3 Essential Questions For Career (or Small Business) Success

Last week I wrapped up my last official duty for Martha Radio.  I was the "prize" or rather my mentoring was the prize for a sweepstakes sponsored by DeluxeCorp and Martha's Dreamers into Doers project to help a small business owner to the next level.  The winner was Laura McKeown who together with her husband Mac, started Sea Art Studio creating lovely functional tile art out of sea-based materials.

It was fascinating to meet with Laura and Mac and hear their story.  Mac spent years as a commercial fisherman (a dangerous but lucrative job).  One day, a giant boulder got caught in the nets.  Sea life covered the stone and inspired the artist in Mac to recreate the beauty he saw into custom tiles.  I'm honored to say I possess an original of Mac's work and it is impressive!

Together with the very savvy Laura Radewald from Deluxe (a previous guest on my radio show), we spent our "mentoring dinner" focused on ways Mac and Laura could build on their initial success.  

Here are 3 essential questions I asked them so you too can make sure your career (or small business) is a success: 

• Soul Search: What is your biggest success story to date? What's made you happiest?  Mac talked about a large installation that he found gratifying from an artistic and financial perspective.  Laura talked about building their website and how it helped her realize her interest in creative marketing.

• Research: What is between you and doing MORE of that kind of work?  The way for Mac to more big installations was to increase his notoriety.  But being an artist, Mac felt a strong personal connection to each product and therefore maintained control over how it was sold and marketed. Laura wanted to set up bigger partnerships with design stores and interior decorators but had a hard time getting Mac to choose the best designs for a product line that could be marketed and mass produced. 

• Job Search/Action Plan: What steps can you take to bridge the gap between where you are today and your ideal? I coached Laura and Mac to play to their unique strengths and compliment one another in their business roles.  Laura valued Mac's work though was less attached and therfore better able to market his product.  Mac's talents were best served focusing on the production process and continuing to make beautiful work most efficiently.  The two walked away with an expanded perspective and specific tangible ways to make a living doing work they both loved!  

Take these questions to heart for your own career or small business.  Answer them below by commenting on your own Soul Search, Research and Job Search.  I'd be happy to help you turn from dreamer into doer. Why not turn your career into a work of art!