A Conversation on the Bus

After the realization that advertizing was not her ideal career fit after all, the then twenty-something Nancy set her sights on the TV industry. She was not interested in on-camera work but rather public relations to utilize her strengths and interests.  Ever practical, Nancy didn’t leave her advertising job until she had another position to go to and utilized some savvy networking on her daily commute that landed her an eventual position.

Riding the Michigan Avenue bus to work each day, Nancy became friendly with her fellow commuters and struck up a conversation with the hairdresser of the General Manager of CBS TV in Chicago. With creative networking, Nancy put her people skills into practice and got a referral from the hairdresser and an introduction to the HR Director at CBS.

Nancy impressed the HR Director with her innovative networking and professional demeanor. She would get regular calls about openings at the station.  Since Nancy learned what she didn’t like from her experience in the advertising world, she turned down opportunities for jobs in sales. Later, she did interview and land a spot in the Program Department. Not bad for a young professional who started to build her business network on the bus!

Learning the Ropes

Over the next two years, Nancy made incredible contacts in the Program Department and learned the TV business inside and out.  Her next move was to the Information Services department at the station where she began putting her PR skills to work more directly.

During this time Nancy also went back to school to take course work in journalism and TV production so she would be well-versed in the industry. Nancy’s boss was an incredible role model for her. As a strong female (one of a very few at CBS) in the industry, she taught Nancy the ropes and gave her the break that launched her career upward from that point. Nancy remembers her boss was “tough but great” and truly appreciates having such a confident female boss who was willing to groom her and put her through her paces. Throughout her professional life, Nancy has been fortunate to have great women role models and mentors.

Setting the Bar

For the next 14 years, Nancy enjoyed a successful career at CBS earning promotions and raising the bar for herself as her career progressed. But late in the 1980’s massive lay-offs were looming so Nancy took a pro-active approach and began to rally her network. Nancy’s ability to plan for her exit strategy has always set her apart as a successful professional.

Shortly after Nancy was laid off, a friend who owned her own PR firm asked Nancy to come onboard for a special project. This gave Nancy her first freelance assignment and a boost to additional contract work until she found her next full-time position. For 18 months, Nancy enjoyed the special project work and then the phone rang; a friend was recommending Nancy for a job at WTTW, the PBS station in Chicago.

And so Nancy set her next professional bar higher and became the Manager of Corporate Communications at WTTW – planning and implementing publicity campaigns and special events for PBS programs which she did for just under six years.

Prioritizing Her Marriage

The TV industry is all consuming and although Nancy loved her work and was very good at it, her values changed after she got married and she was ready to enjoy more time with her husband and focus on her personal life. As newlyweds, they were also handling dual careers with Nancy in Chicago and her husband working in Atlanta.

She decided to focus her job search on the non-profit arena since she wanted a change and an environment where her skills would transfer. This kind of a career shift gave Nancy the opportunity to consider what she really wanted. She was passionate about women, children, and issues of health care and focused on non-profits that served those missions.

Soon Nancy landed the Public Relations Manager position at the Infant Welfare Society of Chicago. She developed and launched the first full-time public relations and communications program for the organization and was happy with her new work/life integration possibilities. Her husband also landed a position in Chicago and the happy couple enjoyed new careers and each other in the Windy City.

Ask For What You Want

Now an expert on career reinvention and mastering the art of transferable skills, Nancy moved on to another non-profit position after five years with Infant Welfare.

As the Director of Communications at the March of Dimes in Chicago, Nancy was responsible for creating and executing publicity and promotion programs to support fundraising and mission activities for the Illinois Chapter. For almost seven years with the March of Dimes, Nancy remembers learning so much and appreciating a stimulating environment.

It’s clear with her interest in taking on a new organization and new challenges almost every seven years, that Nancy values variety and intellectual stimulation. She is not one to sit still and needs to keep busy and active in order to be happy.

