Not Your Average LinkedIn Post

If you’re a fan of those “A major life event took place and here’s how it relates to B2B SaaS sales” posts, well then, you’re in luck – here’s another!

Well, not exactly, but this is a rather revealing post so read on if your morbid curiosity compels you to.

I had burnt out. I was on empty, 0% battery, nothing left in the tank. Creativity, vision, drive, passion – all of these had seemed to have disappeared since the pandemic and rightly so.

?My personal life had experienced several unprecedented challenges that at the time, my only way of “coping” was to put my head down, tune out the noise, and continue to “hustle” and “throw myself into my work”.

I took no time to keep myself and my mind in good shape, all while exacerbating my issues by indulging in ineffective methods of self-soothing.

It came as no surprise then that my work suffered greatly. I felt as though I was severely limiting my capabilities all while having my ego drive me to the brink to keep face and power through.

“I should be able to do this” – “Everyone deals with adversity, so should you” – “Be an adult and get the job done”

For years my internal monologue was riddled with thinly veiled, self-deprecating observations. The image of success I so desperately wanted to achieve completely disregarded my wellbeing all in the name of where I felt I should be in my career.

I needed a change, and it had to come quick. I had become a shell of my former self.

Earlier this year my uninspired performance once again led to my departure from another company whose employees I thoroughly enjoyed working with and whose hiring of myself came via a recommendation of a previous sales leader. That made 3 companies in 4 years and once again, I felt as though I had let down myself and those around me.

However, rather than dive right into the madness that is interviewing for sales roles in today’s tech industry – answering the same dozen or so questions over and over, feigning sincere interest in products and services I really had zero passion for, and being ghosted by recruiters/hiring managers more times than I’d care to admit over the years, I pushed the EJECT button.

I pulled the plug and signed off. No job searches, no interviews, no scouring LinkedIn for a quick fix for a long-term problem. I knew that if I ever wanted to be successful again in SaaS sales, immense changes need to be made.

So, what did I do for 6 months? Let’s take a look:

-????????? I got real with myself. I asked poignant and important questions like “What makes me truly happy?” “What should my life outside of work look like?” “Where do I draw my passion and drive from?” “How do I reconnect with world around me and reverse the isolating tendencies I had grown to embrace?” “Will the Yankees win another World Series in my lifetime?” (OK maybe not the last one, but seriously, can we get past the ALDS this year?)

-????????? I sought out communities and support groups for the issues I had been dealing with for far too long

-????????? Took the time to find the right therapist, rather than selecting the one with the most flexible schedule so I could just “Check the Box” that I “went to therapy”

-????????? I swallowed my pride and drove Uber. This was immensely impactful for a number of reasons – 1) It solved the problem of needing a flexible source of income while figuring out my life 2) Allowed me to interact with dozens of people a day from all walks of life – each ride serving as a mobile podcast series with topics of conversation ranging from light commentary about the weather and weekend plans, to religion, life’s purpose, happiness or lack thereof, the economy, SOME politics though I usually stayed neutral and let my passenger have the stage, and much, much more. 3) Offered me plenty of time for deep thought, audiobooks, and listening to music – the last I hadn’t actively done for years, usually having music be a background or silence filler while never truly listening

-????????? I read. A lot. Fiction, non-fiction, self-help. I averaged nearly 3 books a month which kept my mind stimulated and allowed me to get lost in a story without the ever-present anxiety of checking emails, slacks, and text messages

-????????? Meditation, prayer, and the embrace of being alive. These were the biggies. For such a long time I never took the time to pause and let the universe flow through me as it intended – instead constantly searching for forms of instant gratification and hits of dopamine. It was through these practices that I came to understand that my life and my career are two very different and separate entities. My career did not define me, nor did my life need my career to be measured by arbitrary measures of success perpetuated by today’s hustle culture to be fulfilling and gratifying

While those 6 months of personal growth were immensely important, I also reminded myself that growth is perpetual and must be sought out constantly to be the best version of myself - both for my reality and whichever career path I chose.

Too often I find friends and colleagues succumbing to the pressures of today’s work demands without taking the time to understand who they are and the voice they would like to contribute to the world around them. But I can’t blame them, the world has gotten itself in such a damn hurry (RIP Brooks) that its hard to take a step back and reflect.

And so, I will finish with this – whichever path you choose, both in life and work, remember that you will never be able to accomplish the feat of reaching your true potential without defining what it is that makes you, you. Now, more than perhaps any time in human history, it is so important to be in tune with what the universe is offering you and embrace that opportunity to its fullest potential. Bringing your best self to your job is the most important differentiating skill in today’s workplace and cannot be distilled down to a line or two on your resume.

Take time, seek happiness, and know that the most important work you’ll do this week is on yourself. It is with this mindset that I take on my next challenge and look forward to the gratification of achieving my true potential.

Stay well, LinkedIn fam.