I was in the India Embassy when I was asked about my profession; “I am a teacher” – a succinct reply without encouraging further explanation. The guy scrolled through my document and focused on my bank statements with amazement all over his face; “what kind of teacher are you?” I knew the question was not literal but more of how is it possible to achieve this as a teacher? I guess the answer lies in experiencing a paradigm shift about what we generally refer to as “lucrative career” but I wasn’t prepared to preach to a Consular Officer so I just kept mute waiting for him to approve my documents for VISA payment.
This year, I am seriously rooting for Leonardo DiCaprio to win Oscar’s Best Actor in a leading role for his Jordan Belfort’s inspirational performance in “Wolf of Wall Street”. His depiction of “rise to wealth” is worth mentioning. Although some of the movie’s language and imagery are explicit, one must be ready to sieve the wheat from the chaff. In the movie, Jordan taught a group of seemingly illiterate to sell stocks to wealthy Americans. My best scene is with the following dialogue:
Jordan: “You could sell anything – sell me this pen”.
Chester MIng: “Can I finish eating first?”
Jordan: “Brad, please show him how it’s done; sell me that pen, watch!”.
Brad took the pen and asked: “Can you do me a favor; why don’t write your name down that napkin for me?”
Jordan: “I don’t have a pen.”
Brad pushed the pen to him: “Exactly, supply and demand, my friend”.
Jordan: “You see; he is creating urgent need and giving them something that they need.”
You can pursue any career your heart nudges you to do and be successful- the only ingredient missing is “knowing how to sell”. The salesman picture that concocts in mind is someone telling you about his product(s) and pleading with you to buy hence losing dignity through rejection. This is a wrong picture about selling which has hindered so many people from exercising it. Selling is not one thing – its more psychological and requires the earnest ability to seek to truly understand your potential client’s problem and proffering a solution. Hence, you must learn to see your career as a solution that must be needed.
This is not an article on “selling” but a re-imagination on career choice – to address the fear that people have in choosing their hearts career. I could remember my fear towards being a teacher – I loved teaching but I hated poverty. How can I transform my heart’s nudging into the kind of wealth and freedom I desired? I realized I was looking at the wrong types of teacher and started looking at successful mentor teachers like Bishop Oyedepo, Poju Oyemade, Frank Kern, Steve Pavlina, etc. I was able to carve out my niche to learn ropes each time meditating on the sales approach of Jacob in his ordeal with Laban.
