Archives – July, 2009
Many people have asked me why I chose to self-publish Professional Destiny as opposed to going the traditional book publishing route. Since I had done a bit of research before making this decision, I thought it was worthy of a blog post, even though I admit I’m veering off my favorite subject of career satisfaction.
I began writing Professional Destiny in November of 2005 after I returned from India and left my role in the advertising world. It had been my dream to write a book for at least half my life and I finally decided to take the leap and do it! From the beginning, I didn’t choose the traditional route—I didn’t write the proposal first and didn’t try to get a publisher up front. Why? I couldn’t stomach the thought of anyone telling me what to write and how to write it. (Okay, maybe I’m headstrong). So, I wrote the book first and the proposal later (btw… while I don’t recommend this method to everyone, it certainly makes it easier to write the chapter summaries!). I completed the manuscript in July of 2007 and right when I normally would have gotten serious about landing a publisher, I disappeared back into the advertising world for another year and a half. At this time, my manuscript disappeared from my consciousness while I distracted myself with the challenge of hiring 200 people.
As some of you know, I became quite serious about publishing again when two friends (Bob Gutermuth, the ringleader and Ken Segall, the accomplice) got a hold of my manuscript and surprised me by designing and printing 20 copies of an early version of my book as a Christmas present. I was shocked and a bit mortified since it had yet to be professionally edited! But, it got definitely got me moving and turned out to be a tremendous gift.
Ultimately, I chose self-publishing because:
- I didn’t have the patience to wait another two years to go the traditional publishing route. I had heard it can easily take 18 months from acceptance of a manuscript to book launch with a major publisher. And being a first-time author can extend the process of FINDING a publisher through an agent, or directly, by another year (if you’re lucky). Initially, I set out on this path but found myself frustrated by the waiting time inherent in this process – it seemed going the traditional route would just take way too long. And the subject of my book – discovering the career you were born for – was too timely in the current economy to wait until sometime in 2011.
- Early in the year, I read an article in the NY Times about how self-publishing had lost its stigma and was increasingly becoming the publishing method of choice for many authors. While it mentions that self-publishing is cluttered with many authors that wouldn’t be published otherwise, for those who do a professional job, it’s becoming the preferred solution. Plus, times are changing and many traditional publishing houses wait to see if a book can become successful and then they snatch it up. The article gives the example of a first-time author who was turned down or ignored by 100 literary agents, then chose to self-publish using iUniverse (I used CreateSpace, an Amazon company) and also sell copies through independent bookstores. A fellow author discovered the book and introduced her to an agent, and she eventually sold her book for a mid-six-figure advance to Pocket Books (Simon & Schuster). It had its debut on the New York Times trade paperback fiction bestseller list on Sunday, at No. 5. That was all I needed to read, and decided it was the method of choice for me!
- If you have the resources available to you, or you choose a print-on-demand company, such as BookSurge, that offers cover design, layout and editing services – you can meet the criteria for “professional quality.” Being in the advertising industry and having several professional book contacts, I was lucky enough to have great help.
- The technology for print-on-demand book publishing has made dramatic improvements over the years. It is more efficient, economical and eliminates waste from huge printing runs of unsold books. In short, it’s greener. As the NY Times article said “Vanity presses have existed for decades, but technology has made it much easier for aspiring authors to publish without hefty upfront costs. Gone are the days when self-publishing meant paying a printer to produce hundreds of copies that then languished in a garage.”
- While it still may be a bit on the leading edge, in my opinion, self-publishing through the latest print-on-demand technology will soon replace traditional publishing. Remember when we all took pictures using film? (Think digital cameras.) Or remember records, cassette tapes and CD’s? (Think iTunes.) Soon we will remember printing thousands of books using offset printing… and think print-on-demand instead.
If you’re interested in this post, be sure to visit again and check out an upcoming sequel: 10 Lessons I Learned About Self Publishing!
To visit the NYTimes article, click here: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/28/books/28selfpub.html
July 28, 2009
“Those who recognize their calling early in life and build on it are the lucky ones. Those who gain enough strength or independence to seek a more satisfying path in later life are also lucky. And though they may not feel so fortunate at the time, those compelled to seek change due to sheer discomfort [or change in circumstance] are lucky as well—because despite their own hesitation, events have pushed them in the direction of their true purpose.” – Excerpt from Professional Destiny
In this economy, many are losing their jobs — but for some it may become one of those “best thing that ever happened to us” moments. Although it may not feel like it at the time, being let go could be just the push we need to make a change to finding a profession that is far more satisfying and rewarding. It is a time to reflect on what it is we really love to do and find a career that fully utilizes our natural gifts. So many of us have been in unfulfilling jobs and by viewing a setback as a new potential opportunity, we can use this moment as a “course correction” to reintroduce joy and creativity into our profession. We can move from a “job” (something we do primarily to get a paycheck) to our life’s work (a mighty undertaking that challenges us, taps into our creative energy and awakens our spirit). In the long run, a “setback” can lead us to the career we were born for and make us far more engaged, productive and fulfilled.
Anyone can make a change at any time, whether by choice or not. The current economy is causing many people to take a fresh look at what they are doing. Losing a job might be a tough pill to swallow, but perhaps just the medicine we need to explore what it is we really want to do. This may be the perfect time to rethink our goals, as well as the gifts we were born with, so that we can leave behind something that is less than fulfilling to pursue a new career that energizes us and makes us feel alive. And, if we recognize the opportunity, chances are we will look back and realize that the thing we so feared, was actually one of the best things to ever happen to us.
