Developing a CEO Mindset

I was working a commission only sales role at the time...as I was pursuing acting and needed the flexibility to be able to go on auditions.

Previously, when I had worked in full time sales roles with a salary, I had that 'employees' mentality.

You know...when you've fired off 100 cold emails, got no response aside from 'please unsubscribe' and turned around to your manager saying:

"Well I've hit my KPIs and done all I can (it's not my fault no-one's responded)

I had the safety net of a salary so I'd treat my role as a job, nothing more.

But as I went commission only, that pretty much changed overnight.

No one else was going to pay my rent and so I:

- Took full responsibility

- Looked for smarter ways of working, not just harder

- Read books on human psychology to understand how to improve my communication skills

- Stopped going through the motions

- Questioned and took time out to fully reflect & think at the end of each day

- Tried new things so I could quickly fail in order to see what did or didn't work

- Commanded more authority over the phone as I felt that sense of ownership, almost like being my own CEO

- Stopped blaming external factors for things

- 'Managed up' and stopped looking at things solely through the lens of company practices...to give me that element of creativity

- Became hungry and lit that fire in my belly

I grew a lot throughout this process, and as a result found myself experiencing the positive emotions of contentment, fulfilment, a sense of achievement, personal growth and an overall boost to my self-esteem.

These were lessons that would last a lifetime.

And whilst I made the shift through circumstance (which jolted me to change quickly) all it really consisted of was a change in mindset.

And as I'm now doing what I love.

I've never looked back since.