Where should you be devoting your energies as a professional? Part of answering that question involves getting clear on which endeavors you feel naturally drawn toward. Former journalist Victoria Crandall shares her unique journey of leaving the US to become a managing director of a cocoa exporter in the Ivory Coast. We’ll talk about the power of curiosity and using your natural interests as a way of guiding your career choices. In the Mental Fuel segment, I’ll also explain the importance of identifying your professional “center of gravity.”
Key Career Insights
- We all have things we’re naturally drawn toward in life. The key is to pay attention to what you keep returning to again and again as a clue to where you could take your career.
- We live in an age where incredible amounts of information are available at our fingertips. This information can be such a powerful enabler for the change you desire for your career.
- “Learning on the job is riddled with uncertainty and is therefore uncomfortable, even painful. But, if you’re willing to embrace the discomfort of making mistakes and adopt a growth mindset, you will benefit immensely.” -Victoria Crandall, guest on Episode 41
Tweetables to Share
Resources Mentioned
I referenced a quote from Stephen Speilberg about listening to the whispers in your life. Here’s the full video.
I also referenced this episode of Masters of Scale with Reid Hoffman featuring Ev Williams.
Listener Challenge
During this episode’s Mental Fuel segment, I challenged you to think about what’s been whispering in your ears. What’s something that seems to keep popping up that could signal where your center of gravity is in your career. It could be something people keep telling you about one of your strengths, or a talent that keeps showing up, or just an idea you can’t stop toying with. Try to capture what your center of gravity is, then take one action this week that COULD move you closer to that place.
About Victoria Crandall, Commercial Director
Victoria Crandall is a Sub-Saharan African specialist who is passionate about entrepreneurship, disruptive technologies, and agricultural commodities. She has had several career transitions, segueing from business journalism to soft commodity research to commodity trading. Victoria is currently the commercial director of an Ivorian cocoa and raw cashew nut exporter. She is also the creator and host of the Young African Entrepreneur Podcast. Follow Victoria on Twitter and Instagram.
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