Last night, I was prepping for dinner. Pan-fried shrimp in garlic and butter, asparagus, fresh dinner rolls, Caprese salad, and of course a freshly opened bottle of cabernet. I’m definitely not a chef but creating simple meals like this makes me feel fancier than I am. Look out, Gordon Ramsey…
Of course, there had to be music, and being an 80’s kid I came across a show from the VH-1 days called “One Hit Wonders” – those musical acts who had one big hit but then never got on top of the music charts again. A great blast from the past for sure but as the evening went on it made me think about a conversation I recently had with my business coach, Jeff, (yes, coaches have coaches too), about business owners who are looking to change careers.
In the arts and in sports, there are celebrities who grab our attention but then mysteriously disappear as quickly as they came. Once gone, we ask what happened. We anxiously await their next move: can this person repeat their glory? When they don’t, we dub them “One Hit Wonders” and move on to the next thing of the moment. It’s not uncommon for successful business owners and career people to experience the same in their lives. They may rarely share the same level of fame and public attention as celebrities but in their own business and careers, they’re game changers. So, what happens when a successful business person feels the call to reinvent themselves or their business and move on to something different?
I experienced this scenario back in 2018. That was the year I decided to retire from my previous career as a portrait photographer/studio owner. I enjoyed almost 35 years of success in a field that I often joked about how I had been paid to play. It was a great life filled with wonderful memories, success, recognition, and many friendships. I wouldn’t change a thing, but I had done all that I had set out to do and was feeling the need to see what else was out there for me. I was ready for a new challenge.
As I was setting things in motion I experienced many moments of doubt followed by extreme measures of panic. I questioned everything! Was I crazy for changing careers at this point? Was I my business? If so, then who was I without my business? Would anyone take me seriously afterward? What if I was a one-hit wonder? What if I were to leave safety and security only to find that I couldn’t cut it? What if I couldn’t capture that flame again?
What if I’m not good enough?
I know that many others experience those same feelings of doubt as well. Based on my own experiences of reinventing myself and my career. Here’s what I know and what I learned.
Was it easy? Hell no!!! I made plenty of mistakes and wrong turns on my way to find myself where I am today on my new path. Did I have doubts? Yes! Sometimes it was so bad it was debilitating! But I kept pushing forward because my need to make this change happen was stronger than my need to play it safe.
All things considered; It was the best thing I could have done for myself. I’ve grown tremendously and continue to grow as I move forward into my new career as a business coach. We need adversity to grow. I’ve re-discovered things in myself that I had forgotten existed. Strength, passion, courage, joy in creation, tenacity, and confidence.
I’ve learned that I'm not defined by what I do in my career but by how I live my life. By living my values every day and never giving up. One of my favorite sayings is: “You are never too late to be who you might have been” by George Elliot. I love that! Every day is a chance for a do-over! Every day I get better and so can you!
You’re amazing no matter what you do for a career or business. YOU got you to where you are now and only you can decide where you will be in the future. Nothing can take that away from you. Neither your successes nor your failures because they’ve forged you into who you are today.
Your question might be “Can I do it again”? You might not have a gold record or a championship ring, but you’ve had uncountable career wins and personal victories that prove that you have what it takes to reinvent.
You can do this! You can be as successful or more so than your previous venture. Don’t look for overnight success because that’s not how you succeeded before. Your success is based on solid, rolled-up sleeves, determination, grit, and the desire to know what else is out there for you. These are the skills that you’ve used all your life to get where you are today.
So, are you a One Hit Wonder?
You are, Only if you choose to be.
What’s your day look like tomorrow? Got a few minutes to Chat?
I help midlifers, who are unhappy in their personal and professional lives reinvent themselves to create a life where happiness, fulfillment, and financial freedom are the norm, not the exception.
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