It is pretty much inevitable when you meet someone for the first time and engage in a conversation that the subject of what each person does for a living comes up. “So, where do you work, or what do you do for a living,” are the typical questions. This discussion is 100% guaranteed to happen on the golf course because everyone is trying to figure out how the guy they are playing with can afford such an expensive game. For those of us that have passions and aspirations outside of our 9 to 5 so to speak, this question of what you do for a living can pose a mental dilemma.

When “I am” changes

Since the release of my book, What’s Your Sales Story? when asked what I do for a living, I find myself struggling with the appropriate response. Up until the release of my book, I was always very clear and decisive with my answer to that question: I am a salesperson, I am a corporate sales trainer, I am a marketing product manager, I am a sales manager, I am a Regional Sales Director; those were the answers to that question for the first 15 years of my career. They were all based on the corporate titles I held at the time. But now that I have unleashed a non-corporate undertaking with my book and blog etc, I find that my “I am a…” is changing or has changed as it were.

Who are you now?

Yes, I still have a corporate job that I am committed to and greatly enjoy. But on the other hand, writing and teaching is a very strong passion of mine. When someone asks me, What I do for a living? The answer of, “I am a writer, teacher and inspirational speaker” is absolutely exhilarating for me. As a sales manager, a major part of my job is to teach…and it is great. But when I reflect back on my life ever since I was a child and would journal every aspect of my life, from the times I got dumped in grammar school, to the loss of a loved one and even to what I wanted to be when I grew up, it all comes back to writing. So when you see me in the streets or on the golf course on an early Saturday morning and ask me what I do for a living, I will say, “I am a writer!”

What do you want to say that you do for a living?

As you can imagine, it is great to be able to say what you do for a living, and have it be something that you have always wanted to do. However, for many of us, the reality is that we are not doing what we truly want to be doing for a living. Therefore, when asked that question, your answer is tainted with either a hint of or healthy dose of regret. All my life, I was filled with the unrelenting idea that everyone can truly achieve their ambitions in life and do whatever they want to do. However, the reality is that some of us will and some of us will not. The main reason is that the sacrifices, commitment, fear, uncertainty and resources required more often than not outweighs the person’s true desire to actually achieve what that person thinks s/he wants to achieve. But contrary to popular belief, that “reality” does not have to prevent you from doing what you want to do for a living. You may not be able to leave your job or start your own company today, but you can begin to take steps towards it or actually do it while maintaining your 9 to 5. I teach people how to do this during my coaching, keynote and training seminars. I did not just quit my job and write, “What’s Your Sales Story.” I dedicated my nights and early mornings on weekends to pursue my passion for writing. Was it difficult? Absolutely. Was it worth it? I would not change any second of that journey for anything. And now, as I write to you, I am continuing to do what I love to do for a living.

The question I pose to you now is, “What do you do for a living?”

To your Story!

Ja Marr

There I was at the John Wayne airport waiting to check in at the kiosk for an airline that I have never flown before. The reason why…I was flying to a destination that I have never been to before - Minnesota. Even though I was about to experience the coldest temperature I have ever been in, I was actually looking forward to it. As I stated in one of my previous blog entries, if you have to do something, you might as well make the most of it. Instead of complaining and thinking about the negatives, focus on the positive aspects of the experience. You never know who you are going to meet, the lessons you will learn and the stories you will be able to share.

Yes, I like aisle seats.

However, there was one part of my airline check in experience that left me dumbfounded. I don’t know about you, but when I fly, I always try to get an aisle seat. I just like the freedom to be able to go to the restroom or simply stand up without having to climb over people or wake someone up that is in that deep “flying sleep.” When I pulled up my reservation at the self serve kiosk, I saw that I was in a window seat. No big deal, I thought to myself, I will just follow the prompts and change to an aisle seat. I figured that there should be plenty of seats since I gathered that not too many people would be flying from Southern California to Minnesota in the dead of winter.

Are you kidding me!

Then, a seating chart pulled up on the screen, and at the same time an airline agent walked up next to me. “Sir, may I help you?” she said. “Yes please. I am trying to change my seat from a window to an aisle,” I replied. “No problem. The seats with letters are already taken, the seats with dollar amounts next to them are for purchase and the middle seats are free,” she explained. I could not believe my ears. They were actually selling coach seats…as upgrades! It is common knowledge that airlines charge for upgrades to first class, but I was just trying to change from a coach window seat to a coach aisle seat!!! To make matters worse, they were selling coach window seats for $25.00 (which is what I already had) and would not let me move to an aisle seat unless I paid an additional $25.00. Not wanting to stay there debating with the agent and miss my flight, I decided to pay the $25.00 and get an aisle seat. The seat I “purchased” was 2 seats over from my original window seat. As I walked away, I thought to myself, “this would have never happened on Southwest Airlines.”

To your Story!

Ja Marr