Always a planner, she prepared for her March of Dimes exit a full year in advance. This time she worked with career coaches and rallied her network as usual but left her position without another job to go to. While this resignation without a next step was a bit of a risk and uncharacteristic for Nancy, she knew in her gut the timing was right. She had a feeling of floating without a safety net but this gave Nancy the very important time to self reflect.

Two Critical Paths

In order to fill her newfound free time, Nancy, a self proclaimed foodie volunteered for a culinary conference. She met tons of people, as is her custom, but in this case one person in particular would change the course of her future.

The Associate Dean of Culinary Arts at Robert Morris University was so impressed with Nancy’s volunteer work at the conference and her varied professional background; she offered her a post at her school as an Internship Supervisor.

Almost simultaneously, because when it rains – it pours, a former broadcasting colleague asked Nancy to consider a year-long contract with ABC. This opportunity would give her the chance to showcase her strengths, doing what she loved and none of what she didn’t. She also took the job at Robert Morris, first developing and teaching the internship class and this year adding a career development course to her schedule.

Who better to help students pilot the career world than Nancy who has deftly navigated her own career path to match her values and strengths over a 25 year period?

A Coach’s Coach

As Nancy prepared for her new career management class for sophomores at Robert Morris, that debuted this August, she recalled her experience with career coaches when she needed guidance on her next move. Her first coach didn’t click with her but two others were a perfect match and instrumental in helping her find a new career path.

With a variety of career experiences in multiple industries, Nancy is particularly well suited to empower students to forge their own unique career journey. She says it’s about giving them the tools they can use on their own like networking, self assessment, and strengths building.

In her new world as a teacher, Nancy appreciates the flexibility in her schedule since she wants to be available for her elderly mother whose needs are increasing. She also values being on a collaborative team with a healthy work environment and an open door policy. As a communication expert, Nancy knows that open lines of communication are essential to a successful work place.

The Magic of the Spin

Nancy was candid that not every work environment she experienced was healthy and nurturing. Some were downright toxic but Nancy learned early on with her expertise in PR that you can put a positive spin on just about anything. She also knows the importance of keeping her game face on in public since professionalism is paramount and you should never let them see you sweat!

It was important to be able to vent about the less-than-perfect work environments in the comfort of her own home, but never at work. Recognizing the toxic workplaces and colleagues also helped Nancy understand that she always had the power to change, redirect, and move on. She took her career destiny into her own hands and has carved out a career history that she is very proud of and that’s no spin!

Releasing herself from her own self-imposed guilt is another thing Nancy wants others to learn from. When Nancy prioritized herself and her marriage in the middle of her thriving television career she felt guilty. Looking back she understands the emotion but wants to release others from this unnecessary experience. “You deserve to have a personal life and you are not a lesser professional because of it.”  – According to Nancy.

Would Nancy have ever predicted becoming a college teacher 20+ years ago when she had her heart set on a public relations career? Absolutely not! But she is so glad that she has had the courage to take a risk and try different things as well as to seek out new opportunities that honored her values, strengths, and professional needs.

In her consulting practice, Volino Castagnet Comunications, she enjoys taking projects referred to her from colleagues and previous clients which creates the perfect balance with her newfound teaching role. Always eager to pay-it-forward to others, Nancy thrives on being a mentor and helping others move towards their goals. Whether it’s a student, friend, or colleague who feels stuck on their career path, Nancy is there with support, sound advice, and a network connection.

Nancy’s Advice and Action Steps:

• Let go of the guilt as you make a change – cut yourself some slack.
• Plan ahead as much as possible. Have an exit strategy.
• Network, network, and network – even when you don’t think you need it.
• Keep your down feelings out of public view; project a positive image when you are out and about – professional game face on.
• Help others when you can.
• Do one thing you are afraid to do and see where it takes you.

Resources:

Robert Morris University http://www.robertmorris.edu/about/

Kathleen Oliver, COO of Oliver Winery shared her 5 G’s of Effective Communication. These quick and easy tips will empower you to communicate more wisely with your colleagues in and out of your organization. May the communication force be with you!

