Jeff Grant | Trusted Advisor – Motivational Speaker – CoachJeff Grant | Trusted Advisor – Motivational Speaker – Coach
[email protected]
  • Home
  • Coaching
  • Motivational Speaker
  • Team Training
  • Blog
  • About
    • Boost Newsletter
    • Contact
Back
  • Home
  • Coaching
  • Motivational Speaker
  • Team Training
  • Blog
  • About
    • Boost Newsletter
    • Contact
  • Home
  • Blog
  • Do what you love
  • Change on the horizon? When saying YES makes all the difference.

Do what you love

29 Aug

Change on the horizon? When saying YES makes all the difference.

  • By Jeff Grant
  • In Do what you love
Saying Yes to Career Change Opportunities

The Courage to Say Yes: Lessons Learned in Changing Careers

For many years, I had a knack for saying both yes and no to the wrong things! This meant taking on projects and activities that distracted me from my goals, and turning away opportunities that could have opened new doors. Once I decided to change careers and start my own business, I knew it was more important than ever to more consciously and wisely allocate my yes and no answers.

While a successful career change involves saying No to the right things, saying yes, particularly when yes involves embracing uncertainty, is important as well. Those yes and no answers have so much value if you can only apply them to the right things!

Today I share with you some key “yes” moments to draw a lesson that I hope you can apply to your own pursuit toward doing what you’re passionate about for a living, whether that’s your 2nd career or your 5th!

1. Opportunity is knocking. Are you listening?

The question: Would you coach me?

A few years before I launched full time into a coaching career, I received a request from an endurance athlete who knew of the races I’d completed as a triathlete and ultra runner. She asked if I’d be interested in coaching her. The idea really excited me, although I had no idea at the time how to do it!

I had never written a training plan for someone else. I had no electronic infrastructure in place, no clue how much time it would take and no idea what to charge. There were many open questions, but what I did know was that I was super excited about the prospect — energized in a way that I hadn’t felt in a while.

That was enough for me to say “Yes” and trust that I’d figure the rest out later, which I did. At some point there was a 2nd client, then a 3rd and 4th and eventually I began to make a living as a full-time coach, absolutely loving what I get to do each day.

Can you think of a time when someone asked you to share a skill that you have, but don’t regularly use to serve others? When opportunity knocks, are you listening?

2. Are you willing to get far out of your comfort zone?

The question: Do you give motivational speeches in German?

I received the call via a referral from another company I’d given a motivational speech for. The call went like this:

We heard about your speech for Company A. We’d love to have a similar speech for our organization. It’s an association that has met each year for 26 years and has never had a guest speaker. Would you be interested in being their first guest speaker?

My answer was an instant YES.

Great. It needs to be in German though. Are you comfortable giving it a speech in German?

After a short pause, I answered yes, absolutely!

Did I have the German skills then to give an hour-long speech? No way! I only knew the basics and was far, far from a conversational or speech-giving proficiency. I felt that by agreeing to give the speech in another language, I would be setting an example of challenging yourself to do the seemingly impossible. Accepting that challenge fired me up to take a massive step in my German skills and I ultimately managed to give a well-received speech in a second language. More importantly, learning the language opened doors and led to many new relationships and opportunities. It was scary, but I’m glad I said yes!

How far outside of your comfort zone are you willing to go to live life fully? There is nothing to stop you from learning a new language, immersing yourself into a new skill or diving into a totally different field of work. If you want it bad enough, set yourself up to have no choice but to make it happen.

3. Are you ready to take a risk?

The question: Would you start your own training facility?

In the early days of my coaching business, I focused primarily on writing training plans for endurance athletes and also on coaching running sessions. I expanded this to personal training eventually. One of my regular clients said that she’d love to keep training with me over the winter, but I needed to find an indoor location. A couple months later I signed a lease on an unheated room in a barn and was up late at night ordering equipment from Rogue and designing a small, niche training facility for personal training and small group classes. Within a year, we outgrew the barn room and moved to a larger building.

