I grew up in New York, a global hub of 8.5 million people recognized for its finance industry, fashion, and entrepreneurship opportunities. It is a city that demands everyone learn the ways of the world as fast as they can or else the next guy will knock them to the sidelines. You have to speak up, be clear about what you want and have a plan on how you’re going to achieve it.
We all have experiences in life that formulate who we are and they become the genesis of our life’s work. The foundation for the Lobell Consulting Group is a result of my marvelous, sometimes crummy, definitely unexpected and unpredictable experiences. Here are just a few of the many great lessons that I have learned along the way.
My mother passed away when I was very young after a long illness. I worked hard at maintaining good grades and accelerated my schooling so I could graduate and get a job. I helped my family as best as I could. It was painful and challenging. At an early age, I was exposed to difficulties a family experiences when illness hits unexpectedly but you learn to believe you can overcome anything and regardless of the circumstance, any problem is solvable with a bit of tenacity.
Lesson #1 - Don’t run away from adversity; Run into it.
In grade school, I was the tiniest Asian kid, always at the front of the line and wore well-coordinated outfits complimented by geeky black-framed glasses. I was quiet, and bashful and never stepped out of the norm of what was expected. This stayed with me throughout college but post graduation I took a leap of blind faith when a friend took me out of my comfort zone and suggested I apply to be a flight attendant. She told me “What better way is there to stop being shy but get hired as a flight attendant?” She definitely had a point.
That leap of blind faith turned out to be the start of finding my voice and becoming more confident and that my voice was worth hearing. I started stepping out of my safe zone and started to allow people to see who I really was. I learned to embrace my ethnicity, my unique experiences growing up in NYC and used my voice to make a difference. A year and half later I moved from being a pro-union flight attendant into corporate management.
Lesson #2 - Make yourself seriously uncomfortable; Step out of your norm. You never know where it will take you.
As I continued to design my own roadmap and language, I became a successful executive who was on track but ran into a cross road resulting from the 911 incident and the passing of my father. These events were profound and were the trigger for me to reassess what I was doing and where I was going. I ended up standing at the cross road for a while.
I knew I had to make some kind of decision if I wanted to get unstuck and move my life forward. I never forget the value of stepping out of my comfort zone nor facing adversity head on. Personal resolve and tenacity are my mantra. Six months later, I found myself in Asia. After networking my brains out and grateful for the existence of Skype, my efforts led to a series of unexpected opportunities resulting in several senior appointments. What I thought was going to be 2-3 years in Singapore ended up becoming 10 years.
Lesson #3 - Embrace the unexpected and the unpredictable; Own your destiny.
Over the past 25 years, I have created an illustrious corporate and business career having been responsible for global organizations and entrepreneurial ventures, but am also grateful for all the guidance I received from some brilliant individuals. We can never do it all alone.
I learned that being careful was safe. That thoughtful risks are worth taking. If you keep sitting on the sideline, you can’t participate in the action!
I discovered creating and sharing your voice allows you to have a seat at the table and change the narrative. It is powerful and creates presence.
And, I mastered the art of being disruptive with flair and realized stepping out the ‘norm’ to embrace my crazy was in fact a richer experience.
At the Lobell Consulting Group, we offer and share real life advice from real life experience and we understand the challenges of a woman’s journey.
Today, I am happy to report that I am no longer that tiny shy kid in school. But I still wear geeky black-framed glasses. :)