She Bought the Farm!

As a graduate student, Anne studied Linguistics and specialized in Arabic which led her to an interesting, but according to her, “dead end” job at the Saudi Embassy in Washington, DC where she worked for 5 years. Willing to retool in order to make a living, Anne enrolled in a vocational computer programming school and taught ESL (English as a Second Language) on the side in addition to waitressing to make ends meet. She took a course on the Internet and fell in love with web development where she still works as a freelance consultant developing sites for small businesses, non-profit and government clients. She also teaches web design at the local community college and has a flexible schedule which permits her to fit in her other passion – animals.

Anne first moved to the suburbs from the metropolitan life of Washington, DC so she could adopt a dog. In 2002 she bought a farm in Maryland after experiencing the realities of this lifestyle when she served as a “farm sitter” for a friend who has a 150 acre farm in Virginia. She found it invigorating to work on the farm and with the animals and turned her farm into a non-profit she named Star Gazing Farm where she takes in abused, stray, and unwanted animals in need and provides them with a permanent home.

Tending To Her Flock

Anne believes that farm animals are every bit as affectionate, interesting, and in need of loving care as other domestic animals and there is a real need in her community for more compassionate farm animal care. With 50+ animal residents on her farm, including a small flock of sheep, Anne discovered that it was very difficult to find sheep shearers so she went to sheep shearing school and now adds this to her list of transferable skills.

Word leaked out than Anne has become a fine sheep shearer and she travels to other farms in Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia and Pennsylvania to shear small flocks.  She has since learned to shear Angora goats, llamas and alpacas and has turned this into a thriving little business to supplement the farm operational expenses.

Pay-it-Forward

As a non-profit organization, Star Gazing Farm has an education and outreach division. Every year they teach children and young adults about the humane care of farm animals and help them build physical and moral strength through actual hands-on farm work. In 2007 they began a program tailored to local at-risk youth.

With Anne’s sheep shearing skills, she offers experiential classes and demonstrations with wool and fiber, showing participants how to shear, wash, card, and spin the wool they grow. The local community is made up largely of urban and suburban residents and Anne has invited them in to visit and volunteer to befriend the sanctuary animal residents and develop a greater compassion for farm animals.

Between sheep shearing and website design, it’s still difficult to make ends meet on the farm with the high cost of food, veterinary care and appropriate housing for the animals. So Anne offers opportunities for animal sponsorship, contributions, and volunteer work to make Star Gazing Farms run efficiently. Since Anne can’t take in every stray or abandoned animal she also runs a farm sanctuary network through her website to help find permanent homes in other locations for animals in need.

The Challenges of Running a 501c3 Organization

While Anne believes that she graduated from the school of hard knocks and admits to being very stubborn and determined, in the beginning she found herself out of her element knowing how to care for her many different farm animals. She bought books on farm animal caretaking and joined discussion lists online about caring for ducks and sheep and quickly became familiar with the local veterinarians.

The future goal is to have a larger corps of volunteers for her non-profit that can assist the Board of Directors with fundraising and development for the organization. Anne believes there are many private donors that would support Star Gazing Farm if they knew it existed so her goal is to be financially solvent so she can continue to develop more education and outreach programs.

By day Anne tends to her sheep, goats, birds, dogs, cats, horses, cows and pigs – 50 in total. At night, she works on her web development business and often stays up past 2 am well aware she has to be up at dawn to tend to the animals. Admittedly, she has the biorhythm of a “Web Vampire” and is able to keep these taxing hours because she is doing what she loves.

Follow Your Heart

While work life balance is often impossible, Anne is doing what she loves and shared that she has found her calling. After many career changes it’s refreshing to hear Anne talk about her work with such passion and enthusiasm. Working in the Saudi Embassy as a Linguist, I’m sure Anne never envisioned being the Founder and Director of a non-profit, a freelance web developer and a sheep shearer. It pays to follow your heart. Check out the Star Gazing Farm website and consider sponsoring one of Anne’s animal residents today. Their full bios and histories are posted on the site and your generosity will be much appreciated by the likes of Newman the goat and his friends.