At our first anniversary party, it brought tears to my eyes to see a “community” together that hadn’t existed a year prior. I’m so happy I said yes to opening a gym. I kept that training center for 5 years and adored the friendships and experiences it brought into my lives and the lives of so many in the community.

4. Are you willing to stand naked in the town square?

The question: Would you write a book?

The realization hit me during the editing process. Publishing your first book is a bit like standing completely naked in front of a large group of strangers. You are putting yourself out there with nothing to hide. Perhaps some people will gawk in curiosity. Maybe they will judge you harshly and notice every possible flaw. Some may compliment you and your courage to stand there baring all. Others will attack you for having the audacity and for the offense of displaying the natural human body. Yet, once you’re there, in the moment, you have no choice but to own it, for all that it brings.

Writing my first book was a massive challenge, one that I eventually understood meant sharing my thoughts, experiences and feelings without control over who would learn these things and potentially judge me. I would receive feedback from editors that challenged me to cut chapters, add more personal stories, share fewer personal stories, rewrite sections, and make other changes that I struggled to make. And I knew that I would receive feedback and reviews from readers one day.

I dealt with these normal fears by first fully accepting myself. I figured that if I were truly OK with all that I was sharing, then it really didn’t matter what anyone else thought. Then, I wrote the worst possible review of my book and re-read the review over and over until it became a source of humor for me! In that way, I took the sting out of any potential negative reviews down the road. I published the book with confidence and with huge joy in realizing a dream.

If you’ve ever been afraid to figuratively stand naked in front of the town square, ask yourself the same questions. Are you at peace with yourself? If not, get there. Are you able to visualize the worst possible outcome of your figurative public nakedness? If so, can you handle it or rehearse it until you can handle it? Your answer will give you powerful insights into whether or not you’re on the right path.

5. Are you energized or paralyzed with the unknown?

The question: Can you offer your full-day in-person team building event virtually via Zoom?

In the early days of the COVID-19 Lockdown in Switzerland, I received a call from a large company to discuss a global team building event envisioned for the summer. We discussed the team’s needs and I proposed an unforgettable day of training and bonding in the Swiss Alps. Within a few weeks though, it was clear to us all that it would be impossible for anyone to travel into the country for such an event.

This company then asked me a game-changing question:

Would it be possible for you to offer your training virtually, via a Zoom session?

I answered, “Yes, and please allow me the weekend to propose exactly how!”

That “YES” led to a massive creative push — some of the most exciting and inspired weeks of my life — to design an engaging, fund and effective virtual team training event. Within a month, I had delivered a 24-hour virtual event with a Kidnapping & Ransom theme and the feel of a Netflix series. That “YES” led as well to a collaboration with an old friend, who pioneered the Escape Room business in the US and ultimately to us building BridgeX Teams LLC, a company dedicated to innovating and leading in the virtual team building space.

Did I have any idea how to build a 24-hour virtual team training event when I said “YES?” No way! What I had though was all the tools needed to create it, including a network of friends, a very open-minded, engaged and supportive client company and sufficient experiences in my background. That’s more than enough to power through the “HOW,” and that powering-through process is now a highlight of my professional career.

Unlocking your potential with courageous Yes answers

Each of these Yes answers took me out of my comfort zone. They involved agreeing to a target without yet knowing how to get to it. Each also involved an outside influence, knocking on my door with an opportunity. Saying no cleared key obstacles and made the way for these Yes answers to unlock a career doing what I love.

Overarching Lesson: Tune in with high awareness when faced with choices, as you never know up front the series of decisions that will lead you to doing what you love for a living. Often, the answer with the greatest uncertainty is the one that opens the right doors for your journey. As Steve Jobs once said: “you can’t connect the dots looking forward; you can only connect them looking backwards.”

I wish you the best with any change in career or focus that you are considering!

