Know your skills and focus your energy on them
The decision for me to take a step back to do this will ultimately pay dividends in the long game
Selling something that your customer cannot taste, smell, touch, or see is very powerful. Over half of my 23-year Naval career, I lived in 4 major cities developing this skill recruiting for the Navy.
As the military market continually changed, flexibility was required to succeed. Since retiring in June of 2016 that rule still applies. No matter what sales channel you’re in.
Prior to retiring the plan was to open and operate my own business here in the Pacific North West. A sports bar actually, with a fantasy sports concept. That fell through once getting into the weeds of the business plan with state legislation, not in favor of that kind of business model.
Back to the drawing board. Brainstorming ideas on how to find a niche opportunity business model. At the time I had started blogging and was really intrigued by how to build a tribe and monetize it.
Then I ventured into creating online courses for the fantasy football industry. Due to that industry being seasonal primarily around one sport it was back to the drawing board for a 4 quarter business strategy.
Summer of 2016 it was time to go back to what my strength actually was. Sales. The right skill set however the wrong platform, unfortunately. It was a great learning experience over 2 months as a car salesman however the number of hours on the job took more away from my family than anything.
Any action is better than none
Finally, this actual business model would allow me to leverage an additional skill set, and not requiring hours away from home. However, challenges still lay ahead. In the coming months of actually getting that fully off the ground. The moral of the story at this point is to stay moving. Never sit still. Adapt and overcome. Make the best of any situation and keep it moving.
Fast forward to February 2017, and I am taking a slight detour that will enable my ultimate business model to thrive. Same sales skill set, different channel this time. Not to mention a new source of income, because after all there are still bills to pay in a household of 6. Military retirement pay is nice but ultimately limited.
The fact that this new sales channel similarly aligns with my business model dream motivates me even further. I’m currently on day 3 of a 5-week training program currently for the position to learn the company systems, and product knowledge.
If I told you the name of the company you wouldn’t believe me. In addition, if I told you that their focus has totally shifted based on their current perception. By many that have yet to change as a result. Chances are if your reading this your likely an internet customer of theirs. Comcast.
Closing the deal
Life will take you on a journey if you let it. It is up to each of us to appreciate who we become during that journey. What we learn along it shapes us up to arrive at our final destination. Conduct an inventory of your skillset. Once you know what your good at, work at your craft to perfect it.
Over the course of the next 4 weeks, I will share with you my journey during this 5-week training course. I will share with you now that after 3 days in, I’m totally astonished at what this company is doing for its employees. If you really want to know hop over to my updated LinkedIn profile.
Look for another update a week from now with more details. Follow my journey and experience it with me. Until then conduct an inventory on your own skillset. Focus all your energy on it and put it to work.
Back 2 The Future
This was the very first story I published on Medium. Fast forward to December 18, 2020, and I have currently over 100 published now. I share this with you to motivate you if you read this far. Reading is your strength, that’s the key to re-programming your mind.
Now I write here daily for veterans like you. To help share my story of how to develop a Bullet Proof state of mind. A goal I would achieve later on before I even knew it would exist. A shining example of setting long term goals.
Please be sure to follow me Barry Gipson on Medium. When we connect here we can help each other by communicating. Lastly, feel free to join my newsletter “Weekly Smoke” built for veterans and more intimate comms.
What are your skills that you can focus on today?
