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LAUREL MCLAY

I am totally happy (and thrilled) about you sharing this, however you want to; both online and offline, at no cost, as long as you don’t change or edit it in any way.

This is well researched and well meaning advice. Reading a white paper is one way to up skill yourself, but when it comes to commercial success, you are encouraged to select your own advisers to receive specialist advice about your specific situation. This is just a start, there is so much more to explore! Please use this in the way that it is intended; to provide some helpful hints.

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Laurel is a leading expert in lead generation (or getting yourself known) and unpacking people’s thoughts for commercial success. She is an old sales dog from way back and co-founded a recruitment company called ITmaniacs, which was ranked #2 in the Deloitte Fast 50. She then set up and sold Amplify Sales, a company which focused solely on recruiting high performing sales professionals; primarily hunters. There are two common themes that have played out in Laurel’s life. One is that of clarity, or more specifically, confusion! Laurel spent many years not really understanding either what she was good at, or what she really loved.

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The other key theme has been value. After years of underselling herself, she now fully owns her value and also has clarity on not only what that is, but who values that. This is why she is so excited about this white paper because illuminating your legacy is all about being clear on exactly that! Laurel is an accredited Thought Leaders mentor in the powerful Thought Leader’s Global curriculum. She is also a certified Freefall Coach. The Freefall framework is based on the ontological principles of what it is to be human. Laurel published her first book, “Lead Generation – 21st Century Strategies to ignite your sales’ in November 2014. Find out more at www.laurelmclay.com

 

What were you born to do?

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It is our birthright to find a vocation, something that we feel excited about, something that gives us a sense of purpose and contribution. And the exciting thing is that in today’s global and highly connected world, we have opportunities that have never been available before. The future of work is a completely different landscape to 9 to 5 dross. But many of us are tolerating roles or enterprises that don’t light us up, that drain us, that make us feel anything but purposeful; our life feels more like Groundhog Day. This whitepaper not only helps you to identify what your purpose is, but how to activate it, so that you are living true to that purpose day in and day out. And sometimes this requires a reinvention.

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The great news is that you don’t need to take a massive risk and quit your day job tomorrow, suddenly cutting yourself off from a vital cash fund that you and others rely on (although that’s an option should you choose it!). We love a slow rebrand, where over time, you will evolve into living a life that shouts out you and your brilliant uniqueness in a way you could never have imagined. And one more thing before we delve right into it. What you are doing now may very well be the vehicle that enables you to live your true personal brand. In some cases, you have a lot tied up in what you do now, and it’s a bit like the husband or wife, that you feel you have grown out of. Some rigorous personal reflection and commitment to both viewing and doing things differently can reignite your current vocation, just like the countless marriages that have been saved when people do that.

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I think that for so many of us, we have simply settled. And that’s ok. Like Lori Gottlieb’s controversial book called ‘Mr Good Enough’, there are certainly some benefits to ‘Job good enough’. But let’s explore it for just a little bit. Here are some challenges we face when thinking about whether we want to reinject some vigour into our existing vocation, or find something better.

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CHALLENGE # 1 We convince ourselves that this is as good as it gets/ it’s too hard to do anything about it Changing a career or business seems like an awful lot of effort. We look at other people who are in the job market, or in a new role, and it can seem pretty tough. Some people can’t even get their head around updating their CV. When they ask themselves the question ‘what’s wrong with my current vocation?’, they can’t quite pinpoint what it is so it just seems all a bit hard.

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CHALLENGE # 2 We don’t take the time to explore both what we want (internal) and what’s available (external) To change anything requires some investment of time and reflection. Often we know what our favourite perfume or football team is, but we actually don’t know what motivates us. There are countless books, coaches and seminars available, which will help navigate the landscape of our hidden desires, but it requires us to (a) make the choice that we are going to do it and (b) take action! On top of that, we don’t spend the time researching the options that are available to us externally. I now know of brilliant career options which pay well, are fulfilling and easy to get into, but I had to research them to find out about them.

So why are there not more of us doing work that we feel really lights us up?

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CHALLENGE # 3 Even though at some level, we know that there might be something better out there, it’s quite easy to remain in the status quo, and we do a good job of convincing ourselves that its fine After all the biggest enemy to anything is settling for the status quo. If you are in a job or enterprise that you can tolerate (or are not doing anything, and tolerating that!) then often it just seems like too much of an effort to look for something else. Sure Sunday nights can be a bit off-putting, but in the main, we seem to get by, so we expend our energies on other parts of our lives. Occasionally you might experience what I call glimpses of a more fulfilling life. It might be a movie that touches you, a speaker you see or even an item on the news. Any time you feel moved or inspired by something you see or read, it’s a signal to you that as humans we are all connected, and making a difference matters.

