Every now and then you come across people who inspire you. For me, it's those who live their life to the fullest, who live without fear, who follow their dreams, and who exemplify a mindset of positivity that I wish for all my clients to have.
I have a dear friend and expat living in Mexico. Michael left his hometown of Cape Town, South Africa, during the apartheid regime in the late 70s when he was 24, and moved to London with practically nothing.
Shortly thereafter, he moved to the United States and co-owned and ran a clothing design business. Since his youth, he had a dream of higher education from the University of Oxford, and in his 40s, returned to London to earn his doctorate.
Michael, known for his humor and fashion sense, is now in his late 60s and is a highly respected and tenured retired World History, AP World History, AP US History and SAS humanities teacher from a prestigious private school in Los Angeles.
Never one to remain inactive nor shy away from an intellectual challenge, he is looking for opportunities to put his skills and experiences to use. Recently, at 68 years young, Michael was asked what his dream job is.
"To work for Doris Raymond", an internationally renowned vintage clothing enthusiast and expert, known as the "Fairy Godmother of Fashion", and who is featured in L.A. Frock Stars on the Smithsonian Channel, and who is responsible for dressing many Hollywood A-listers for the red carpet.
What?!
To make a long and funny story short, and to return to my original point of those I find inspirational, Michael, along with his résumé, fearlessly sent Ms. Raymond a personal email with the intent of creating a currently-non-existent position to work for her,.
His email included:
A brief introduction
His experience (salesperson & co-owner of clothing business)
His Passion (vintage clothing)
His Interest in and knowledge of Doris (avid follower of her YouTube & Smithsonian channels)
Value - applying his research experience to her library of resources
Suggested time and place to meet
The result?
Within 2 days, Ms. Raymond called Michael from her personal mobile phone to discuss meeting in person. She was so impressed with his unsolicited email, his experience, passion and confidence.
I wish for all my clients to have the confidence to go after what they want.
Takeaways:
It's never too late to go after what you want
One is never too old to dream
Reinvention has no age barrier
Go after your goals: What's the worst that could happen?
Confidence is attractive and intriguing
Let's all be like Michael
Going into things, we never know what the outcome will be, but this is for certain:
If we don't try, we won't achieve - and there is zero possibility of anything happening!
If you feel you need help finding the confidence and courage to go after your dreams, contact me and let's figure it out together!!
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