Quote: “Attitude is more than the past, than education, than money, than circumstances, than what people do or say. It is more important than appearance, giftedness or skill.” W.C. Fields

Anne’s Advice and Action Steps:

• Don’t be afraid to explore new careers but do your research, pursue informational interviews and inform yourself.
• Follow your heart.
• Have a vision.

Resources:

Language Works www.language-works.com

Star Gazing Farm www.stargazingfarm.org

Time to Let Go

Vici has real estate background and was a very successful owner/broker of Victoria Realty in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. Before that she worked for the developer of the Mystic Pointe luxury condominium project in Aventura, FL so she is well versed in the real estate and business market.  Her first marriage ended after 18 years and she came back to New Jersey to start a new life.  She remarried and her personal life was blissful but her professional role was tougher to re-establish.

She tried to do her business remotely for a while but realized that she was successful because of the personal relationships she built with her clients and the virtual connection was just not the same. Hiring an office manager was not prudent since the Florida real estate was also taking a nose dive so she ultimately closed that office altogether. Vici is still a licensed broker in FL and NJ.

Given the economy, starting a new real estate business in New Jersey was not advisable and Vici began to panic about her future and her professional identity. She was a very successful business woman so letting go of that persona was difficult.

Corporate real estate jobs came her way but Vici passed them up after serious consideration because in her heart she was an entrepreneur and did not want to work for someone else. She had the luxury of making the best decision so as not to compromise her ideal work values since her husband was gainfully employed. But Vici shared “I was bored out of my mind!” and needed some stimulation and thus the holiday stint at Macy’s seemed like a good temporary fix.

Earning Her Mrs. Degree

Donna shared that as a Baby Boomer, she was sent to college to land a husband and that she did. While in school she studied computers and took great pride in running her household and being a very involved mother and loving wife. She was active in her community, raised money for schools, and was President of the Parent Teacher Organization. Donna likens herself to the TV icon Donna Reed and seemed to have it all.

One day Donna was hit with an unexpected blow when her husband of 22 years left her for a younger woman and filed for divorce. She was devastated but remained in the family home and cared for her children trying to maintain some sense of normalcy. For two years she fought with depression and often found it hard to get out of bed in the morning until her brother shared some tough love and helped her get her life back on track. Donna’s brother is a VP at Macy’s and suggested a part-time job to get her mind off her troubles as she moved forward with a new beginning.

Kitchen Table Strategies

Imagine a Human Resources training room in Macy’s where Donna and Vici sat amongst their fellow temporary workers learning the ropes about cash registers, product numbers, and item returns in preparation for the busy holiday season. While neither woman loved the retail gig they did develop a fast friendship and after their holiday stint ended they met to plan for their future.

They sat at Donna’s kitchen table and culled experiences and skill sets while pondering what they could do together. Real Estate was not an option due to the slow economy so Vici suggested an eco-friendly, non toxic cleaning service.  The girls liked the idea of a hands-on project that would not take too much mind work and for a month or so they booked clients and cleaned up a storm.

Quickly, the two admitted that cleaning other people’s homes was not gratifying and left them questioning their new business plan. Then they reconsidered and thought about a charitable component so they would be cleaning for a cause. Both women had experienced personal losses to cancer in their families so they came up with the idea to clean homes free of charge for cancer patients.

