Jamie's Journey
Down to earth and light-hearted, come join the conversation as Jamie Kienholz authentically shares her lifestyle just as if you were around the table with friends. Jamie loves to connect with people and encourage them as they journey through life. Grab a cup of coffee or a glass of wine and enjoy the conversation!
Jamie's Journey
Unlocking Career Success: The Power of the Proximity Principle
After sharing a heartfelt update about my daughter's knee injury and the unpredictability of Texas weather, I dive into the powerful Proximity Principle by Ken Coleman, which has the potential to transform your career trajectory. Imagine stepping out of your comfort zone to connect with professors, mentors, peers, and industry producers, all contributing to your success journey. This episode of Jamie's Journey is packed with personal stories and insights on how immersing yourself in the right environments can propel you toward your dream job, whether you're just starting or feeling stuck in your current role.
Prepare to unlock the secrets of standing out and adding value in every interaction. From the critical nature of follow-ups to the mindset of excellence illustrated through a memorable "hot fries" story, discover how persistence and a proximity mindset can open doors to unlimited opportunities. By consistently surrounding yourself with supportive people and nurturing environments, you can navigate the path to success with confidence and purpose. Be sure to tune in for actionable tips that promise to enhance your journey toward achieving your aspirations, wherever you are along the way.
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You guys, welcome back. It is Thursday. Welcome back to Jamie's Journey, another episode in the books. I've been a little bit of some MIA here recently because, if you've been following along, our daughter injured her knee, injured her ACL and her MCL playing volleyball and I've been down off of my normal routine. She had surgery and it's just, it's like having a toddler again. But we're back. I felt the need to at least provide you guys with something, some form of value that I could maybe possibly add to your drive home today, your treadmill time, your whatever. I hope I can provide you guys with some value. But I hope you're doing well. I hope your week is treating you well. I hope your month is blessed so far and we're doing great over here in Texas.
Speaker 1:However, every day seems like we're switching seasons. Yesterday it was 70 something degrees, today it's 40 something degrees and freezing, and last week it was 80 and I felt like the spring was upon us and it just flops. So if you're here in Southern Texas, you know the drill we get a couple of days of spring, a couple of days of summer, a couple of days of winter, until it finally it's just really really hot, but any day that I can be outside in the sun. I'm loving it. But today is the cold day and then I think tomorrow is another sunny day. So you know, we just you keep all clothes in your closet on rotation until you hit maybe what? Mid-march, and then you know, then it's shorts and tank tops and t-shirts from here on out and then maybe some galoshes in there for the rain. But we're doing good here, we're doing good, so I hope you're blessed wherever you are.
Speaker 1:Today I wanted to share with you. That was probably a little bit louder than I wanted it to be, but today I wanted to share with you the concept of what Ken Coleman likes to call the proximity principle. I discovered this book a couple of years ago, read it, knew of the concept, didn't really put it into play much, but here lately I have definitely been more intentional with using the principles and the proximity the proximity principle and I I felt the need to share because I felt that maybe there's someone out there in starting a new journey, starting a new season, starting a new chapter, or you're the season or the chapter that you're in. You're maybe you feel a little bit stuck and you don't know how to grow within that season. So I felt the need to share Ken Coleman's proximity principle.
Speaker 1:First, let's understand what the proximity principle is. The first step toward your dream job is often the scariest, but once you're ready to, you know to take that leap, to be bold, you can begin. So the proximity principle, when it relates to maybe going after your dream job or starting that path, is pretty much it's the right people plus the right places, equal opportunities. So to do what you love, you need to get around the right people and be in the right places. So what does that mean? Let's explore that a little bit.
Speaker 1:So first thing we want to look at is the people you know. Success doesn't happen in isolation. You have to get outside your comfort zone. You have to. You have to be intentional every single day on where you want to go, who you're talking to and and and decide, like, what are the things that you want to learn.
Speaker 1:So there are five key groups of people who you can start with that can help you on your journey to whatever it is that that your dream job is. Okay, the first person you want to look at are professors. So those are experts in your field of whatever knowledge you're searching for, whatever you're passionate about, something or someone that's going to push you to grow, look for someone who's that professor, that expert in that field. The second person you want to look for is, and to be around are, professionals, so those people who have mastered the skills you need and can provide insights and best practices. The third group of people that you should be looking for are mentors, and those are people who have accomplished what you're looking to accomplish, and mentors can be individuals who guide you, can encourage you, those individuals that could hold you accountable. Now, does a mentor have to be someone that you physically have to go see and talk to? Absolutely not. You can find a mentor in a book. You could find a mentor on social media. You can find a mentor on YouTube. It's somebody that you're looking up to, someone that's already been there, that can, you can use their principles to guide you through your journey.
