Once you decide to transition to a new industry you need to start taking an active interest in what is happening in that industry. For instance, when I decided to actively move into the world of fashion design, and shoe design in particular, I became a devotee to keeping up to date on what was happening the fashion world. I read shoe design blogs, style.com, and Women’s Wear Daily (the “Wall Street Journal of fashion”) As many of you may know, the fashion world is held captive twice a year during the Womenswear Runway shows. These 4 weeks of live fashion shows take place to herald the coming trends of Fall and Spring every year. For an aspiring shoe designer, it was very important to me that I start to review the images from all of the top design houses and many of the up and coming designers. From New York, to London, to Milan and finally Paris, there is always plenty of innovation and fresh ideas in apparel design, shoe design, and beauty.

What was surprising to me is that not every career changer is aware of how important this is to their own transition. I cannot tell you how many people I interviewed for shoe design internships that did not follow Fashion Week at all, nor could they even tell me who their favorite designer was! The problem with being unaware is that you are starting out in a new industry about which you claim you are “passionate.” Hmmmm. Are you so passionate that you can’t even read the headlines about the biggest news in your industry?

So keep this little anecdote in mind when you talk about your dream job. Make sure that you show your passion and interest by keeping up to date on the news in your industry. Even better, read blogs and newsfeeds daily so that you can form your own opinions and actually discuss your new industry.

For those of you interested in learning more about Fashion Week here are a few websites that I like:

www.style.com

www.nymag.com/fashion

www.fashionweekdaily.com

If you are interested in shoe design, like I am, be sure to click on the “Details” tab for close-up photos of the shoes and other accessories presented on the runway.

Popularity: 67% [?]

For Valentine’s Day, my hub and I went to lunch at the Beachcomber at Crystal Cove in Newport Beach, CA. This beach area caters to very wealthy patrons. (Think of moms with Gucci diaper bags…) It was 75º and sunny so there were lots of couples and families. The restaurant had a waiting list of 200 people when we arrived at 12:30pm. So we went to the bar where dozens of people were standing and holding their plates and eating.. Anyway, we had a gift certificate, so we ordered mojitos and a pizza and spent $50 in 3 seconds. As we sat down after stalking some seats for 10 minutes, hub said, “ Wow, we are really rich today.” I asked him to clarify, and he said, “We just threw down $50 for 2 drinks and little pizza and didn’t even blink. It’s sunny and we are just chilling at the beach like we own the place. This is how wealthy people live and so we are wealthy today.” And I was like,  “Yeah, this is pretty awesome!” Because we were living the lifestyle that we both love – sun, good food, free time together surrounded by the beach and ocean and without a care in the world for that moment.

The takeaway is that life is really all about state of mind. When I was a shoe design assistant, it always felt odd to say that I was a “shoe designer” because I didn’t believe it. I didn’t own that role. I could easily identify with being a project manager, or operations manager, or technical designer, but not  the more glamorous role of “shoe designer.”

If I had created certainty in my identity as a shoe designer, then I would have worked on my sketching all the time, and honed my craft. Instead I focused on my abilities to manage people and delegate tasks and organize calendars and manage deadlines. I identified that I was a hard worker and that I wanted to build my own business. I knew that I was inherently an excellent boss. Since I believed that about myself, I acted on it. I quit my job and became my own boss, and now I outsource work to my own team of employees.

So imagine who you would like to be and then take ownership of that vision. Take the steps to make it happen. Be aware of the reality that you have created through your thoughts and actions. Plant the seeds of possibility in your brain as a starting point.

All the best to you-

Meghan

Popularity: 94% [?]