A Wellness Business

Vici and Donna knew that cancer patients and their caregivers need to focus on the treatment and recovery process. During these stressful times it’s easy for the household cleanliness to fall by the wayside. By providing free non toxic, monthly house cleaning everyone gets a little break and the opportunity to spend more quality time together.
They started working with a Social Worker at the Hunterdon Cancer Center in NJ and were referred to a patient for whom they cleaned. The word started to spread and now they get referrals from doctors, hospitals, and cancer centers in 11 NJ counties. The goal is to someday service the entire state of NJ and eventually go nationwide. Since cancer patients in treatment are especially susceptible to germs, the women use only eco-friendly, non toxic cleaning supplies and bring a fresh bucket of cleaning supplies to each home.

Dynamic Duo

One day after cleaning a patient’s home the women discussed the possibility of becoming an official 501c3 non-profit organization. Vici’s husband has a friend who is a CPA and he filed the non-profit status application pro bono. And so, CanswerLink, an official non-profit organization was born. Vici and Donna do not yet draw a regular salary since all the cancer patient homes are cleaned for free.

They apply for grants seeking additional support and funding and they also accept donations. You can Donate to Honor – a tribute gift to CanswerLink to express your support, respect, gratitude, or love for an important person in your life.  Or Donate in Memoriam – to express your love with a gift that helps CanswerLink improve the lives of patients and their families.

All in the Family

Both of these women have a vibrant can-do attitude that is absolutely palpable – even over the phone! They are on a mission to help others in need but also have the business savvy to develop this small non-profit into a larger organization serving more people in the future.

Vici was born to be an entrepreneur and enjoys writing the grants and meeting people and building relationships. Donna is an excellent fundraiser and has a knack for organization. She is learning Quick Books to maintain all the accounting records for the business. Both women are actually cleaning homes right now but they plan to establish a team of volunteers who will go out and clean homes to assist with the venture. Once the business becomes more solvent Donna and Vici will be paid to run the non-profit and they plan to hire a cleaning staff to service patient homes, augmented by volunteers.

Vici is trying her hand at Social Media and promoting CanswerLink via Facebook. Their website is full of testimonials from satisfied clients and an honor roll to commemorate clients who have passed away. Donna’s son, Jason designed the company logo that represents the beliefs and core values of CanswerLink. The logo’s tree represents strength, growth, and the renewal that comes with each season. It shows how we are all connected by nature and part of the same planet. The leaves symbolize many of the different colors of cancer. Like cancer, Donna and Vici do not discriminate and serve clients with all forms of cancer.

Macy’s may not be where the women ended up career wise but this corporate retail chain has been very generous with fundraising support for CanswerLink and continues to help spread awareness for the organization.

Help Grow the Business

Vici and Donna believe in a pay-it-forward approach to healing and wellness. Once patients have healed, they encourage them to volunteer with CanswerLink. This gives their clients a chance to give back directly to those that have helped them. Knowing they will have an opportunity to help other patients while they are in treatment is uplifting and gives them a sense of strength and self-respect. CanswerLink works relentlessly with determination and ambition to see healing spread and disease diminished.

If you are a New Jersey resident and interested in volunteering with CanswerLink they can use assistance with general office administration, legal counsel, grant writing, event promotion, corporate sponsorship, development, and cleaning team support. Or, if you know of a cancer patient who could benefit from the CanswerLink cleaning services please refer them to the website http://www.canswerlink.org/.

What They Know For Sure

The fact that Vici and Donna are selflessly giving their all to CanswerLink without remuneration is inspiring in and of itself. But the personal reinvention of these two women is also something to learn from. Donna has finally given herself permission to become her own person. While the unexpected divorce initially left her feeling helpless, she is now empowered to consider her needs in life for the first time. She takes great pride in being a wonderful mom but now considers what she values and defines herself on her own terms. She has gotten back into running and playing golf and has plans to compete in the New York City Marathon this year.

Donna is so thankful that everything worked out and knows that with CanswerLink at the end of each work day she has done something good for others. While there were natural times of self doubt and thoughts of going back in time trying to fix the past, Donna is now ready to focus on her future and is living her life to the fullest. Her faith has played a strong part in her recovery and she also mentioned admiring the late, Elizabeth Edwards who always surrounded herself with grace and integrity.

