What an Avocado and My Career have in Common.
The Avocado Glow-Up
I’ve spent more time than I’m proud of subverting my potential — like an underripe avocado with a growing pit. By the time I finished college I was six years behind my peers and desperately hoping to translate my decade in the service industry (picking up old food, managing a dinner rush, and up-selling for tips) into those fit for Corporate America.
To quote American Rapper Logic, “Who can relate?”
So how, in just three short years, did I move from a dining room to a board room? Turns out a little green, goes a long way.
The Three A’s of Avocado
Automation
Can we agree this is a fancy word for habits? More specifically, those that already felt natural to me, without having to call upon habits’ ugly stepsister, will-power. I was used to the flexibility of working nights. Sleeping in, never setting an alarm, and calling lunch breakfast. I wanted my next role to include a routine of successful living that fit my already unpredictable personality and felt naturally automatic, which meant I needed a job that allowed me to work remotely. Let’s face it, I wanted the freedom to Peloton in the morning and break for a matcha mid-afternoon.
I wanted a routine of successful living that fit my personality and felt naturally automatic, which meant I needed a job that allowed me to work remotely.
Audience
I wasn’t in Kansas (or the kitchen) anymore and clicking my heels didn’t seem to dazzle my clients or my boss (at least not the way it did my tables). Corporate America came with a new language and I needed to talk the talk. Phrases like high-level, alignment, and best practices coupled with acronyms like KPI’s and ROI I was sure weren’t the daily specials, but I was also sure they meant something pivotal to being promoted.
When traveling, speaking the language isn’t just about finding the bathroom or getting on the right bus. Language is tied to culture and psychology, humor and familiarity. I knew the only way to prove I was capable in my new role, was to assimilate in the best way possible, through my communication.
When traveling, speaking the language isn’t just about finding the bathroom or getting on the right bus. Language is tied to culture and psychology, humor and familiarity.
Analyze
The feedback loop can be a pit to swallow, especially when our best, just isn’t cutting it. But somewhere beneath my embarrassment of having gotten it wrong, I knew without it, I was guacamole, smashed and forever an individual contributor. I needed to be honest about where I was succeeding and where my, to use my new language, opportunities lied (aka — where was I failing) and I needed someone I trusted to be honest with me.
Feedback isn’t just taking anyone’s opinion, it’s taking the opinion of those you trust. You need feedback that is both honest, and in alignment with your future goals. Someone telling you they don’t see you as a fit for HR, when you’ve devoted your career to that end, is just looking for an opportunity to complain at your expense.
Feedback isn’t just taking anyone’s opinion, it’s taking the opinion of those you trust. You need feedback that is both honest, and in alignment with your future goals.
For much of my life growth appeared almost unconscious for those around me, as if without trying careers and relationships appeared to flourish with a future that shined as bright as ecommerce in 2020, at least, for the “thems” of the world.
But if you’re anything like me, and frequently feel as if you’re rolling backwards, a little time enjoying 2020’s favorite green toast might satisfy both your appetite, and your hunger.
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Casey Lane is an International Program Manager for a billion dollar wearable brand. She writes about finding everything from her passion, to her favorite trail, to herself. She lives in the mountains amongst the wildflowers and Aspen trees with her wife and new baby girl.
Looking for a content developer, writer, or contributor to your print or online publication? Let’s work together! Email me at hello@bycaseylane.com or visit bycaseylane.com.