–Jeff

Tags:Career Changecareer change decision tipscareer change interview tipscareer change tips adviceDo What You Love
  • Share:
Jeff Grant
Based in Switzerland, Jeff is a coach & speaker who specializes in flow, peak performance experiences, and growth mindset transformation. Jeff also teaches a powerful, complete system for building an income stream through paid speaking work, to help coaches, consultants, and other professionals close the gap and accelerate their earning potential beyond it. He is the author of Flow State Runner: Activate a Powerful Inner Coach’s Voice, Hill Running: Survive & Thrive, Run Faster: Unlock Your Speed in 8 Weeks, Running Heavy, and UltraRunning: Ultimate Guide.

You may also like

Mistakes: Lessons Learned in the Coaching Profession

  • January 10, 2023
  • by Jeff Grant
  • in Blog
Oops! What have I done! In over a decade of full-time coaching, I’ve made my share of mistakes. For...
Passion
Are you passionate about what you do?
November 1, 2022
Avoid Breaking Yourself Jeff Grant
Career Change: How to avoid breaking yourself from OVERLOAD
January 5, 2022
How to Humbly Embrace Support in a Career Change
January 6, 2021

hillseeker

Jeff Grant
You know that thing you've been wanting to do? The You know that thing you've been wanting to do? The time is now! 💫 #justdoit⁠
“You have brains in your head. You have feet in “You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself any direction you choose. You're on your own. And you know what you know. And YOU are the one who'll decide where to go...”⁠
⁠
―Dr. Seuss
#Microadventures for the win! Claimed 2 hours for #Microadventures for the win! Claimed 2 hours for myself at the start of a meeting marathon day.

Key insight: if you don’t take control of your time, someone else will. What micro #adventure can you fit in this week?
Don’t wait for the opportunity. Create it! Don’t wait for the opportunity. Create it!
Friends, flying, and great vibes! ☀️🌞😊 Friends, flying, and great vibes! ☀️🌞😊
What does working in the coaching and speaking pro What does working in the coaching and speaking profession look like? ⁠
⁠
Here's a glimpse of what it looks like the way I do it. 👉🏼 👉🏼 👉🏼⁠
⁠
Some days are on a stage. Others days are 1:1 with a client in nature. Some days are in a conference room. Other days are in front of my laptop. Some days are in "pinch-me, is this really work?" settings. Other days are tough, with the normal challenging moments of owning your own business.⁠
⁠
I work most weekends. I fly & go on adventures on weekdays. I take time off when I want it. It's harder for me to make myself stop working & creating than it is to start.⁠
⁠
I work more each week than I ever did in a corporate job. I also take more time off in larger chunks.⁠
⁠
The only script I'm following is the one I write each day. I've gotten some things right & built on that success. And I've failed a lot as well, and built on those failures.⁠
⁠
13 years ago when I burned the boats and set off full-time on this path, I had no idea it would evolve like this. But the ingredients were there and I never ran away from them.⁠
⁠
Key message here: Own your ingredients & relentlessly apply them to the way you want to live and work. Ignore the doubters, critics & haters and keep being 100% you without a filter.⁠
⁠
Sage advice from @drycreekdewayne Forgive, move Sage advice from @drycreekdewayne 