July 21, 2009
I received an excellent question as a comment on an earlier blog post about the difference between the a job vs. your life’s work. This contributor asked me to further define the terms, job, profession, work and career. It is true that they are often used interchangeably and mean different things to different people. So, it can be confusing. I’ll start by how the dictionary defines them:
Job
1) a post of employment; full-time or part-time position, 2) anything a person is expected or obliged to do; duty; responsibility.
Work
1) employment, as in some form of industry, esp. as a means of earning one’s livelihood
Profession
1) a vocation requiring knowledge of some department of learning or science; 2) any vocation or business.
Career
1) an occupation or profession, esp. one requiring special training, followed as one’s lifework
In my book, Professional Destiny, I expand these definitions to reflect the level of satisfaction we feel in what we do. The terms job and work (with a small “w”) are what we do for the primary motivation of earning a living. They can feel like an obligation, a duty or a responsibility. Oftentimes they are too small for our spirit.
I introduce the terms “Life’s Work” (with a capital W) and the “Career You Were Born For” to reflect Work that completely taps into our creative energy and reawakens our spirit. When we are so engaged, we feel energized, challenged and productive. We feel that we are making a difference to someone or something—and that feels good. Once we start doing this Work, the urgency is bigger than us and we feel that there is simply not enough time in the day to do what we can’t wait to do. And, while we may be well compensated, our driving force is purpose and contribution above money. When we are engaged in this way, we are pursuing our Professional Destiny.
For more detailed information on discovering and living your Professional Destiny, you may order the book at: http://tiny.cc/prodestiny
July 15, 2009
One day you finally knew what you had to do, and began, though the voices around you kept shouting their bad advice. – Mary Oliver
I had the good fortune of having Paul Hawken’s Commencement Address to the University of Portland (May 3, 2009) forwarded to me by a friend, and I read it last night. Wow, it knocked my socks off! Paul said he was asked to give a talk that was, “direct, naked, taut, honest, passionate, lean, shivering, startling, and graceful.” It was.
Paul Hawken is an environmentalist, entrepreneur, journalist, and author. At the age of 20, he chose to dedicate his life to sustainability and changing the relationship between business and the environment. He talked about immense environmental challenges that we’re facing on our planet, yet he also talked about humanity’s willingness to restore, re-imagine and reconsider. People around the globe who are forming together to work on behalf of people they don’t even know.
“When asked if I am pessimistic or optimistic about the future, my answer is always the same: If you look at the science about what is happening on earth and aren’t pessimistic, you don’t understand the data. But if you meet the people who are working to restore this earth and the lives of the poor, and you aren’t optimistic, you haven’t got a pulse. What I see everywhere in the world are ordinary people willing to confront despair, power, and incalculable odds in order to restore some semblance of grace, justice, and beauty to this world.”
In the past few years as I have researched and written about people who have chosen to pursue their Professional Destiny – people who opt to use their gifts and make a difference. I can’t help being both inspired and immensely relieved to find yet another person like Paul Hawken and the vast movement of others, who have decided to follow their passion and make a contribution. All over the world, there are ordinary people who have chosen to become extraordinary. It takes conviction, strength, passion and a lot of guts, but once you’re on the journey, your life becomes so satisfyingly rich, you would never choose to go back.
See Paul Hawken’s Commencement address at: http://www.paulhawken.com/paulhawken_frameset.html
July 10, 2009
—The following is an excerpt from Professional Destiny—
“A job is something we do to earn a living. Oftentimes it is too small for our spirit.
Our life’s work is a mighty undertaking that challenges us, taps into our creative energy and reawakens our spirit. It is our work with a capital W. Once we start on the path, the urgency of this work is bigger than us. Our passion and creativity are ignited.
Some people know at a young age what they love to do. Unfortunately they often bury their desire due to conflicting outside influences or a bad experience early on—such as being rejected, humiliated for being different, or having a passion outside of the norm.
Those who recognize their calling early in life and build on it are the lucky ones. Those who gain enough strength or independence to seek a more satisfying path in later life are also lucky. And though they may not feel so fortunate at the time, those compelled to seek change due to sheer discomfort are lucky as well—because despite their own hesitation, events have pushed them in the direction of their true purpose.
Anyone can make a change at any time, whenever they feel strong enough. It may be when they reach a financial level that provides a sense of stability, allowing them to feel free. Or when they’ve reached an emotional point when they’ve had enough time to know who they are, and have enough distance from early influences (parents, teachers, religion) that may have sidetracked them. It might also be when they feel they have met their primary responsibilities after raising children and fulfilling other obligations. Some people reach a point of frustration in which continuing along the same path becomes unbearable, and they finally decide to do something different.
At that point, you decide to engage in your life’s work…”
Please share your perspective: Are you currently in a job, in transition or in your life’s work?
July 8, 2009
Hi, my name is Valerie Hausladen and I’m an author, consultant and newly-minted blogger. Welcome to the official Professional Destiny website!
Professional Destiny has been my passion for over three years now. It is the name of my new book and it’s a concept about doing what we love and were born to do in our career. The idea for this book was born when I was traveling to India in October, 2005.
I'm the only blond
I had been a successful marketing and advertising exec for almost twenty years, but had become increasingly dissatisfied with my work and was looking for something more. Since so many people I knew were experiencing the same thing, I decided to write a book. I already had the idea bubbling up inside me and something about the magic of visiting the orphans in India, gave me that final motivation to let it out. Some may know I had a little side journey (1.5 years) along the way when I took a stint as the head of the Austin office of Enfatico and was busy hiring 200 people in the first six months. That aside, Professional Destiny was calling for completion… so here we are!
This blog will feature stories about business legends and ordinary people who have found their Professional Destiny, as well as personal observations I’ve made along the way. Thank you for participating on this site. I welcome your comments and hearing about your own experiences. Enjoy.
July 6, 2009