Vici is pleased to be in another entrepreneurial role and is thriving as her own boss. She has plans for growth, and has vowed to honor her personality and her work values with CanswerLink.  She is extremely grateful for the “internal rocks” in her life that include friends and family. Every night before going to sleep Vici reflects on being happy, healthy, and wealthy in all things for gratitude is a blessing.

Both women took a great risk with this venture but they know in their hearts they are doing the right thing. Donna and Vici are role models for reinvention, giving back, and finding your personal calling. Not only did they find a new vocation, they found new lifelong friendships in each other that are priceless. CanswerLink was the answer to their quest.

Vici and Donna’s Advice and Action Steps:

Vici:

• You have to laugh – have a sense of humor and know that it’s going to be ok.
• Go with your gut and do what makes you happy.
• Follow your dream; know your limits and do what you love.

Donna:

• Get out and find a new group of people who can give you different perspectives.
• Put yourself first and think about what YOU really want. You deserve this.
• Don’t regret the memories of your past but don’t let them hold you back from moving forward.

Quotes:

“It is what it is – so make the best of it!” Vici Prodromitis

“I can’t control anybody but myself.” Donna Sandvig

Resources:

CanswerLink website: http://www.canswerlink.org/

There are some basic strategies from the book/movie and a recent Oprah Magazine article that I believe we can all apply in our quest to find authenticity in life and career.

• Write down what you want. A wise mentor asked me to write down my very specific career dreams and goals sharing that if I could not put it into words on paper, I could not realize the dreams. There is something magical about putting these visions into words. No matter how big or small – write it down so you can make them happen. Check back on this dream list regularly so you can revisit your goals, take a step forward, or readjust as need be.
• Be alone. In this fast paced, hectic world I know it seems impossible but try and carve out 30 minutes of each day just for you. Whether that is quiet time to meditate, read a favorite book, or enjoy a glass of wine, treat yourself to a half hour of doing whatever YOU want.
• Pay-it-Forward. Life gets overwhelming and seems to crowd our psyches with thoughts of what needs to be done. Take a step back and consider how you can help others. Being altruistic may feed your soul and give you a sense of renewed purpose by giving of yourself to those in need. Volunteer, mentor, or do something generous of spirit that gratifies you while helping others.

Quite often we need to let go of the stresses of the day to rejuvenate and focus on our authentic path. Life is always going to be hectic so be sure to carve out the time you need to focus and ponder your dreams so you can take action. You deserve it!

A Nurse in the Kitchen

Always comfortable in her own skin when working with patients, Sable experienced a variety of settings in the medical field from bedside nursing to intensive care, and outpatient clinics. But, she developed a love for oncology care working with cancer patients. With 15+ years under her belt as an oncology nurse, Sable understood the immense struggle of those fighting cancer and the nutritional challenges they uniquely face. Proper nutrition is paramount during cancer treatment but many patients suffer from loss of appetite and taste preventing them from receiving the nourishment they need. Sable feels strongly that patients should be able to thrive while continuing with their daily lives during cancer treatment and recovery. Championing the cause in 2006, she stepped into her kitchen and began baking up a solution, and Sable’s Foods was born.

Knowing that cancer patients needed food that met specific nutritional requirements as well as flavors and textures that would be appealing and easily digestible, Sable started experimenting in her kitchen. She also wanted something portable so patients could maintain a sense of normalcy and an active lifestyle while in treatment. Sable developed the first iterations of a nutritional bar that was baked like a brownie and bursting with flavor and nutritional empowerment – Sable’s slogan and branding platform.

The Proof is in the Pudding…or the Nutritional Bar

Sable introduced her bars to her patients to get constructive feedback and the ultimate taste test. They gave very helpful suggestions about flavor and content. For example, she discovered that consuming granola and whole nuts, like in a traditional health bar, caused digestive problems in her patients. She was on a quest to develop the balance of flavor, texture, and nutrition that would make her bars unique and beneficial for her patients.