Forgive, move forward, and use this gift of time that’s right in front of you.
Hey. You got this.⁠ Hey. You got this.⁠
Life's melody can sometimes get out of tune, off-b Life's melody can sometimes get out of tune, off-beat, and out of sync with what you intended. But you have the power to hit pause, restart, or simply write a new tune. YOU have that power, so use it!⁠
⁠
Speaking openly, I focused so hard on my business the past few years that I lost my connection to sport and to my inner athlete. My business grew and so did my weight, and inversely, my ability to perform in sports. I have many excuses, and they are simply that, excuses. ⁠
⁠
Enough was enough, so I hit pause on my out-of-sync life song 2 months ago, sent my ego away, and started over. ⁠
⁠
The results have been mind-blowing for me. Reconnecting to my athleticism from a decade ago, that's just priceless.⁠
⁠
If you ever lose yourself, especially if you're in the world of helping people find themselves, don't hesitate to get that light shined back on your own life.⁠
Thinking back to one of my most memorable experien Thinking back to one of my most memorable experiences in flight training a couple years ago. Those winds gusts on final! If this wasn’t a “just breathe” moment for a student pilot, I don’t know what else could be!
Sunset flights are bliss. Sunset flights are bliss.
Ever crossed a bridge that freaked you out a littl Ever crossed a bridge that freaked you out a little?⁠
⁠
Sometimes, I breeze across scary bridges with zero fear. Other times, fear kicks in and I think of the many ways I could fall off the bridge more than how to stay on it.⁠
⁠
Last week while cycling through France, this bridge spooked me. At one point, I figured I had a pretty good chance of spontaneously bunny-hopping my bike over that railing. ⁠
⁠
I nearly un-clipped from my pedals and walked the 2nd half, but took a breath and decided that turning the pedals over and over and focusing at the end was the best way across.⁠
⁠
Incidentally, this works in life as well. ⁠
⁠
"If you're going through hell, keep going." - Winston Churchill⁠
⁠
#mentalhealth #mindset #lifecoach #anxiety #hope #growth #personalgrowth #focus #breathe #personaldevelopment ⁠
#instacycling #biketour #fear #overcome
Just breathe. Just breathe.
Dreamed up on a cold, dark January day as winter m Dreamed up on a cold, dark January day as winter motivation & achieved in June -- our Ventoux project was epic fun with the right dose of suffering. Just as it should be!⁠
⁠
3 days of cycling through central France into Provence followed by a climb of this cycling classic. It's been on my bucket list for a few decades and it rocked and sucked in the most perfect way.⁠
⁠
We lost more than 20kg combined leading up to this experience (thanks @anthonypaulhe) and cycled 24 hours during the 4 days of this adventure project. ⁠
⁠
I can't say more about the value of 1) planting adventure seeds a season or two early and 2) creating adventures with friends. ⁠
⁠
Go do something epic this summer and start planting an autumn/ winter seed right now!⁠
It’s never too late to fall in love with whateve It’s never too late to fall in love with whatever awakens your heart.
Is saying YES the easy way out? 🤔⁠ ⁠ In man Is saying YES the easy way out? 🤔⁠
⁠
In many situations, it takes more courage to say no than yes, especially when a yes is the low-risk answer.⁠
⁠
If you believe that no is the right answer for you and your path, and that answer requires courage to voice, then it can be incredibly relieving and invigorating to get that answer out in the open.⁠
⁠
This can apply when choosing the right gig for public speaking - if you're scarce on opportunities, saying no to an offer that is too low or otherwise unappealing can feel impossible.⁠
⁠
By saying no to some things, you're able to say yes to the things that will make more sense for you.⁠
⁠
Listen to your passion & allow "No" to liberate you. All you need to do is fire up the courage!⁠
“Loss is like a wind, it either carries you to a “Loss is like a wind, it either carries you to a new destination or it traps you in an ocean of stagnation. You must quickly learn how to navigate the sail, for stagnation is death.”⁠
― Val Uchendu ⁠
⁠
When I support people with navigation, we focus early on setting micro goals – key checkpoints along the way that often get overlooked in a race to some end state of perceived perfection.⁠
⁠
We work together with an open heart and deliberate action from checkpoint to checkpoint, with a judgment-free mix of compassion & drive.⁠
⁠
Challenges I've helped people navigate take the form of career change, relationship changes, stress & burnout, taking over a family business or starting a biz, feeling stuck, loss of confidence, etc.⁠
⁠
My toolkit is built from 3+ decades of overcoming adversity and challenges, 2 decades of experience in yoga, visualization and meditation, and 14+ years of full-time coaching experience.⁠
⁠
What are you currently trying to navigate?⁠
Create your own destiny. It's in your hands and yo Create your own destiny. It's in your hands and yours alone.⁠
⁠
In 2008, if I could have seen 15 years into the future, I would have seen this happy moment on a mountain, in running clothes, doing a site visit for a leadership event while overlooking the bank I used to grind away at. What a feeling to have stuck with it all these years to build a successful business doing what I love!⁠
⁠
If you want it bad enough, never, ever quit. ⁠
⁠
Gorgeous ride down the Rhône valley from Valence Gorgeous ride down the Rhône valley from Valence into wine country to stage for our ride up Mont Ventoux. 