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But! IT’s easier to just plod on with life, and think that ‘ everything’s fine’. Sometimes we distract ourselves with reality TV and our phones, sometimes even drinking and drugs. So often I speak with people, and they will say something like’ there’s something missing, I just can’t put my finger on it’. It is literally like that itch you want to scratch, but just don’t quite know where it is. And even if you do find that spot, inevitably the voice pops up in your head saying that you couldn’t possibly pull off a career change like that.

If you think about the degree to which work lights you up, we like to refer to it as your vocational quotient (VQ).

So what does this all mean?

VOCATIONAL QUOTIENT (VQ) STAGE FOCUS

80 Illuminating Evolving

50 Enjoying Connecting - internally

30 Existing Connecting - externally

20 Enduring Clarity

10 Extinguished Boundaries  

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VOCATIONAL QUOTIENT = 10  At this level you are feeling pretty extinguished. Not only does your job not light you up, but you seriously feel like you are drained, like the lights are permanently out. It’s as if all the goodness has been sucked out of you, and you are a shell of the person you once knew as yourself. What invariably happens is you start to compensate for the emptiness you are feeling; whether that’s by lashing out at those closest to you, or starting to drink more, numbing yourself with medication or just spend your downtime in front of reality TV or FaceBook. It’s really important not to make any massive decisions at this stage, simply start looking at getting your emotional tank full again, and get clear on your boundaries in your life, both relationship and lifestyle. It would be really smart to get some professional support to get you out of the slump. VOCATIONAL QUOTIENT = 20 Who wants to live a life where it is simply endured? Many people do tolerate such a life, and they don’t need to! At this stage, you are definitely less checked out than the above level, but there is definitely a sense of going through the motions. Very little excites you about your role or company/practice, but you generally turn up day in and day out. Sometimes you can do a good job of beating yourself up because you know you could be contributing more, and that

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isn’t really that helpful. You completely live for weekends and holidays, and you can really despair when these are coming to an end. Often those around them won’t actually realize that you are so unsatisfied in their role. What should you do if you find yourself like this? Get some clarity on what you actually want; read books, watch Ted Talks, research what’s available! You deserve better! VOCATIONAL QUOTIENT = 30 Then we find those people who are existing in their roles. You don’t actually dislike it, but you don’t like it that much either. This is where people will often go around saying things like ‘my job is fine’! Often it is simply a case of not realizing that you can enjoy your work more than this! There is a certain feeling of ‘work is not something you get to choose, you just buckle down and earn a living’. Well now’s the time to start reaching out to people who may be able to show you otherwise. Talk to a career coach, connect with people in industries that excite you, speak to online and offline providers who hold courses, and just see what starts showing up!

A bit about the future of work

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Things are pretty exciting right now. The command and control days of an intimidating workplace, where a promise of safety and security is all that counts is over. That kind of environment is a hang up from the industrial revolution, where people were considered to be more like machines than creative independent human beings. Remember time cards where you clocked in and out? I don’t know if they even exist any more. In the US, there are a bunch of companies who offer unlimited PTO (personal time off)! The responsibility of getting your work done is being transferred from employer to employee, which is where it should be! No more ‘mental health days’ worrying about the boss finding out. If you need to take some time off for whatever reason, just do it, and make sure you get your work completed beforehand or afterwards. There are some roles that are vanishing altogether. Many of these are sales/retail, office/admin and service. Who remembers 018? If your role can be automated or outsourced, then you might want to think of a new job. Now it is skills rather than jobs that we need to focus on, and there are two primary things that a computer can’t do; 1. be creative 2. make meaning out of something

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VOCATIONAL QUOTIENT = 50 Ok, so thank goodness there are people out there enjoying what they do. You genuinely look forward to it, it provides you with a sense of contribution and fulfillment and you consider yourself to have a wonderfully balanced life, both and home and work. Actually some people in this group find work easier than being at home, and use it as a means to ignore some of the stuff that’s not working in their life. But I don’t want to focus on the negative because this is a great group to belong to, and most people would be more than happy to feel like this about work. Because you are experiencing enjoyment, it is a perfect time to undertake some personal reflection, and start connecting internally, to explore your true purpose and values. VOCATIONAL QUOTIENT = 80 But what about what you were born to do? Is this absolutely a calling for you? Do you find that you are in the flow and time simply melts away when you are working? If not, then know that this IS actually your birthright, and there are ways that you can discover this! People who have the highest vocational quotient are those who are simply illuminating. They are a joy to be around and certainly experience being in the flow. I love it when my clients exclaim how they haven’t felt so excited since they were a child, when they finally click to what their actual life purpose is all about. At this stage, you simply continue to evolve into an even truer version of yourself.

