can be leveraged is a key step. We discuss how being open to brand new possibilities – things that aren’t even on your radar today – is extremely important.
Pam explains why vilifying people for making the switch from a corporate job to entrepreneur (or from entrepreneur to a corporate job) is just plain unnecessary. In the new world of work, the economy is intricately interconnected, from non-profit to corporate to small businesses to bootstrapped startups.
Acknowledging and leveraging these connections is an important part of improving the work we do, and those that don’t leverage these connections will be left behind. Pam gives us some great tips on how NOT to be those left-behind people and stay on track towards our dreams.
Pam has a proven track record helping people find and do work they love, and the wisdom and practical steps she’s garnered in her experiences are all shared generously with us today. Please join me in thanking her for giving of her time and insights on today’s episode. Thanks for being here and we’ll see you next time!
Tweetable: “A viable business is made of a great idea, well executed.” Pam Slim
EPISODE RESOURCES
- Pam Slim’s web site
- Escape From Cubicle Nation, Pam Slim
- Body of Work, Pam Slim
- Pam on Twitter
- Win a complementary coaching session with me!
- Subscribe to the show on iTunes
- Subscribe to the show on Stitcher
- Email me with any questions, comments or guest suggestions at Grant@GrantBaldwin.com
