We’ve all experienced a career setback. Maybe you didn’t get the job you wanted or you were laid off due to circumstances beyond your control. But sometimes, these events are just the push you need to make a necessary change.
Jan Conklin was working as a TV producer for CBS when the show she worked on was suddenly canceled. Through help from GetFive, she was able to find her true passion.
“I tapped into my hobby, what I was doing in my life outside of work, yoga, and began a career at Lululemon Athletica. I now manage a retail location for them and specialize in training and leadership development for the company. I opened the first store in the Caribbean and the Flagship store on 5th Avenue. I travel once a year to Vancouver for my own leadership development and enjoy four weeks a year of paid vacation. Life is good,” she says.
Conklin is the perfect example of how a challenging situation in your career can propel you forward, giving you the opportunity to focus on what you really want to do.
“Next week, I travel to Costa Rica with a yoga ambassador for the company. I could have gone back to school, instead I decided to learn a new skill while on the job. I moved through all of the ranks within a retail location, learning each position so I could be an effective leader. I knew nothing about retail and I now manage an 8–15-million-dollar business.”
Conklin offers her advice for finding and pursuing your passion in the form of a career:
“Look at what you love to do. Find an opportunity that matches that passion. And then humble yourself. Don’t look for a previous title or a financial package that matches where you were at. Be willing to start ground up and where you are meant to end up will evolve and come to you.”
