Short Story Long: Life Lessons from Leaders, Coaches, and Entrepreneurs

Namon's Story: Choosing Growth Into HR Over Going with the Flow

Beki Fraser Season 2 Episode 18

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This episode explores Namon's journey from a decade in sales to a new path in human resources. Blending his creative identity as DJ Blue with a growing passion for people-focused work, Namon shares how formal education became a tool for finding focus and making intentional choices. 

With honesty and insight, he reflects on the shift from “going with the flow” to choosing a direction with clarity. This conversation is a thoughtful look at what it means to evolve professionally without abandoning your creative self along the way.

"If I tell myself I'm just going to go with the flow, then I don't have to choose, I don't have to be upset about the choices."

For anyone navigating career transitions, struggling with focus, or working to balance multiple talents, this episode provides both practical insights and permission to forge an authentic path forward. The journey from "going with the flow" to intentional decision-making might be challenging, but as Namon reminds us, "It may be difficult, but it's not impossible."

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Speaker 1:

And for me, when I've had successes now whether it's achievements at work or achievements just in my own personal life, with my business or my DJing I found that it only came when I made decisions, when I was very clear on the decisions that I was making, as opposed to just I'll do it this way or I'll do it this way. So that's one thing that I've learned.

Speaker 2:

Hi, I'm Becky. Welcome to Short Story Long. In this podcast, we discuss ways you can integrate who you are into how you lead. Career transitions are rarely straightforward. They're complex journeys of self-discovery, personal growth and strategic reinvention. Today, my guest and I dive into the moments when professionals reimagine their career paths. We explore how unexpected opportunities and intentional learning can reshape our understanding of professional success. Through this conversation, we find the nuanced decisions, challenges and insights that drive meaningful career transformations. Naaman is a Detroit-based creative currently pursuing his bachelor's in human resource management. He built his career on understanding people, problem solving and driving results. Currently, naaman works in wireless sales and also goes by the DJ Blue, a name that reflects his passion for music, tech and connecting with people. He's always interested in how creativity, business and personal growth all work together in today's world. Hi, naaman, welcome to the podcast. I'm excited to hear about one of the inflection points in your life.

Speaker 1:

Thank you. First of all, thank you for having me. I'm excited to be here. I'm not used to having people probe into me or even say things so eloquently the way you just did.

Speaker 2:

I's easy to be eloquent when you've got a good story to tell, right? So I'm eager to kind of jump in and talk about this point in your life and, of course, we'll talk about the options that you had available to you when you made this decision and everything. I guess I'd like to start before that. What was going on in your life before this decision was made?

Speaker 1:

So I've been in sales, I would say for about a culmination of probably about 10 years. Different places, different companies. I've been from Sherwin-Williams to different cell phone stores to different CVSs. I've sold furniture. I've done pretty much everything as far as like sales. The only thing I haven't sold is real estate, and it would sound like I enjoy selling things. But for me it went much further, because I realized, when I was selling things helping people find paint or even working for CVS, I help people find medications, different things those types of things fed me a little more than just hey, oh, now I'm getting some type of commission Right, the performance aspect of it. So from there I realized that in order for me to actually find me a spot that would feed me, in a place where I could help people and still work for these companies, I had to find some way else to elevate myself, and that was, for me, finding an option in human resources, because that was the place where I believed I could make a change.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, yeah, and naturally in terms of making that choice and going in that direction. And naturally in terms of making that choice and going in that direction. I'm guessing that you probably thought through other options and other opportunities before really selecting HR. If that's true, what other things did you consider?

Speaker 1:

So if I were to just not blab or brag about myself, I would basically say I would basically say well, yes, thank you.

Speaker 2:

No.

Speaker 1:

I would. I would say I'm talented, I'm I'm extremely talented, and one of my issues, the thing that's always followed me, was focus. That's one thing that I can mask, you know. I can pretend as if I'm focusing at no problem with it. But when it comes to narrowing it down, getting my business together, getting school together, doing whatever those things I'm like, focus is a big thing. So for me, going into schooling, doing schooling and doing that, that was my way to find that focus. Okay. Schooling, I'm doing, schooling and doing that that was my way to find that focus. Okay. So I can't explain it other than I needed something that was going to hold me accountable. You know, in that that portion so it's. I have a lot of talents, but focusing on one true thing. So in doing all this, that was the only thing I could think about was this is the only thing that would lead me towards the path of something that makes sense, If that makes any sense.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, it actually does, and as a former HR professional myself, I can say that, at least within my career. I found that I was managing many different things while I was an HR professional and it was important to have an ability to kind of juggle all of those things while also making sure that you get things done right, like people need you to finish the task. But it's also it offered me enough variability, so I hear you on that right Like it's like okay. So what is it that I need to do to create the focus in order to complete the degree so that I could get to where I want to go? So what I find is really powerful about what you're saying is that going back to school or going to school was really about. I want the structure for this in the direction of this thing that I want to do. So what prompted you to choose HR as opposed to other programs?

