The actress turned account manager story
Hi there! Samantha here.
I’ve recently joined the SVG team as their Senior Account Manager. I’m excited to start this new chapter as it marks a pivotal shift in my career trajectory.
A little about me and my journey
Over the last 10 years, I’ve been an actress, a server, a brand ambassador, a photographer, a filmmaker…
Put it this way. My business cards couldn’t fit in your wallet. From a bustling restaurant atmosphere to a quirky indie set, days stretched on and years flew by.
Looking back, I’m not sure I ever fully understood what success meant. Or maybe my skewed version of success came from what everyone else thought it looked like.
When March 2020 hit, my world shattered.
Circumstances beyond my control forced me to take a hard look at my life. But the silver lining from the past two years? I was forced to ask myself the important questions I was avoiding.
Beginning my next chapter
As I dive into my 30s with a new outlook on life, I realize that success comes in many forms, each unique to the person pursuing it. In my case, switching careers meant a breath of fresh air and a chance to pursue other passions I tucked away as an “emerging actor”.
I am by no means an expert, but I am more than happy to tell you about my journey in the hopes it will help you on your way up the “ladder of success”…however it may look to you.
Below are my 5 steps to success when starting a new job!
Step 1: I began with my WHY
“You have two choices: You can make a living, or you can design a life.” – Jim Rohn
This was probably the hardest step for me – having to move back home and start over. I now had ample time to sit with myself and actually think. A gift and a curse.
Months and months of hemming and hawing, I finally sat my butt down and asked myself the question: WHY?
After much reflection, I had an existential moment…
No one was just going to hand me the life of my dreams on a silver platter. My WHY was the first step on this thing I invented called the “ladder of success”. And great news…this ladder appears differently to everyone!
Having a clear vision of my WHY allowed me to see the whole picture: the who, what, where, when and how. And the more questions I asked myself, the clearer my intentions became.
Questions I asked myself:
- Should I change careers? WHY
- Is it time to buy a house? WHY
- Do I want to get married? WHY
- Will I need a more stable income? WHY
- What do I want my life to look like? WHY
Step 2: I reviewed my previous year
“If you really want to do something, you’ll find a way. If you don’t, you’ll find an excuse.” – Jim Rohn (again)
Self reflection is a key component for growth:
- What were my strengths?
- What were my weaknesses?
- Did I create opportunities for myself?
- Was there any growth?
- What has stopped me from achieving my WHY?
Listen, I get it. Failure became an option. I moved home TWICE.
Having to relive those experiences isn’t a walk in the park.
But get through those moments and see them as steps on the way up your ladder. I promise you that it will push you to accomplish your goals and put you on a path to success.
Step 3: I finally set some dang goals!
“A goal that is not in writing is merely a fantasy” – Darren Hardy
Writing down goals creates a sense of accountability. I keep them in a place where I can see them to reference every now and then.
Setting goals doesn’t have to be scary, it just needs to work for you. If you prefer weekly goals, go for it. Or if you’d rather set daily, weekly, monthly and yearly goals, go for it!
Goals are also about balance. I began to see life as a pie chart broken up into equal sections. I wrote down my goals in the following categories:
- Health
- Family
- Financial
- Growth Mindset
Goals do not have to be all about the future. I also considered the following:
- Start doing these things
- Stop doing these things
- Continue doing these things
The benefit of writing down goals is that they are now stored in a safe place for when you reflect back on the year. It’s a nice way to physically track “how it started” vs “how it’s going”
After writing out my goals, I sign my name below them. This may not work for everyone, but it has worked for me.
I am telling myself that I am committing 100% to my goals and overall, my WHY. How can I expect to succeed if I do not keep myself accountable?
(Side note: I have even considered a mentor or someone to check in with that’ll help keep me accountable)
Step 4: I never stopped learning
“There’s no such thing as perfect. Chasing ”Perfect” is the shortest road to not achieving it.” – Gary Vaynerchuk
No one is reinventing the wheel anymore. There are people who’ve done it before you and better. Heck, some of them have written down their ideas to share with the world (cheeky, I know).
Below are 10 must read books that continue to live in my mind as I progress up my “ladder of success”:
1. The Courage to be Disliked – Ichiro Kishimi
2. Braving the Wilderness – Brené Brown
3. The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*CK – Mark Manson
4. The Universe Has Your Back – Gabrielle Bernstein
5. The Four Agreements – Don Miguel Ruiz
6. You Are a Badass – Jen Sincero
7. E-Squared – Pam Grout
8. The Alchemist – Paulo Coelho
9. Crush It! – Gary Vaynerchuk
10. Untamed – Glennon Doyle
Step 5: My work-life balance
“The road to success and the road to failure are almost exactly the same.” – Colin R. Davis.
The fear of failure or maybe even fear of success…
I often block myself from reaching my full potential out of fear. Sound familiar?
Do value being the go-to person at work? Yes.
My strong work ethic paired with my obsessive need to organize enables me to be there for my colleagues, with an open mind and open heart. Like many though, I tend to overwhelm myself with tasks. I see my agenda and the self deprecating spiral begins.
Solution? Time block!
Schedule in your work tasks as well as your personal tasks. Lay it out in front of you to see what a week actually looks like. This helps me mentally prepare for the week ahead. I also leave room for the unexpected (I don’t fill up every minute of the day).
I’ve realized that taking the time to set myself up for success has gifted me the ability to tackle these challenges. Understanding my WHY, reflecting on my past self, setting goals, staying on task and constantly expanding my mind has allowed me to step out of my comfort zone and into this brand new position with SVG.
A challenge I might not have stepped into two years ago.
Takeaways
This is my story, but I think these 5 steps are universal truths. They have enabled me to step into this new role and gratefully into a new life. This is what success – for now – looks like to me.
The first step may seem scary, so begin simple:
- Figure out what you want
- And then working back from the “big picture”
What are your goals? And how do (or did you) you achieve them?
Have you read our most recent blog posts?
Top 13 Video Production Studios in Toronto (2022)
I Made A Daniel Schiffer Style Product Video. Here’s What I Learned
