Don't Dip Your Toes - Make a Splash!

Do you dip your toes in the water, or do you dive right in? 

Diving in for me has been a way of life. For me, if you don't embrace an idea and fully go after it when the opportunity first arises, you waste vital energy and enthusiasm that can propel you to success.  

After I graduated college, I moved to New York with no job lined up. I immediately got hired by Kelly Temporary Services to pay the rent and started working as a receptionist. This decision was not met with approval by my parents, but I went anyway. Probably more because I was going with my college boyfriend who they didn’t like, but they couldn’t stop me. My 4th assignment was working as a temporary gas turbine parts order expeditor for outage season....WHAT? I had no idea what "outage" meant, and the Kelly staffer couldn't tell me...this was way before Google….so I showed up the next week at Building 37 in Schenectady not knowing this experience would change my life, but that it was worth checking out. Hey it’s GE! 

After outage season, I was given my own purchasing desk, still as a contractor, to buy large turbine parts from Europe and Italy. I stayed 10 months, gained vital experience, and was encouraged by my GE boss to try for a fulltime position. But I didn’t love the area and I had a new opportunity come up that put me in beautiful Camden, Maine. So, I left. Without the boyfriend! ?? 

Three years later, I got a call from that same boss. A new GE division services was opening, and they needed experienced purchasing people who knew the systems. It was not in Schenectady NY, but in Atlanta, GA! I had always wanted to go to Atlanta. My mother had a conversation with me years before about the city. She said, “Jenny, Atlanta is growing and expanding. People are doing things, there is so much energy, and it’s beautiful and I can see you thriving there.” I remembered that conversation, went for interviews and BAM…4 weeks later I quit my job where I was top rated, already an assistance manager of a large team, and on track for many more promotions.  

Now, get this…..the position I went to Atlanta for WAS NOT A FULL TIME GE position. It was again a contractor role. There were no GE headcount spots left. But, my boss leading the sourcing group made a promise to me. “Do this contractor role for six months, help me and the rest of the leaders get the team up and running and I will help you land a permanent GE position.” 

Again, risk. There was no way to know if he would follow through on the promise. But, I worked hard, helped train the team and did well with my purchasing role. And six months later I was hired as a GE Steam Turbine Pricing Analyst.

See the opportunity. Evaluate the Risk and the Reward. And it if feels right, do it!

Of course, many years later when I first heard about my nutritional program, I took the same approach. I had tried everything else to lose weight, nothing worked, and there was a 30-day money back guarantee. Saying yes to Melissa and handing over my credit card was an easy decision on those terms. Plus, she looked fantastic! The risk was if I didn’t like it, I got my money back, and I ate for free for a month. During that conversation with her, she told me, “you know we have fantastic rebates and cash back for telling people about the products if you love them. I used to own a spa and sell real estate. Now I coach people on my nutritional program for a living and design my schedule to work best for my life!” What’s the first thing that popped into my head? “I can do that! I would love to have control over my life, my time, and who I talk with every day!”

Most of you know the ending to this story. It will be four years in June since I blended my first breakfast shake and two years in May since I retired myself from GE to build my own business helping others creating a life focused around health and financial freedom. This wasn’t a risky decision for me. So many people don’t trust the business model. Well, the model works, just most people don’t find the right company or product for them and don’t have the patience to put in the 4 years to get the big rewards. After four years in college I had debt. After four years running my business fulltime, I will have financial security. 

See the opportunity. Evaluate the Risk and the Reward. And if it feels right, do it!     

Don’t live your life dipping your toes in the water! Jump in and make a big splash that can change the direction of your life! 

I’m looking for people who can do this. Who have an open mind, have a passion for living healthy, and are interested in creating a business outside normal conventions. If this is you, then reach out. I want to talk!

In love and health, Jen Oknin