The main reason was to be more involved in the early years of my daughter’s life. I’ve been able to spend invaluable time with her while working from home each day. But this couldn’t be the only reason.
During the first few weeks in my consulting role, I started to reflect upon my 17-year career at American Tower Corporation. What job was the most enjoyable over that span of time? While I appreciated all the jobs I had at ATC, it was clear to me that the Account Manager position was the most rewarding. I wasn’t someone who ever had to make outbound phone calls in previous jobs. Taking the risk to primarily be on the phone every day was a scary thought. However, to take the next step in my career, I knew a new challenge was needed. I remember my first call being terrible. From that point on, I focused on shadowing all my teammates, and learning as much as I could from them. Finally, I planted myself in a conference room over the next few weeks and made call after call until I felt comfortable with others hearing me on the phone. During that time, I was able to craft a pitch that seemed to resonate with landlords. As time went on, I was able to significantly build a pipeline and meet quota after quota during my 5 years in the role. I think back about the camaraderie our small team had while being in the office. I never had those dreaded Sunday scaries. While I don’t have the same team dynamic at home now (wife, daughter, and cats), I’ve got the second piece of that puzzle…
The enjoyment of talking and connecting with landlords is why I made the change in my career. It’s not every day that you get to speak with folks from all different walks of life. Helping people improve their financial situation whether it’s from an extension or lease buyout is what gives me the most joy in my job. The most difficult part of the job is building a pipeline, especially when you run your own business. However, I’ve learned to give every day an honest day’s work. Some days may not go according to plan, but every day is a new day. Stay on that path to success by identifying goals for yourself. I’ve set a goal for myself to have one good call per day. You never know when that outbound call, email or mailer will be returned. I’m thankful for the opportunity to go out on my own and do something that I love doing and hopefully making a difference at the same time.
