Looking For What You Love to Do in All The Wrong Places

Guest post by Kirstie Berzanski (learn more about Kirstie at the end of this post)

I sell moving boxes and supplies on-line. I know that this does not sound like exciting work, but I LOVE IT!  As a matter of fact, I have finally found the line of work I want to be in.  Believe me when I tell you that I NEVER would have picked this industry if my husband, (back then fiance) didn’t own a moving company. I literally stumbled into, never thinking this was the career that I would love.

For so many years I wanted to create a company that enforced my beliefs in …”doing what I loved.” I had worked as a professional salesperson for years for Fortune companies. I did very well in sales, made excellent money, but I really hated my work. So for years I continued to search and search trying to find something that I “loved.”  Countless number of books, audio tapes, workshops and even a weekend retreat didn’t help me find what I was looking for.

I realize now that I was looking in the wrong places. I was looking at the product itself and asking myself….”do I love that?” Am I excited about X blank product? If I would have asked myself that question before I started my box company…..”do boxes excite me?”……the answer would have been “no.” By asking myself that question, I would have missed a huge opportunity for a tremendously satisfying career.

Now I have learned that there are many deeper things to consider about loving your work. I realized that my beliefs about “loving what you do” limited the types of business opportunities that I considered getting involved with.

Selling boxes on-line fulfills 10 deeper needs that I have identified for myself:

1. To be creative
2. To solve problems, and help other people solve problems.
3. To make people’s moving experience better because they used our products and services. (To help people)
4. A very flexible schedule. I can work at home with my two babies with flexible hours.
5. To continuously learn new things and be challenged with big goals.
6. To be in a line of work that is difficult to master, and one where you are always learning. (On-line sales)
7. To be a teacher helping people know how to pack and move properly. (You can be a teacher doing many different things)
8. To explore ideas, write and help people.
9. To work with integrity representing a high quality product and service that is exactly as it is advertised.
10. To have a very good work/home balance.

My point being is that the actual product of “boxes” has nothing to do with the fact that I love my work. It is the other components that make this line of work extremely satisfying for me. Although I do love our products because they are high quality, they help making moving easier, and help protect people’s stuff, I don’t love “boxes” themselves.( if you know what I mean.)  I believe that if we can find those core aspects of what makes us feel fulfilled in a job, than that is how we will find new business opportunities that we love.

Now, armed with this information about myself, I will be in a much better position to explore future business opportunities. With any future business I start, I will ask myself if it fulfills these 10 deeper needs that I have. If it does, then there is a high chance that I will love that too,……….even if that means selling microwaves, hammers, or bolts for a car.

I hope there are women out there that will be helped by this article.

About the Author

Kirstie Berzanski is a writer, author, entrepreneur, a mom of two babies under 2, and founder and owner of Moving Box Delivery, a company that ships moving boxes and supplies to your doorstep. She is also a co-owner (with your husband) of an established, highly rated San Diego moving company that has been in business over 12 years called Discount Movers.

Susan Gunelius

Susan Gunelius is the Founder and Editor-in-Chief of Women on Business. She is a 30-year veteran of the marketing field and has authored a dozen books about marketing, branding, and social media, including the highly popular Ultimate Guide to Email Marketing, 30-Minute Social Media Marketing, Content Marketing for Dummies, Blogging All-in-One for Dummies and Kick-ass Copywriting in 10 Easy Steps. Susan’s marketing-related content can be found on Entrepreneur.com, Forbes.com, MSNBC.com, BusinessWeek.com, and more. Susan is President & CEO of KeySplash Creative, Inc., a marketing communications company. She has worked in corporate marketing roles and through client relationships with AT&T, HSBC, Citibank, Intuit, The New York Times, Cox Communications, and many more large and small companies around the world. Susan also speaks about marketing, branding and social media at events around the world and is frequently interviewed by television, online, radio, and print media organizations about these topics. She holds an MBA in Management and Strategy and a Bachelor of Science degree in Marketing and is a Certified Professional Career Coach (CPCC).

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