Embrance Life Long Learning

Neera

Growth and progression are relevant at every stage of your career — not just when you’re starting out.

Here are 3 tips from my own 20 years of ascending the career ladder.

1) Embrace Lifelong Learning:

After taking a seven-year break to raise my kids, re-entering the job market was difficult, to put it mildly.

Even though I had a Master’s in Biochemistry, two incomplete Ph.D.s (a story for another day), and a portfolio of published research papers in esteemed Biochemistry journals, I struggled to secure even a research assistant position.

Undeterred, I embarked on a new journey by returning to university, pursuing an additional degree in Information Technology.

The result?

Five job offers on the table—making the decision which one to accept a pleasant predicament.

But my story doesn’t conclude there. I continued to invest in my professional development, undertaking 2-3 courses annually at my expense.

This commitment paid off, propelling me into a senior manager position within eight years.

2) Mentorship Matters:

Success is seldom a solo journey.

We all require support to learn and grow. Instead of solely seeking mentors for myself, I actively sought opportunities to become a mentor.

Guiding others through their learning, assisting with implementation, and fostering growth became a rewarding part of my journey

Besides, mentorship is a two-way street; you not only impart your knowledge, but you also gain fresh perspectives from younger employees.

3) Build Professional Network:

As a seasoned professional, your network is likely one of your most valuable assets.

Although I am an introvert, I made sure I attended IT events, connected with colleagues in other departments and organizations, and took part in professional groups.

My career progression stemmed from the influence I cultivated with the individuals in my professional network.

Your journey doesn’t end with securing a job and doing well; it’s about evolving, adapting, and continuing to set new goals.

By embracing lifelong learning, engaging in mentorship, and building a robust professional network, seasoned professionals can not only stay relevant but thrive in an ever-changing professional landscape.

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Marketing Lesson #2

Neera

I learned the most important marketing lesson from my daughter when she was just thirteen.

Looking for her first job, she approached the manager of a mobile phone shop in the local shopping center.

They were looking for someone to help them ease the pressure. So the manager invited her for an interview at the coffee shop next door.

Once seated, he handed her a pen and posed a challenge: “Sell me this pen.”

With youthful exuberance, she held the pen, examined it, and met the manager’s gaze.

Instead of diving into a sales pitch, she asked a simple yet profound question: “Are you in the market for a good pen?”

The manager grinned and exclaimed, “You’re hired!”

Even at her tender age, my daughter understood a fundamental principle of sales: you can’t sell something to someone who isn’t looking for it.

It’s a mistake many creators make, pushing products or services without assessing if there’s a genuine need.

Here’s the takeaway:
Identify Your Audience: Instead of casting a wide net, focus on finding people actively seeking what you offer.

Understand Their Needs: Dive deep into what your potential clients aim to achieve. Tailor your pitch to address their specific needs.

Help Them Avoid Common Mistakes: Seek out individuals making common mistakes that your product or service can rectify.

Show them how your product or service: Remember, you’re not just selling; you’re solving problems.

When you align your offering with the genuine needs of your audience, they become more than clients—they become satisfied customer.

There are three pillars of an online business.

Neera

Each one needs separate strategies and a time commitment to implement them.

1️⃣ Client Attraction

Attracting the right audience is the first step. It involves creating a compelling presence, leveraging social media, and implementing targeted marketing strategies.

2️⃣ Client Conversion

Once you have their attention, converting potential clients is an art. This involves building trust, showcasing value, and strategically guiding them toward committing.

3️⃣ Client Retention

Keeping clients is just as vital as acquiring them. It needs consistent communication, exceptional service, and personalized experiences to foster long-term relationships.

Like most business owners, I too struggled with implementing all these different strategies.

This led to missing chances and not getting the best results.

However, I found a Game-Changing solution.

5-Day Educational Email Course

I created a 5-day email course, ‘The Profitable Coach Author,’ for coaches to convert their coaching expertise into a book to claim their expertise.

Why It Works?

Attraction: By offering valuable insights in bite-sized lessons, I was able to captivate my audience’s interest and attract them to subscribe to my course.

Conversion: Each day presented an opportunity to deepen the connection. My course acts as a bridge, guiding prospects toward understanding the unique value my business provides.

