Lisa McGuire is a Business Growth Advisor and Marketing Consultant. She loves helping people who feel called to their work integrate what they love doing with helping the people they serve. She specializes in strategy and business storytelling to give business owners the boost they need to get closer to their goals.
Last week on Creating Your Encore Career, Lisa and I interviewed each other. She asked me a variety of questions about my work with helping people create Encore Careers, including how I got into this field and why it’s so important to me.
Then, I asked her various questions about her passion for her work. She also shared some great tips for all of you who are creating Encore Careers.
Let’s dive into it all!
Why the World Needs Encore Careers
One of the questions Lisa asked me was why the work I do is so important. The short answer is, we don't have enough people. Even in today's world where unemployment is relatively low, there just literally aren't enough people. We can’t afford to have 20-30% of our potential workforce not participating when they're healthy and able.
Additionally, we're trying to engage new and more diverse people in the workforce. Who better to help them build their skills and knowledge than people who have been there for some period of time? If nothing else, people building Encore Careers make great coaches for the new talent that's coming on board.
My Ideal Client
She also asked about who my ideal client is. In general, my ideal client is somebody who, like myself, has been in corporate life and wants to make the transition into doing something different as a solo entrepreneur.
Some people may want to do volunteer work while others may want to truly retire. I encourage everybody to do what they really want.
However, there are also going to be people who would like to have their expertise utilized later in life. They want to continue doing something to get paid. That’s my ideal client.
Why I Will Never Retire
One of the reasons I got into this work was because I’m passionate about staying in the workforce.
I won’t retire for the following reasons:
1. I enjoy learning. While I'm learning, I might as well be sharing what I’m learning with other people.
2. While I have hobbies and love to travel, 52 weeks of pickleball doesn't excite me
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3. I enjoy engaging with people who are doing something. I enjoy being in the workplace and helping people create value.
4. Earning a little more money just makes life a little easier.
5. Staying active and working on a project helps you in your life. Studies have shown that having a growth mindset and staying active can add seven years to your life.
Lisa’s Advice for Encore Career Entrepreneurs
When I interviewed Lisa, I asked her if she could give her best advice for Encore Career entrepreneurs. Here’s what she said.
1. Figure out what you're good at and love to do, as well as what you’re not good at. When you start your business, you’ll discover that you end up wearing all the hats. Realizing what you're good at and what you're not good at allows you to delegate more wisely and do more things in your “zone of genius.”
2. Ask yourself, “What do I want my life to look like?” Structure your week in a way where you can make that happen and still reach your business goals. This gives you a filter you can use when an opportunity comes in so you can give an easy yes or no.
3. Look at your new definition of success. It doesn't always have to be financial. Figure out what success is to you and go after that.
4. Collaborate with others. Partners can help you tremendously with your mindset. You need others to tell you when you’re operating with a bad mindset. Collaborating with others also helps you stay in your zone of genius as they can take things you’re not good at off your plate. Finally, working with others creates a synergy and gives you the opportunity to learn from others.
However, you have to be intentional about who you partner with and make sure that you both have an understanding of the expectations for that partnership. Partnerships can become burdensome when you don’t have the same expectations as the other person and don’t lay everything out clearly.
Learn more from Lisa in last week’s episode!