Speaker 1:Another group of people that you can, you know, go find to help you out on your journey are peers, motivated colleagues who share your values, that drive, that can drive you and offer honest feedback. You want to surround yourself with people and like-minded people that are going after the same things that you are, that can drive you and offer honest feedback. You want to surround yourself with people and like-minded people that are going after the same things that you are. And then the last group of people you want to look to are producers. Those are the gatekeepers who create opportunities, they provide those connections and they offer career guidance. So think about your own network. Do you have people from these categories? Do you have professors, professionals, mentors, peers or producers? If not, then that is a good indication that you could start by seeking those individuals out Now.
Speaker 1:Also, you know, with the having the right people in your, in your circle, and knowing where to go, you can't, like I just said you, success doesn't happen in isolation. You've got to find those people and then you have to find the places to go, to be around those people and to embed yourself in certain opportunities. So let's talk about a couple different places that you can go, that you can go, embed yourself in to maybe help find those people. If you don't have them, or, you know, set yourself up for some certain opportunities. And let's start with number one the place where you are. So don't wait for the perfect moment. Start where you are, even if it's in your own garage or at your current job. So if you, let's say, want to start a podcast, start in your garage, start in your bedroom closet, start at your kitchen table, turn on the record feature of your iPhone and just start talking. Or if there's a certain area of the current job that you're at that you want to branch into, go find where that section is that you want to branch into. Go find where that section is, go find those people and, and you know, embed yourself in those places.
Speaker 1:Another place that you can go to is maybe a place to learn. So, identify the skills you need to find, um, where you can gain them. Or I did, excuse me identify the skills you need. Let me rephrase that identify the skills you need. Let me rephrase that Identify the skills you need and then find where you can gain them. So, whether it's through formal education, online courses, workshops YouTube's a great one Google. So again, let's go back to the podcast example. If you don't know how to do a podcast and you want to get better at podcasting, there are plenty of YouTube videos that show you how to start from scratch. So, getting the education you need, knowing where you need to go to learn the skills you need to learn to grow.
Speaker 1:Another place you can look at is a place to practice. So if you're a hands-on person, go find that place where you can get hands-on experience. A lot of those places could be internships, apprenticeships or volunteering. Those can provide crucial practice and learning opportunities to kind of get you some skills, some hands-on you know, tactile opportunities. You can also look for a place to perform. Maybe there's some entry-level jobs or freelance gigs that allow you to kind of now take that practiced internship or apprenticeship and refine your craft and prove yourself in the real world scenarios. So maybe doing a couple jobs for free or doing those jobs at a very, very low price point, just to kind of build that experience up underneath you. And then another place that you can search out is is finding yourself a place to grow. And so eventually, after you've, you know, found your internship and then did your freelance gig, you want to put yourself in a position that you can uh, that you can grow. You'll need to find an environment that challenges you, that aligns with your values and that provides a a clear career path forward to get you to where you want to go. And the right places offer the right opportunities.
Speaker 1:You just have to be intentional about where you invest your time and not just spreading yourself too thin and just going all over the place. This is a big one that I've had to learn over the last year is I? When I first started this job as a mortgage broker, I was going everywhere all the time and I just felt like I was running in circles. Then, after I took a break and took a step back, I, you know, I had to realize that I had to go to the places that offered the right opportunities. I had to be intentionable, intentional intentional oh my word, I cannot say that word. Intentional about where I invested my time, because time is precious and if I just wasted my time at a mixer, that got me nowhere. But if I would have went over here to a networking or mastermind or something else, if I would have went over here to a networking or mastermind or something else, I would have maybe gotten a little bit more value out of where I was going. So, pretty much, be intentional about where you spend your time and the environments that you place yourself in.
Speaker 1:After you are, you know, you've leveled up, you're finding places to go, you need to practice and set practices that will set you apart. So opportunities don't just fall in your lap. You need to take action. People aren't just going to walk up to you and hand you something and think that you know, here you go, you look, you look nice today, you have a cute smile. I'm just going to just give you these great opportunities and then walk away. It doesn't work that way. So one of the things you can do is you can create a web of connections so you can inform your inner circle about your goals and then make a connection to do list and start reaching out. Okay, another thing that you can do is you can make your connections count. So when you're meeting someone for the first time or maybe you've met with them a couple of times make sure you're listening, you're being humble and you're adding value to those around you.