Retention: The continuous engagement over five days creates a sense of commitment and loyalty. Subscribers who invested time in my course are more likely to become long-term partners.

Result?
– Increased engagement.
– Higher conversion rates.
– Enhanced client satisfaction and loyalty.

For years, I had a dream of becoming a writer

Neera

For years, I harbored a dream of becoming a writer. However, a significant hurdle stood in my way—my less-than-perfect grasp of English.

This became glaringly evident during a performance review when my boss remarked, “The only thing standing between you and a senior management role is your written English.”

His words hit hard, but rather than letting them dishearten me, I took it as a challenge.

Here’s how I turned things around:
– I joined a writing group
– I enrolled in writing courses
– I mastered the art of composing minutes, reports, and discussion papers
– I honed the skill of storytelling in business writing

These efforts paid off, and I secured the senior management role I aspired to.

Inspired by this success, I decided to fully dedicate myself to writing. In 2019, I left my six-figure management job and embarked on a journey to pursue my dream.

During this pursuit, I:
– Established a website and began blogging.
– Authored a weekly newsletters and articles for online magazines.
– Engaged actively on various social media platforms.

Despite persistent efforts, progress seemed elusive.

Then, unexpectedly, I poured my heart and soul into a manuscript and self-published it. Almost overnight, I transformed from a struggling writer into a published author, gaining recognition as an authority in my field.

Over the next 18 months, I authored four more books, witnessing a substantial shift in how people perceived me. Individuals from diverse backgrounds sought my advice on writing and publishing books.

My journey has been truly remarkable, and I hold a deep appreciation for the opportunities that unfolded since then.

I share my story as a testament to the power of establishing authority through authoring a book.

What does your ideal day look like?

Neera

Here is mine:

6.00 AM – 9:00 AM
– Meditation (15 min)
– Journal writing (15 min)
– Planning my day (15 min)
– Yoga (15 min)
– Gym (1 hr)

9:00 AM – 10:00 AM
– Breakfast
– A Sketch (15 min)
– LinkedIn Post (30 min)

10:00 PM – 12:00 PM
– Adventure of the day
(On Mon, Tue, Wed working on Ghostwriting
On Thu and Fri Memoir Writing on Substack
On weekends filing, and bulk tasks & bringing my inbox to Zero).

12:00 PM – 2:00 PM
– Lunch
– Cooking
– Housework

2:00 PM – 5:00 PM
– Adventure of the day (as above)
– Meditation (15 min)

5:00 PM – 6:00 PM
– Walk

6:00 PM – 10:00 PM
– Dinner
– TV

10:00 PM – 11:00 PM
Notes Taking (30 min)
Journaling (15 min)
Meditation (15 min)

11:00 PM
– Sleep

I only get to have my perfect day once or twice a month.
The rest of the time the chaos prevails.
But having a schedule helps.

What is your ideal day like?
How often you get to have it?

What’s the biggest thing you can achieve in your life?

Neera

It took me twenty years to find out.

Throughout my twenties and thirties, I lacked self-confidence.

I remember in a self-development course I attended; I thought so highly of other participants and so lowly of myself that I kept my head low and didn’t say a word.

But then the course facilitator did something that changed my life forever.

She gave all the participants a sheet of paper with the name of each participant on each sheet of paper and asked us to write one good trait we saw in each other.

At the end of the exercise, we got to read our sheets.

When I read mine, I cried.

Others thought I was:
– Logical
– Intelligent
– Hard working
– Clear thinker
– Highly educated
– Compassionate
– Conscientious
– Determined
– Smart
– Witty

I never saw those qualities in me.

I only saw my faults.

At that moment, I changed.

I became a person who was all those things that others saw in me.
We all have good-traits and not-so-good traits.

But by nature, we choose to concentrate on not-so-good ones. They make us feel inadequate.

When we don’t respect ourselves, others don’t respect us either.

Try to identify good-traits in yourself. If you are having trouble, ask the people around you to spot one good thing they like in you.

Collect them and put them where you can see them every day.

You are all those things and more.

So, what’s the biggest thing you can achieve in your life? “It is to be comfortable in your skin.”