Finding Success Through Change

I had a networking meeting yesterday, and I was reminded of something. Success comes in all sorts of shapes, sizes, and in my case, fonts.

Since I started building my writing portfolio, I have been networking with individuals in the writing field. One thing they all have in common is that they didn’t quit writing; they just pivoted how they worked. Most work in communications now—still writing, just not where they expected. Their writing goals didn’t disappear; they transformed.

In one meeting, I was told about an experience someone had when they originally went to school for sports journalism. Their experience in journalism school was that the program was designed to weed out those who couldn’t handle the pressure. In their opinion, the program did its job—but it killed their drive. They survived, but the experience pushed them toward a different path: communications. In this role, they have connected with senators on Capitol Hill, worked closely with legislators, and paved a new path for themselves.

The most humbling connection I have made thus far was with an individual who started as a teller at a bank and worked their way through the ranks at a branch before being encouraged to move into a back-office role. There, they began writing and curating resource materials for the bank. Today, they manage teams and help navigate the reworking of materials through editing and writing. They never completed higher education. They started to, but instead continued to progress at work—building a career for themselves and raising their hand for opportunities others were too afraid to take.

When I spoke with them, they told me they had gone through four interviews for the position. Their opinion on why they have done so well is that their Clifton Strengths are learning. To them, this means consistently working to learn new things because knowledge is powerful and helps pave a path you can blaze through. This mindset, they believe, helped them navigate the career channels that led them to where they are now.

To me, both stories share the same sentiment. With hard work, a willingness to learn, and a grit mentality, you can succeed. What success looks like varies by scenario, but each reflects professional growth in a field that required a pivot.

Writing might seem like a straightforward field, but it is vast and filled with opportunities. If you keep a grit mentality and believe in yourself, you can find—or create—new opportunities. You just have to be open to change and willing to pivot; you never know where you might find yourself when you do.

Success isn’t linear, and sometimes you have to pivot to find where you belong.