Welcome to Our Guest, Carmen Turner
At MRC Recruiting, we’ve always believed in the power of perspective, resilience and self-awareness.
These aren’t just values we uphold in our business, but ones we recognize and admire in our clients and candidates.
This month, we have the privilege of featuring a guest blog by Carmen Turner, a leading figure in sustainability and an expert in personal and professional transformation.
Carmen’s journey resonates deeply with our ethos at MRC and underscores why we treasure collaborations with individuals like her. The ability to navigate challenges and transform them into opportunities aligns perfectly with our mission of supporting clients and candidates every step of the way.
In this enlightening piece, Carmen shares her personal experiences and the actionable insights she garnered on how to end the year on top, even when feeling stuck.
Whether you’re navigating a career shift, seeking to refine your professional journey or simply looking for some inspiration, Carmen’s words are sure to resonate.
Dive in and discover the magic of turning challenges into stepping stones.
End the year on top, even when you feel stuck.
Have you ever been on a career trajectory where you were rising quickly, feeling like you couldn’t lose, only to have that momentum come to a complete stop?
I know what it feels like – as though you lost your magic and then feel powerless and stuck when things don’t go your way.
Perhaps there’s been a change of leadership and they bring a new vision.
Perhaps your role has become redundant.
After spending several years building a new sustainability program for my company, my team was transferred into a new group with new leadership.
I found myself working in a group that had a different vision than I had.
I was no longer aligned with what they valued, and I knew that what I had to contribute was not what they wanted.
Despite what I thought at the time, this wasn’t the actual problem.
The problem was, I took it personally. I lost my confidence and my connection to why I was doing this work in the first place. I lost my power and felt like a victim.
Then I met with an executive coach who after hearing about my journey and challenges asked me a question that completely altered my perspective.
“Yes, that’s pretty common in organizations when there’s a change in leadership. They set a new direction and sometimes you’re not part of that plan. But what do you want to do?”
I was floored.
That one thought changed everything for me.
It was so simple, but it was like a weight was lifted.
To hear that what I was going through was common, not personal and that I could do something about it, put my anxiety and angst at ease, but it also got me thinking.
What is it that I actually want?
3 Things I did to turn my situation from one of feeling stuck to one of feeling unstoppable:
1. I got clear on my why, my purpose and my vision. Luckily, in my career I have always been guided by a strong sense of purpose and contributing to something bigger than myself. I work in sustainability and help companies develop and lead their sustainability agendas, so it was a simple step to reconnect to this.
I wrote down every day why I’m in business and the impact I want to make, then committed to three things I could do each day to advance my goals.
2. A coach helped me get to my goal. We broke down the steps it would take and that alone helped me get there faster than if I were to do it on my own. A coach will hold space for you and your vision, and will believe in you before you believe in yourself. A coach will help reveal your own self-imposed barriers, biases and thought errors that prevent you from moving forward and experiencing major growth breakthroughs. A coach can help you feel better, to be accountable and see different perspectives you may not have otherwise seen.
3. I chose to become accountable for my own results regardless of the circumstance. When I understood that my situation was just that, mine, and I got to decide how I thought about the circumstance, I took back my own power. I was no longer a victim. I looked at my own resources for ideas to move forward. I decided I was going to achieve my own results no matter what.
When you come to the table with that attitude, you feel unstoppable and understand that the opportunities are endless. This is what you might also call an abundance mindset. It means you’re committed to your results no matter what. You may not get to decide where, when or how you achieve those results, but you’re committed to trying, failing, tweaking your approach and trying again until you’re satisfied.
The results I saw on my path were incredible, and now I:
- Create new programs for the business that genuinely align with the work I am excited about.
- Was offered a new role and leading sustainability in an organization 10x larger than my previous company.
- Decided to start my own company as a consultant and coach other executives to advance sustainability.
- Double my revenue every year.
- Witness my amazing clients advance sustainability in their companies and their careers.
Practice this mindset and these habits daily, and you will see a complete change within 30 to 60 days. I promise!
Carmen Turner – Sustainability Business Coach and Consultant
CarmenBTurner.com
604-671-9016