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Let’s talk about being creative. Today there are more musicians making more music being heard by more people and making more money than ever before. Suddenly you don’t need to rely on the record labels any more. You choose your creativity and then take responsibility for sharing it. There’s a woman on Etsy making $80,000 a month creating headbands and leg warmers. Thankfully now there are more opportunities for us to celebrate our creativity commercially. And how about making meaning out of something? Did you know that information has become a commodity, like air or water? There is now so much free information available, that trying to digest it is a bit like drinking from a fire hydrant. What we need to do is to be able to make meaning out of that information, and that’s what thought leadership is all about. There is so much potential for you to become known as an authority in your chosen area, and help people navigate through the tsunami of information. Examples of this include speaking, coaching, training, authoring and mentoring. We also need to stop thinking in terms of roles. 10 years ago, a social media manager or cloud consultant was unheard of. 65% of children starting school today will be in roles that don’t currently exist. According to a future of work-study conducted by the UK Ministry of Innovation and Business, the following 5 skills will be needed for the future; 1. Critical thinking 2. Problem solving 3. Creativity 4. Digital literally 5. Entrepreneurialism So stop thinking in terms of roles, and what exists today, and start thinking about skills and what you can create for tomorrow.

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4 step process to living your brand and elevating your vocational quotient

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1. Get to work on clarifying your uniqueness and identity What do you love to do? What are you good at? Take some time to look back at your life and choose what your ‘10,000 hours’ are all about. And don’t limit yourself. Celebrate everything about you. Leonardo da Vinci was an inventor, an artist, scientist, botanist, musician, mathematician, writer, sculptor and engineer! Notice your obsessions, and where your heart is touched. If there is a conversation you overhear at a pub, that you would just LOVE to be involved with, chances are that’s your obsession! When do you get moved? What inspires you? A great way for you to find out is to watch Ted Talks or the lesser known 99U. A fun exercise is to spend some time alone, where you won’t get distracted, with a big flipchart paper or whiteboard, and lot’s of different coloured pens. Get playful about the kind of things you like to do. Don’t be too limited; with the Future of Work the way it is, you really do have the option of commercializing almost anything! Think about sharing your findings with a good friend to get their feedback, but be wary; there are a few well meaning people around who may not feel that what you love can realistically be commercialized.    2. Work out how you will share that uniqueness This is all about choosing your vocational vehicle. Because of the future of work and the leaning towards freelancing, there are a number of key ways you can generate money from your craft; 1. Employee 2. Entrepreneur 3. Expert or educator There are other ways you can share your uniqueness, via academia, sponsored roles,

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charity or sports, which might not necessarily deliver commercial results but provide you with the sense of fulfillment that you deserve. Think about what market you would like to serve. What problems of theirs can you solve? It is important to focus on problems you solve and the market, which is the best way your value can be recognized. Research that market, talk to people, and find out what is going on. What are the challenges they are facing? It might even pay to spend a day observing that market if you can. My dad worked in television all his life, and I never thought of it as a glamorous industry. There is an awful lot of hard work involved in getting a show to air. Things are not always as they appear, and before you go and commit to a new industry it might be worth finding out a bit more about it! 3. Get out there and share your value! No longer is it limited to sending a CV and waiting for a reply. You need to take responsibility for Brand You and your associated marketing campaign. As Kiwis and Australians, we have an interesting relationship with ‘selling’, or putting ourselves out there. I think this really holds us back. We need to be shameless in our self-promotion. We need to really own our value and enjoy sharing it relentlessly. This might be writing a blog, posting on social media, attending networking events, just connecting with relevant people or even writing your own book! An expert knows something, and an authority is known for knowing something. That’s what you want to be, an authority in your area of expertise, or passion. This is not limited to the expert, consultant or entrepreneur. You want to be known as the goto person for something, and something that you love! But don’t think this is about being pushy and