Speaker 1:Don't go into every situation or every connection wanting something. You have to add value. I'm always trying to figure out how can I add value to this individual? What can I do to help them? What can I give them to help them grow? And it could be anything from helping them clean something up or providing them with some kind of business value on the back end. So always be looking to give value.
Speaker 1:Another practice that can set you apart is seizing the opportunity. Customize your resume for each job, bring the right attitude to interviews and follow up professionally. The key is in the follow-up. A lot of people just go on about their day and they forget to follow up. Go on about their day and they forget to follow up, follow up, follow up, follow up on anything, follow up. I've learned that the hard way Just set a reminder, do whatever you need to do, but the key right there and that one is following up. Another practice is adopt a proximity mindset. Know your role, accept it and maximize it by consistently delivering exceptional work. If you're going to be something or do something, go in with the mindset of being exceptional at whatever it is that you're going to do.
Speaker 1:When I was in the military, we had a former chief mass sergeant of the air force and he would come and he would speak at our leadership school that I was an instructor at and he would always tell the same story and if any of my air force counterparts are listening, they're going to know what story I'm about to. Um, I'm about to tell you, but he would talk about we called it the hot fries story talk about. We called it the hot fry story and he was I can't remember his, his, his exact location, but he was at a food stand and he kept seeing this little boy who worked at the food stand. He would come up to the window and then he would take off running and he was. You know, he was waiting for a little bit and the little boy would come back and then he would see him at the counter or at the window and then he would grab it and he would run off and take off again and then in a few minutes later or where, or you know, I don't know the exact timeframe he would come back. And one of the last times he comes back, the chief asked he goes, son, why are? Why do you keep running so much? Like, where are you going? And the little boy was delivering hot fries to people. He was delivering fries and he said everyone likes hot fries and so, meaning he was going to run his little heart out to make sure that everyone who ordered fries got their fries hot. I mean, does that not resonate with you? No one likes cold, soggy fries. And so he put his best foot forward. He was exceptional at what he did, because he wanted everyone to have hot fries. So, whether you're a barback, whether you're a waitress, whether you're whatever it is that you're doing, no matter what you do, do it with exceptional work and I guarantee you it will be rewarded.
Speaker 1:And another practice that you could do that can set you apart is press on. Even when a challenge arises, you keep moving forward. Persistence is key to success. Nick Bear always says he would rather be consistently good than occasionally. Great Consistency and persistence compounds over time. It sucks in the moment, but getting up, pulling up your bootstraps and pressing on is what pays off in the long run. I get it, I've been there. I'm in the mix right now. Off in the long run, I get it, I've been there. I'm in the mix right now, when something isn't going right, if I feel frustrated, if I, if I, you know, mess up a deal or you know something isn't going according to my timeline, I can't dwell on it. I have to figure out how to adapt to the challenge. I've got to learn from that challenge and I've got to be persistent and keep on going. So those are a couple of different practices that you can do to kind of set yourself apart.
Speaker 1:So, basically, the proximity principle is knowing the right people in the right places, and it presents you with opportunities. So getting yourself in front of professors, and it presents you with opportunities. So getting yourself in front of professors, professionals, mentors, peers and producers. And then going to those places, finding a place to learn, Finding a place to practice, finding a place to perform and a place to grow, to hone your skills, and then doing things that are going to set you apart Creating a web of connections. Make your connections count, seize any opportunities that come your way, adopt a proximity mindset and then being able to press on. So the journey to your dream job starts with getting in the right rooms and surrounding yourself with the right people. As Ken Coleman says, people who can help you land your dream job are working hard at this very moment, but they're working for themselves. They're not working for you. Your job is to connect, learn and show up ready to contribute.
Speaker 1:So, guys, take the proximity principle, use it in your everyday life, use it in the season you're at. If you're in a new season, use this to get started, because it can be frustrating and sometimes we don't know where to start If you're already in a season and you're stuck. Use it to get unstuck, figure it. Look, take a look around and figure out you know what you can do. That's different what places you can put yourself in and the people that you can put yourself in front of. I hope this was valuable to you guys. I love showing up here and speaking with you. I have a few episodes up my sleeve for the next couple of weeks. I hope you stay tuned and, as always, thank you guys for tuning in. Don't forget to subscribe for more insights on achieving success in work and in life and keep pushing forward.