Success Stories
An Inspiring Change
Mark was faced with the difficult truth that it was time to leave a family business where he had worked for seventeen years. “I don’t know what I want to do,” he said at our first meeting. What he did know was that he wanted to find work he felt passionate about, where he could leverage his experience and skills as a lawyer, and make enough money to support his family. It’s common to think we don’t know what we want but the answer is often inside us, hidden under layers of considerations and fears, or buried by a life too busy to allow for introspection. As Mark stripped away the layers, he discovered the truth for himself.
First he worked on the courageous act of leaving the family business. He did it carefully, in a way that preserved his relationship with everyone. Then he did a lot of soul searching while working in a temporary professional job that was flexible and allowed time and energy for introspection and exploration.
He networked like crazy, talked to tons of people, considered many possibilities, including starting his own legal practice, and explored arenas outside of law. In the process he identified a passion for the environment and felt an urgency to address global warming. When he heard that Al Gore was coming to Chicago to speak, he jumped at the chance to attend. Afterwards, he introduced himself to a woman in the audience who had identified herself as someone who worked with the Chicago Climate Exchange (known as CCX – a free market approach to environmental protection). Through prior research, he already knew about CCX and thought it might be a good fit for him. He requested a conversation with her. Because she traveled a lot and was very busy, it required a great deal of determination on his part to follow up. Then there were weeks of conversations and many interviews before he finally received a job offer.
Now Mark is working at CCX where he is able to use the presentation and persuasion skills he honed as a trial lawyer. And even better, he’s working for a cause that inspires him every day.
(NB: This is a true story but disguised to provide privacy.)