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‘selling’. We call it positioning, and that’s when people end up coming to you. In the Thought Leader’s community, we often refer to that fact that a brain surgeon doesn’t have to put up a billboard to advertise their services. Get known, spread the word, and people will in time come to you. Daniel Pink has a book called ‘To Sell is Human’. It’s now something we all need to do. We are no longer entitled to a role for life, and nor would we want to be! Donna Raymond, LA fashion commentator and owner of ‘The Way we Wore’ is currently visiting New Zealand, and attending Dunedin Fashion Week. She states that she will be able to identify who will be successful in the industry, based on their ability to sell their brand. Of course it all comes down to our fear of rejection doesn’t it? But how can we get ahead if we are so terrified about what people think? And what’s the worst that can happen if we ‘put ourselves out there’. A healthy relationship with failure is important to the success of your brand. Carol Dweck in her revolutionary book ‘Mindset’ talks about a growth mindset and a fixed mindset. Those with growth mindsets get out there, take the right action, and don’t worry about things going wrong. That’s where the gold appears and that’s how you can find the role you were born to do.

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4. Illuminate your legacy by getting clear on what’s NOT working in your life and sorting it out! When we have challenges in our life, it can truly zap us. There’s no point going out and having conversations about your value to the gaming industry if you are wrestling with self esteem issues, feeling crap about the weight your are or about to break off your marriage. This isn’t about making you wrong, it’s about getting clear on what you are TOLERATING! So often we just pretend things are ok, and it’s only in our darker alone hours that we have any idea how things are anything but. The following model refers to the key areas in our life which contribute to us being illuminating.  For each of these areas we need to have support and structures around them in order for them to rock!

Faith Wellbeing

Abundance Financial

Relationships Community

Career Purpose

STRUCTURES

SUPPORT

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Have a think about each of these areas in your life, and ask some tough questions; • Do you have belief in something higher

than yourself, that helps you get through the tougher times?

• Are you getting enough sleep? • Do you spend a lot of time worrying about

money? • Do you feel like you have enough money

tucked away for the future? • Is your marriage or relationship on track? • How about your relationship with your

parents? • Do you have a tribe that you feel like you

belong to? • Are there a handful of people in your life

who you can call close friends and who you know will be there for you whatever happens?

• Can you spend money on other people easily? Or conversely do you spend too much on them?

I have created an assessment matrix for my clients, which I get them to fill out at the beginning of our partnership. I am happy to send you a copy (laurel@genlead.co.nz) if you would like to see where you are in these areas. It is very powerful asking yourself these kind of questions, particularly if you have a low Vocational Quotient. Once you get clear on them, THEN you can do something about them, and a lot of

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that has to do with getting clarity on the structures in your life that can support you to shift the dynamic. Finally, I don’t want to dwell on what’s not working, without getting clear on what IS working! One of the easiest ways to do this, is by creating a gratitude journal. Every night, I fill out one page of my journal, by putting the date in a circle in the middle of the page, and then drawing other circles or bubbles around it, with things I am specifically grateful for that day. It might be as simple as ‘my 4 year old asking me to spell ‘mummy, I love you’ or when things are really bad ‘my country is at peace’, but it really does help complete a day. A wee hint, I actually pop it in my bed, and more often than not ‘stumble’ across it at night. There are a number of times that I think ‘Oh I can’t be bothered filling out my stupid gratitude journal’ (!) but I persist, and am so thrilled that I do.

 

So what next?

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One of the best things about exploring your options, is that you simply have to decide you are going to do it, then get yourself out there and start finding out more! It is even more exciting if you find someone you know who can count as your accountability buddy and you can keep each other on track when the temptation is just to ‘accept the status quo’. There are countless books on this subject too; ‘What Colour is your Parachute’ seems to have stood the test of time. Have some compassion for yourself on the journey. Inevitably what is going to happen is you are going to come up with some kind of obstacle or challenge, and it’s going to all simply seem too hard. Don’t give up, get support and celebrate the bumps in the road! As I get older, I do believe that providence plays a part, and once you get clarity on your passion and purpose, the right people, books and opportunities will miraculously show up. Give it a go, be open, and you might be pleasantly

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surprised! After all, we spend too much time at work NOT to be doing what we love.

Laurel McLay is an accredited Thought Leader mentor, a certified Freefall Coach and a successful entrepreneur. She now provides a variety of coaching offerings and workshops to support others to commercialise what they know and ignite their sales success. Check out more information at www.laurelmclay.com.