It’s the Economy – You’re Not Stupid!
I’ve been around the block before, once or twice. I officially started my career after graduating from college in 1986. With my degree in hand, I secured a sales position working for a web publications printer located in Manchester, NH. I was ambitious, goal oriented and extremely motivated to make my mark on the New England printing industry and I quickly rose to the top of the sales team within that company. Ready for a new challenge, I changed jobs in 1989 to broaden my knowledge and explore new sales territories. Little did I know, recession had set in and was wholloping the advertising and graphic design firms hard, with Boston shops (my new territory) especially hard-hit. I found that I needed to reinvent myself – and my offerings – in order to preserve the hard won clientele I’d earned and to continue to grow as a sales professional. I went back to school with a new emphasis on marketing, more of a big picture approach than my first degree in Graphic Arts had offered. I attended every sales and professional development seminar I could and read and listened to countless business books, motivational CDs, sales bibles, you name it. I was a consummate professional, eager to learn the skills and tools that I would need to succeed in a difficult economic climate.
Looking back, I know that it was during that earlier recession that I found out what I was made of. I think that it is easy for most folks to get along fairly well during times of plenty, but, as the old adage says, when the going gets tough, the tough get going. It was during my first career downturn that I proved to myself how ‘tough’ I could be. I learned to compete for business opportunities like my life depended on it. And, let’s face it, it did!
Since that time, I’ve seen many boom years with a few ‘bust’ years thrown in, especially for certain industries. Over all of this time, I have found that reinventing myself has become part of the deal. If I don’t currently have what the market wants, I need to find a way to offer it.
Times are tough again, as most of you reading this have probably experienced first-hand. Never before have I seen such a widespread downturn in so many critical industries and it seems as difficult as any time I remember in my 20 year career to find good job opportunities to get a career going – or restarted – on the right track.
If you are a young professional, a recent grad or a more seasoned veteran transitioning to a new industry or position, take heart. Tough times never last but tough people do. You already have what it takes to succeed, within you. Sure it takes tenacity and perseverance. It takes courage and faith, too. But these are all qualities that reside within you. Separate yourself from the pack by not whining and complaining about the economy and know that somehow, somewhere, someone (maybe you?) is finding a way to make their mark, despite the economic downturn, despite any disadvantage (real or perceived) they might have had to overcome.
Real winners acted like winners before they won. They believed in themselves. Sure, the economy sucks, but you are not stupid. Change it up! Learn what you need to know to move forward. Read more, pick up a class, attend a seminar, invest in yourself. Find a mentor or two and learn from other smart, successful people you meet how they became who they are today. You will likely find out that we all have had to pay our dues along the path to professional growth. You become extraordinary by going that extra mile. Believe in yourself and the power of your dreams then go out there and show the world what you’ve got!
Lisa Landry
President
Print Savvy, Inc.
Lisa Landry is President and CEO of Print Savvy, Inc., a marketing and printing firm located in Manchester, NH, which she founded 11 years ago and the recently launched Savvy Workshop, which offers traditional and new media marketing and creative services to its clients.
Well said!
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