Rarely do I share personal information because I am just that much of a private person. However, reflecting on the fact that I am in my 23rd year of business prompted me to rethink my non-sharing position. While June 1994 was the beginning of my entrepreneurial adventure, July 2009 was when I ventured into my CFO-Coach branded space and never looked back. So many years, so many lessons. Here are a few of my reflections …
It’s exhilarating to be the boss, and quite scary
Those of us who love being in control absolutely love being the “boss.” However, with that title comes all, and I do mean ALL, of the responsibility. Having to make every decision can, at times, be quite frightening.
My business was launched when my then 7-year old came home from school and said if she could have anything in the world, she wanted me to be home when school was over so she didn’t have to be a latch-key kid. Talk about motivation. And terror. If I failed, it meant snatching away her cherished dream. And here we are, 23 years later.
Flexibility and discipline are often at odds with each other
Perhaps my favorite part of being a solopreneur is the flexibility it affords. Of course, modern technology has made it possible for me to work anywhere at any time.
Flexibility does bump up against discipline, though, and not everyone can focus on work when fun is calling. The difference is … when you love what you do, fun becomes a relative term. And 23 years later, I’m still having fun.
Differentiation and niching allowed me to do what I love
My philosophy with my clients is to help them do what they love … harness the skills at which they excel and enjoy doing, and then create their value and marketable positioning from that unique and differentiating place.
Way back in the 90s I took a job coach certification class, and the one thing that still rings true is the negative impact burnout skills have on our careers. Just because we are good at something doesn’t mean we want to do more of “that” skill. What you are good at, love doing, have a track record of success doing – that’s your sweet spot and it can be the basis of your value messaging and appeal to a prospective employer.
It isn’t always easy, but it is always my choice
Such is life, right? But where else would I have the opportunity to have …
– a great boss
– flexible hours
– the ability to help some of the most accomplished CFOs in the nation do what they love in their next position, while forming long-lasting relationships with them.
And to think I have had a dream journey because of the courage to act on one little heartfelt comment by my sweet little girl, now a grown woman with children of her own.
Copyright CFO-Coach 2017
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Cindy Kraft is the CFO-Coach and America’s leading Career & Personal Brand Strategist for Corporate Finance Executives helping clients understand their marketability, articulate their value, and position themselves as the clear and compelling choice. She is a Certified Reach Personal Brand Strategist, Certified Reach Online Identity Strategist, Certified Career Management Coach, Credentialed Career Master, Certified Professional Resume Writer, and Job & Career Transition Coach. Cindy can be reached via email Cindy@CFO-Coach.com, by phone 813-727-3037, or through her website at www.CFO-Coach.com.