It was time to call in the experts and Sable consulted with nutritional and oncology specialists as well as an executive chef and food product consultant to develop the ultimate version of the bars that are now on the market. The bars are widely sought after by cancer patients and athletes, as well as others in search of nutritional empowerment.

The journey doesn’t end with Sable’s great tasting and nutritionally sound bars. She is dedicated to keeping the ultimate goal of curing cancer in sight. To that end, a portion of her profits from product sales are donated to non-profit organizations actively pursuing solutions to cancer care issues, including prevention, diagnosis, treatment, and symptom management. In her words, “A bite of every bar is donated to cancer research.”

A Labor of Love and Experience

It may sound like Sable just waltzed into her kitchen and created her empowerment bars over night channeling her inner Betty Crocker, but the reality is that it was a long and intense journey from conception to product development and eventually, sales. The business officially launched in 2009 as Sable worked 80+ hours a week as a consultant to pay the bills in order to bring Sable’s Foods to life during the evening and weekend hours.

In addition to being a Registered Nurse, Sable also earned her MBA so she would have a full understanding of the business world. She founded the Edwards-Hunt Group, LLC to facilitate basic and clinical research by implementing contemporary solutions for today’s translational medicine challenges. She provides multi-level consulting services to the non-profit arena, commercial bio-repositories, and technology companies. This is a fabulous illustration of how she tapped into her transferable skills and maintained an active consulting practice while growing her new business.

Sable admits that the empowerment bar business idea was a leap of faith. She is a linear thinker, a cerebral person, and she found it difficult to work with the artists and product consultant experts she sought out to develop her website, marketing materials, and company brand.  But she believes that “Every time a door closes, a window opens.” And she believes that Sable’s Foods was meant to be.

Her Patients are the Inspiration

She advises others interested in starting a new business to “Write a business plan and let someone else challenge your assumptions.” It’s a brutal test but an important part of building your brand and a viable product or service. Sable learned early on to check her ego at the door and believes that she tapped into her woman’s sense of survival to make her business and consulting firm happen. She has no fear and realized that if she doesn’t work, she doesn’t get paid.

Sable has a favorite mug that says: “What would you attempt to do if you knew you could not fail?” This has become a mantra and helped her forge ahead with unbridled energy and enthusiasm. Ultimately, Sable is still inspired by her patients and created Sable’s Foods to help others. She is proud to nurture herself and her loved ones with her nutrition bars and is responding to increased patient demand to develop new flavors and additional products.

Sable’s Advice and Action Steps

• Have the guts and confidence to take a risk.
• Interview people in-the-know in your particular line of work and tap into their expertise.
• Define what you don’t know and then find experts that do!

Mantra “Why not!” Sable

Resources

Sable’s Foods www.sablesfoods.com

Savor the Success www.savorthesuccess.com

Edwards Hunt Group, LLC www.edwardshunt.com

Angela Jia Kim, CEO and Founder of Om Aroma & Co. and Co-Founder of Savor the Success has built her business on the Give, Give, Get rule when networking. Nothing is more of a turn off than someone who is in it just for themselves. When you are a genuine networker and operate from a position of authenticity people are more apt to help you. After all, business is all about human interaction so considering how you can help others will increase your personal capital.

Paying it forward is not just applicable to networking.  I have interviewed 100+ women across the country for my career transition book and the majority of them talk about their commitment to giving back. Whether it is volunteering your time and expertise or donating a percentage of targeted proceeds towards a worthy cause, generosity and the spirit of community is being celebrated on a grand scale.

Careers are a life long journey and we’ve all had people that were instrumental in helping us along the way in good times and in bad. Make an effort to be conscious about how you are helping others because what goes around really does come around. It may require some new mindsets, behaviors and strategies, but at the most basic level, all it requires is that you make a choice. By giving back, you just might be a role model for someone else and help make the pay-it-forward behavior the norm for everyone.