Wisdom Simplifies

Most know me as CEO of Succeed On Purpose and the Share On Purpose Portfolio of Companies, but did you know I started my career as a middle school teacher?

How does someone go from middle school teacher, to business executive, to serial entrepreneur? My secret (and one of our guiding principles) is: Wisdom Simplifies.

Wisdom Simplifies means rather than believing you have to know everything and do it all yourself, you instead look for mentors and resources quickly.

For example, when I wanted to transition out of teaching and into my first entry-level consulting role in educational software, I had NO computer experience and no experience teaching adults. So, I immediately took classes and looked for a mentor to show me the way.

When I was promoted from consultant to Director of Training, I sought courses and mentors who could show me how to design a training curriculum for our company.

When our Vice President said I had a natural gift for marketing (who knew?!) and wanted to promote me to Director of Training & Marketing, I not only sought mentorship but also joined the Business Marketing Association to sharpen my skills and learn the ropes.

The truth is my professional success can in large part be attributed to my willingness to search for training, resources, and mentorship frequently and often.

In every step of my career, I did not know how to do what was expected of me, but I built a reputation for “finding a way” and being willing to “do whatever it takes” which almost always included being mentored and seeking training.

When we founded what is now Share On Purpose, Inc., I was passionate about leveraging my wealth of entrepreneurial experience and my purpose (to inspire potential). As we shaped our strategy and refined our business model, our Guiding Principles began to take shape.

I knew that Wisdom Simplifies would be a practical and powerful principle for our team to embrace. Since we create companies that are unique, different and game-changing, it’s not like we can hire someone off the street who already knows what to do because it’s never been done before.

Not only are we okay with that, but we frequently hire staff members who are willing to try new things, and willing to do the work to learn what they do not know. Our CFO had a 25-year career in Commercial Property Management. Our Talent Director began her career in marketing. Most of the associates who work for us are doing things they’ve never done before.

As associates learn more about their passions, we work with them to find roles they can grow into that more closely align with those passions. At the same time, the expectation is they will “master their craft” by seeking mentors, training, and resources to help them learn what they need to know.

Career transitions do not need to be hard, but you will have to muster the courage to face the fear of not knowing what you need to know, and gain the confidence that you can figure it out over time.

We pride ourselves on being that kind of company. At Share On Purpose, we offer a significant amount of training, but we believe Wisdom Simplifies is more than that. It’s the wisdom that employees gain after the training – how it is assimilated and how it is applied.

The definition of wisdom is: “the quality or state of being wise; knowledge of what is true or right coupled with just judgment as to action; sagacity, discernment, or insight.”

We prefer wisdom for this principle because we consider wisdom to be “knowledge in action” and a state of becoming smarter, wiser and more prepared on the journey.

So, if you’re looking for a place that not only values training and development, but invests in team members’ wisdom, consider Share On Purpose, Inc. If you’re looking for a place where you can try new things and follow your passion. Check out our open positions.