If It Scares You, Do It Anyway
Camping at Antarctica, Picture: Shehla Ali

If It Scares You, Do It Anyway

Standing in front of a room full of strangers to talk about your career journey can be nerve-wracking. Speaking about digital marketing is the easy part, it’s when you begin sharing your challenges we can often feel like it’s too personal. But here are some top tips that have helped me this year in business. 


  1. Never give up

It’s easier said than done, but perseverance goes a long way. There will be people telling you, you can’t, take feedback as you like but someone’s opinion is not your truth. But you have to put it into practice, some days are going to be tough, and I mean really tough but small steps to help you fight through can make a difference to your goal. 

2. Don’t be afraid to say no

I used to take on all the projects but after learning a lot (especially this year) there will be people out there who don’t see your vision and that’s fine. I’ve said no this year to projects that don’t align with where I want to take Vantage 66. It can feel daunting at first, especially when I had the mindset of everything is an opportunity, some things can become a distraction. 

3. If it scares you, do it anyway

I wanted to build on my international experience for business and travelled to South America, Antarctica and had the experience of a lifetime in Palestine. Did I feel anxious taking these trips? Yes. But they turned out to be amazing and helped me work towards my rebrand www.vantage66.com.

4. It’s your journey

Despite what it may look like on social media, there are plenty of unseen hours battling away. It’s so easy to fall into the comparison battle but focus on your own journey, not someone else’s. When I graduated from university, I watched a lot of people move on to “dream jobs”, travel and further education whilst I was unemployed and had only travelled to four countries. I did a total of 16 internships/volunteer work and even though part of me had already given up there was still some drive left. I would never have made the most of those harsh lessons if they had never happened.  

5. Your circle is important

There may be people who don’t understand why you are working certain hours or your goals but it’s important to be around those who are supportive. Even finding people within the sector you can share some of your challenges with. (Thank you, Katie and Andrew). 

All in all, be your own cheerleader. It’s ok to forge your own path and not give in to certain barriers. This year has certainly been challenging but I have so many lessons to take away and learn from.

Also. It gets better.

Andrew Long o

Delivery & Transformation Leader | Fixer of Problems | Dad

5 年

Great article (and thanks) ??

Jeffrey Greenidge

Director For Diversity at The Association of Colleges

5 年

Wouldn’t it be interesting if Careers Advisors and employment coaches had these sorts of conversations with clients?

Katie Attwood

Freelance product and analyst person | Available soon

5 年

I saw your tweet but didn't realise the article included someone called Katie. (BTW, it's a pleasure, sometimes a giggle and always a lesson to me too).? Agree with Darren Vong's points and the part which jumps out to me is....not everything is always an opportunity.??

???? Darren Vong

Senior Frontend Engineer at Conduktor

5 年

The fourth point on not comparing your own journey to others' is so true, otherwise it's easy to get into a spiral of negativity where you keep on thinking you're not as good as others, which isn't great for self development at all. Thanks for sharing Shehla!

要查看或添加评论,请登录

?? Shehla (Shay-la) Ali的更多文章

  • Introducing About M.E.

    Introducing About M.E.

    ***Disclaimer*** I am not a medical professional or a pain management specialist. What is About M.

  • My Journey to Palestine

    My Journey to Palestine

    During my rebrand, I knew things would have to change. I have always wanted to work internationally despite being told…

    6 条评论
  • When a client doesn't pay

    When a client doesn't pay

    As I type this post up I do not know what awaits me, sounds like the beginning of a novel, bare with me. How it began:…

    6 条评论
  • Why I decided to rebrand…

    Why I decided to rebrand…

    Some of you may have noticed changes to my business, others may simply just be curious to know why I rebranded…

    10 条评论
  • Learning how to say “No”

    Learning how to say “No”

    Focus on what's important So the saying goes say yes to everything, as everything is an opportunity. I’ve lived by this…

  • Overcoming the Fear of Presenting

    Overcoming the Fear of Presenting

    Growing up as a shy person public speaking was one of my biggest fears. The idea of people looking at me whilst…

    8 条评论
  • 10 Years After University

    10 Years After University

    Throwback Thursday, it occurred to me whilst I was casually jogging (i’m trying to improve my fitness) that it has been…

  • The Power of Being Unemployed

    The Power of Being Unemployed

    I decided to write a post about the power of being unemployed and what I have learned over the years. I had my first…

    2 条评论
  • Leeds Digital Festival 2016 - WISE Campaign

    Leeds Digital Festival 2016 - WISE Campaign

    Having worked in the digital world professionally for five years now I have to say it is constantly evolving. From a…

社区洞察

其他会员也浏览了