I love this part of France. Outstanding day on the bike with my buddy Mike!
This is the most common question I get from aspiri This is the most common question I get from aspiring speakers 👇⁠
⁠
“How much should I charge for a keynote talk?”⁠
⁠
My passion project this year is to help speakers earn more than they think is possible. I see a lot of speakers significant under-bidding for engagements and sticking with "safe" numbers or trying to link their price to hourly rates.⁠
⁠
The key is to start with demonstrating the value! Then, and only then, put a number on it -- and that number is likely much higher than you think.⁠
⁠
⁠If you need more help leveling up your speaking and negotiation skills to land higher-paying gigs, join the wait list for Mastering the Business of Professional Speaking. ⁠
⁠
This is a first-of-its-kind course built for aspiring and experienced speakers hungry to start earning much more than ever imagined. Link in bio to sign up!⁠
Load More... Follow on Instagram
Cover for Jeff Grant - Coach & Speaker
1,287
Jeff Grant - Coach & Speaker

Jeff Grant - Coach & Speaker

Motivation, Books, and Coaching from Jeff Grant

Jeff Grant - Coach & Speaker

2 days ago

Jeff Grant - Coach & Speaker
I guarantee you that both of us felt like 10-year-olds on this flight! My awesome passenger last week has 40 years of life experience on me. My youngest passenger ever was 40 years younger. Both flights left me beaming for days. What a joy to share aviation across an 80-year age range and to see the same smiles and sense of awe at any age! ... See MoreSee Less

Photo

View on Facebook
· Share

Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linked In Share by Email

Jeff Grant - Coach & Speaker Jeff Grant - Coach & Speaker updated their cover photo.

3 months ago

Jeff Grant - Coach & Speaker
Jeff Grant - Coach & Speaker's cover photo ... See MoreSee Less

Photo

View on Facebook
· Share

Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linked In Share by Email

Jeff Grant - Coach & Speaker Jeff Grant - Coach & Speaker updated their profile picture.

3 months ago

Jeff Grant - Coach & Speaker
Jeff Grant - Coach & Speaker ... See MoreSee Less

Photo

View on Facebook
· Share

Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linked In Share by Email

Jeff Grant - Coach & Speaker

3 months ago

Jeff Grant - Coach & Speaker
Hey. You got this. ... See MoreSee Less

Photo

View on Facebook
· Share

Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linked In Share by Email

Jeff Grant - Coach & Speaker

3 months ago

Jeff Grant - Coach & Speaker
If you ever lose yourself, especially if you're in the world of helping people find themselves, don't hesitate to get that light shined back on your own life.Life's melody can sometimes get out of tune, off-beat, and out of sync with what you intended. But you have the power to hit pause, restart, or simply write a new tune. YOU have that power, so use it!⁠⁠Speaking openly, I focused so hard on my business the past few years that I lost my connection to sport and to my inner athlete. My business grew and so did my weight, and inversely, my ability to perform in sports. I have many excuses, and they are simply that, excuses. ⁠⁠Enough was enough, so I hit pause on my out-of-sync life song 2 months ago, sent my ego away, and started over. ⁠⁠The results of a personal restart have been mind-blowing for me (loss of 14kg / 30lbs). Reconnecting to my athleticism from a decade ago -- that's been simply priceless. ... See MoreSee Less

Photo

View on Facebook
· Share

Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linked In Share by Email

USEFUL LINKS

  • About me
  • Newsletter
  • Coaching
  • Motivational Speaker
  • Team Training
  • Contact
  • Do what you love
  • News
  • Blog

GET IN TOUCH

 

[email protected]

©2023 Jeff Grant, Hillseeker GmbH, Switzerland

Privacy Policy