You’ve “made it” but dream of doing something totally different
You are successful in your career. Your paychecks are rewarding. Hard work, dedication, long hours, and sacrifice have allowed you to build a strong reputation, credibility and success. You have hit your stride, and things by all definitions are great. You have “made it!” There is just one small problem. You dream about doing something totally different. You want to make an impact.
You know you are meant for more
Deep down you secretly want to make a career change. Your mind nags you with “what ifs” and dreams of possibility. This can’t possibly be it for me, is it? You know that you’re capable of more and meant to 
use your talents in a bigger purpose… You want to make an impact on the world. But, again and again, you talk yourself out of even considering such a big leap.
How in the world could you possibly walk away from years of hard work, a nice paycheck and familiarity to enter the world of uncertainty? You must be crazy to even consider this thought, right?
Walking away from a career
Well, Wendy Merrill, President and CEO of StrategyHorse Consulting Group, did just that. Wendy walked away from a tremendous career in the insurance business and professional gravitas to start her coaching practice where she focuses on helping rising leaders grow and make an impact.
In this interview you will learn…
In this interview, Wendy shares the secret to being able to make big career and life changes. Wendy talks about why every woman must have a personal value statement of their own. If you have no idea how to even go about this task of defining a value statement, keep reading – Wendy shares her proven process to help women become self-aware and in-tune with what drives them. Wendy is convinced that this is the secret sauce in life and gives women the ability to fully live and make an impact.
A bit about Wendy
After building a successful insurance practice of her own in Chicago, Wendy returned to Maryland to join business forces with her father. Wendy merged her insurance business into her father’s practice and the rest was history, right? Not so fast…. Wendy quickly learned that working with her Dad (family business woes) and in tight-knitted Baltimore was harder than she expected. But Wendy let her grit and determination overcome obstacles. Wendy took over as CEO of her father’s insurance agency. Business was humming, paychecks were rewarding, and Wendy had time to breathe again.
I woke up and hated what I was doing
“It was in that time where I finally resurfaced and assessed how far I’d come.” Wendy sat down and had a “heart to heart” with herself. She allowed herself to be honest and real with her thoughts and feelings.
“At the age of 40 I realized that I actually hated the insurance business. I was no longer interested in what I had been doing for the past 18 years.”
“As I literally reflected on my entire life thus far, I thought about what I enjoyed doing. It was within this space, within the time that I gave myself to truly think, that I landed on my business today.”
Free advice turns into my business
“I realized that I loved talking with my friends and colleagues about business development and business strategies.” Over the years, Wendy answered questions about how she built her business and developed a network of strong referral sources. She had numerous coffee meetings with others who wanted to pick her brain and solicit Wendy’s advice on what they could be doing differently in their businesses. “I couldn’t help but wonder if I could monetize what I loved doing. Helping others become successful, helping others make an impact.”
StrategyHorse Consulting Group
“My company today works with rising leaders– people who define success around the impact they have. Impact does NOT mean how much money you can make. It means being a part of something bigger than yourself. You are engaging others to create bigger profound change in the workplace, their communities and beyond.”
The secret sauce
Along Wendy’s journey, she found that the secret to her success was being able to properly determine, quantify and convey her value to others. “It is imperative that women have a genuine understanding 
of their worth.” Being able to do this alone will help you get hired / promoted, run successful businesses, have healthier relationships and be more successful parents.
“And, I am not talking about value in terms of dollar signs.” If you are in a commission business, your value is not simply the commissions you make and business you bring in. Your value can be quantified in many ways: building and leveraging strategic relationships, growing your / your employer’s business, providing relevant guidance to others, and more.
Your value is bigger than your job description as clients see you as a resource and seek your expertise outside of your hired role.
If you work in a small business, your value lies in the multiple hats you wear each and every day. There is value in the juggling act that you do to help your company be successful.
I don’t want to appear too confident…
“As women, many of us aren’t raised to understand or define our own value. We are raised to subject ourselves to serve others and become what others think we should become. As women, we strive to look and act a certain way. We live according to what others want and expect from us.”
“Women often do not define who we are and what we bring to the table. We are afraid of sounding bit#hy (called the “B” word) and being overconfident. Remember that confidence is not arrogance.”
No matter what we do for a living, you must quantify the value you bring to the table for your company and for yourself. ” If YOU can’t even see your own value, how in the world do you expect others to?”
Make Bold statements
You must be able to make Big Bold statements at your job such as:
- The reason you are hiring me is…
- You are investing in me because I am going make the company money and here is how we are going to do it.
“Ladies, looking to others to define your value is incredibly dangerous.”
What if I have no idea what my value is?
If you are nodding your head, agreeing that being able to define and articulate your value is important that is half the battle. Now, you just need to dig deeper and think about what you really care about so you can properly convey and effectively articulate the value you are bringing to the table.
How to rediscover what your value is?
- “Before we begin to determine our value to others, we must fist figure out WHY we want to be of value in the first place. WHAT we do is important. WHY we do the things we do is also very important.”
- “Carve out time for yourself. Give yourself permission to think. It’s not indulgent, it is a necessity.”
- “Become self-aware of what is important to you. This is often very difficult as women feel stuck in their roles. You have a job to do, so you get to work and do it. If you lost your job today (and you could do anything else) what would it be and why?”
What if I don’t know what my “WHY” is?
If you are like most women, thinking of what you want has been so far removed from the daily to-do list. To start this foreign process of thinking about your “WHY”, spend time considering these three questions:
- What do you care about?
- What do you fear?
- What do you want?
Cares
‘If we don’t allow ourselves to ponder what we care about, we will never understand – and convey- how our passion to help others, our insatiable curiosity, or our need to make decent money plays a significant role in growing the collective bottom line. We will never be able to make an impact.”
Fears
“You must be able to articulate what scares you. Fear is paralyzing. Whether it’s fear of failure, fear of not being taken seriously, the fear of success or the fear of looking stupid we must be in-tune to what is holding you back.”
“We must understand our fears to become the impactful leaders we want to be.”
Wants
“Notice the question is ‘What do YOU want?’ It is not ‘What do others want for me?’ or ‘What do others expect from me?'”
“Thinking about what you want is not selfish or indulgent. It is a necessity and must be a priority if you want to make an impact.”
The power of knowing your value
In conclusion, after you have determined what you care about, what you fear and what is important these three questions will be your driving force going forward. They will steer everything that you do. 
Your mission and brand will be better defined. Your professional goals and big dreams will become visible. Toxic relationships and new opportunities will become present. It is up to you to take the next steps and be true to your “why”. In doing so, you will become happier. You will discover new possibilities. You will make an impact.
Wendy Merrill is the President and CEO of Strategy Horse Consulting Group. She is also the author of “Path to Impact The Rising Leaders Guide to Growing Smart.”
Thanks so much for reading.
Hugs & Handshakes, Lauren Rebbel
Sign up to keep the interviews and posts coming.
P.S. In case you missed it: Learn how Robin Lee and Baltimore Homing are combating President Trumps’s criticisms of Baltimore and reshaping the national narrative.