By Fred Boyles
Columnist
What does it mean to have a successful career for me?
As an electric sign contractor, I recently had a challenging job. I was hired to make a sign fit over an existing sign, 12’x17′ double-face. I had to duplicate a current sign, filled with curves with no level lines.
I stayed in communication with my customer as I researched and tried different solutions to this project. At the same time as I was doing this, his menu was falling apart — a drive-thru menu that he had purchased from the previous month. I jumped on the problem and moved the solutions forward repeatedly, every 24 hours.
Ultimately I resolved all the issues. We created a relationship as I addressed each issue and communicated. And in time there was a friendship and respect. I showed up working for him in what I would call a state of love. I gave him hours of my time, knowledge, and he rewarded me with a $1,000 bonus on a difficult job.
What does it mean to have a successful career? The obvious is an abundance of money from your vocation.
a. To have your bills and taxes paid.
b. To have money put away to retire in comfort.
c. To care about how my product or services impacts my customers.
d. To love my customers through my service.
e. To master my service and keep on growing.
f. To be excited about the positive contribution my service and product creates in my customer’s lives.
g. Most important – to stay in their lives, especially when I am not working for them.
I gave him more then he bargained for, and he rewarded me with his trust, respect and money. That is success to me.