The Director I was meeting was what some might call ‘a piece of work’, not in a good way, but what do you know, he had a question up his sleeve, a rather wonderful question, that he asked me, way back then, and it’s still on my mind now, years later.
I had been in Spain, in Marbella, mostly training property and timeshare salespeople all along the coast, making a living, and a life, living it up, in truth. It was a bit wild, most of the people I knew, friends, were not using their real names, and some of them were definitely on the run, paying their way with counterfeit notes, that’s how it was out there then, a fake paradise. It was fun until it wasn’t, and then I just drove to the airport and took the first flight to London.
Day one back in Town I got a lead on a publishing company that needed a Sales Director to sort out their ad sales teams, who were on their knees, so I called the Director, the despicable one, and booked to meet him the next morning.
I made some calls, did my research, found out that most of the company’s magazines were losing money, month after month, so I made a plan, working through the night, and went off to the meeting knowing I could do it, knowing I would get the gig, and knowing, somehow, it would end in tears.
We met in the Institute of Directors lounge and as I sat down, in a big leather chair, opposite him, he asked me the really rather wonderful question.
“So”, he said, leaning forward, his eyes locked on mine, “what are you here for?”
I had an answer, something about being able to make more money, a lot more, from less magazines, which is a trick not many can do, and I got the gig, a six month contract for an unholy amount of cash, and four months later it ended badly, practically in a punch up.
It served me right, I thought then and now, for giving an answer that got me the gig, but still the wrong answer because it was a gig I didn’t really want, and when he asked me his question I should have been honest, said “Beats me”, and gone off and found something I actually wanted to do.
Yet, despicable as the Director was, his question has stayed with me, guiding me, making me look and look, as deep inside as I need to, to find my purpose, as close to a calling as I’m going to get.
So, Dear Reader, I have to ask, ‘What are you here for?’ knowing that if you can answer that question, your true path will be revealed, and you will be rich indeed.
X
Add comment
Comments