This story started as a question for business leaders in the CSRA who have found success: What advice would you give your younger self?
To some extent, this 411 is incorporated into the stories ABD offers every day – the “how to” of putting together a strategic plan, marketing your business or dealing with a possible recession. The interviews are with those who’ve walked the walk and the advice isn’t just for professionals looking to stay on their “A” game.
Whether you are a seasoned business owner, an employee or an up-and-coming entrepreneur hoping to climb the ladder, lessons learned and encouragement are vital. As they say, “It takes a village,” whether you are raising a child or building an empire.
Let’s start with wisdom gained through experience. We all begin from different places and we don’t all end up where we started. According to business market analyst Bloomberg, only 27 percent of college graduates end up in their field of study.
That’s not a problem because many skills are transferrable. Dr. Sean Alford is a case in point. The former Aiken County Public Schools Superintendent is now Executive Vice President and Chief Administrative Officer for Savannah River Nuclear Solutions in Aiken. Being a good listener helped in his transition.
“Honor and value your ‘networks’ and learn to be a master of communicating, whether speaking or listening,” Alford advised.
More than anything, he advises young business executives to “pour into people.” Alford utilized his own advice in his role at SRS where his focus is developing and maintaining pipelines to guarantee future resources for new and emerging missions.
Anita Conley built a business playing in makeup. A former schoolteacher, she started in 1999 as a consultant with Mary Kay Cosmetics. She’s now a Senior National Sales Director. For some perspective, that’s the highest level of achievement in Mark Kay and many NSDs are in the six-figure income range.
“What I would advise to my younger self or anyone else who needs to hear it, is to learn to start over, and figure out how to harness the newness and excitement of the beginning. That can take you anywhere you want to go,” Conley said.
Conley’s career has allowed her the flexibility to work from home and support her family, but she never stops asking,” What do I want to be when I grow up?”
You’ve no doubt read Darin Myers’ contributions to ABD, which focus on coaching businesses to success in his role as President of The Alternative Board (TAB) in the CSRA. His passion and focus are assisting individuals and teams to reach their goals and vision.
“I’m stealing what my dad always told me as the best piece of advice for my younger self. Get as much done early in your life as possible because you think you have plenty of time. Save money, don’t waste your 20’s, and broaden your skills,” Myers said.
Myers listened to that advice and has worked with many Fortune 500 companies in the past 30 years. He has contributed his leadership, experience, and personable yet challenging style to allow business owners to improve and meet their personal and business aspirations.
How many times have you heard “You need to step outside of your comfort zone?” While sticking to what you know and what makes you comfortable usually results in a consistent, steady performance, stepping outside of that comfort zone is often where the magic happens.
Nancy Powell, the owner of Powell Property Pros, has lived her best advice, “Don’t get comfortable.”
“I think it’s easy to develop a one-track mind and possibly overlook amazing opportunities that lead to further growth or possibly down a different path,” Powell explained.
Powell’s family started a real estate business in Lincolnton in 1992. She got her real estate license and joined the family business. The market crash of 2008 and a looming divorce led her to rethink everything. She switched gears, got a degree in History and Political Science, and worked on several political campaigns, including a U.S. Senate race.
“But I wanted to be the one making a difference and helping others,” she said. “When the opportunity arose to take over the family business, I did. In another move outside my comfort zone, I moved the business from Lincolnton to Augusta, rebranded it and expanded our market.”
Many successful business owners share the trait of being early risers. If the early bird catches the worm, ABD publisher, Neil Gordon has enough worms in his bucket to catch fish for a year.
His advice to his younger self has less to do with an early start to the day and more about lessons learned from a lifetime in the news business. Gordon has worked with News 12, NBC 26, launched and sold Buzz on Biz, and last year started Augusta Business Daily.
“I think my advice would be to learn more about the policies of business along with the creative side. We don’t know what we don’t know,” Gordon said.
In case you didn’t know, that quote originated from mathematician and astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus more than 500 years ago, who surmised that when we recognize that we don’t know what we don’t know, that is true knowledge.
What we do know is that this publication will continue to honor our promise of helping our members grow their companies by providing relevant business stories and profitable networking opportunities in the new year and beyond.
Editor’s Note:
Mitzi Oxford is a veteran broadcaster and features writer who also worked at the same television station in Columbus, Georgia as Augusta’s Brad Means!
If you have a South Carolina story idea for Mitzi, please email her at mitzioxfordcreative@gmail.com.