Speaker 1:

Well, working for the company that I work for, there's lots of different realms, right. There are lots of different parts of the company. So you have you know your sales, then you have you know management, upper management, and then you have your VPs and all of the titles that they come up with to create these different sectors. For me, when I did the research, I actually had help with AI, right. So I talked to my AI like that's one of my best friends and not because I think it's, you know, sentient, which really it's not right One day one day, who knows?

Speaker 1:

But I did a lot of research with that. I did some of my own research and studying and it didn't hurt that they would actually pay for the class.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, that helps.

Speaker 1:

Right. So, looking through the list of things, I went down the list and the only thing that was on the list there were a couple of different things for me. One was technology, because I love technology, and I think the other was there was probably another one as well it's been a while since I've looked at the list but the other was human resource management, and I've been in positions of management before and one of the things that I realized that I enjoyed was, you know, the aspect of changing things and helping people right, guiding people, maybe even being a resource if you will right.

Speaker 1:

For the humans in a management forum right.

Speaker 1:

And then that's where it was like okay, human resource management, that sounds something. So there is a lot of forums, but in my mind it was like learning to do that because I want to own my own business successfully. To own my own business successfully. So I feel like with the schooling, with the human resource management, there would be so many different avenues that would open to me that I would be learning about that, not just related to what I'm doing now, but so much more as it relates to learning about myself and how I help people. And, again, the salary is pretty good too.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, it doesn't hurt. With something like that, it doesn't hurt. You know, what's powerful about that too, is that when you talk about how you learn about yourself and learn how to help other people I mean it's a pretty common phrase right Like you can't make it up what people will bring to you. I mean, you've managed people. You probably know some of that as well that these things come up and you can't even predict them, and yet you can have structures and plans, for these are the ways that we typically run things. One of the things that we talked about in your intro is that your nickname is the DJ Blue. Okay, and I'm curious what are you doing with music and why not a career there?

Speaker 1:

So my music career is something for me that's always been, I don't know, part of me right, like when you say chew gum and breathe, right, no-transcript. It's fun, I enjoy it and I do believe it's something that I can make a career. But for me, I've spent a lot of money on it and I've spent a lot of time on it and not to say that I've ever given up on it, I'm trying other talents as well. I believe that for me, as an HR professional or any profession that I'm going into, especially with the schooling that I'm learning, one of the major factors is I need to know how to run a business. I need to know the ins and out of a business when it goes to sales.

Speaker 1:

I know how to sell things. I can sell you a couch, an ottoman, a duvet. I can sell those things. And I can sell music. I can make music, I can DJ. I can do all of these things. But the one thing that I lack is the business smarts, the, the actual knowledge of what it takes to run a business through and through. While I would love to be careered in those things, I don't have what it takes to do all of it.

Speaker 2:

Okay.

Speaker 1:

And I recognize that. So I'll always be able to do music. I'll be able to do music if I'm busy all day, you know, but if I'm enjoying the things that I'm doing, I'm being properly what's the word? Compensated for the things that I'm doing.

Speaker 1:

It's easier for me to create, it's easier for me to create, it's easier for me to give that to that and then, once that's done, I'll be able to meld those both, because I'll have the knowledge to do what I need to do. I can always run my business on the side, so my career for me would be I'm always a musician, I'm just learning something extra right now.

Speaker 2:

Mm-hmm, and it strikes me that you want to learn the business skills and you narrowed that focus to HR. Why not a degree in business?

Speaker 1:

So for me, human resource management is not just for for the business, it's to have something under my belt just in case Right, it's a, it's a plan B, plan C that I can do it. And even if it means, hey, hunkering down and working for some company, maybe, if it pays well and it's financially suitable, then I do what I have to do to make that work. But that's my main goal is stability. If I find that stability, I'm always working on music. So, hey, one day I could make something and boom, yeah, absolutely, and that's it.

Speaker 1:

Instastar, instastar, right, it's possible I might be on a podcast or something and someone may be like, wow, melodious voice. So that's always, I would say, a thing for me.

Speaker 2:

Okay, yeah, I appreciate that and my experience was, even while getting my undergraduate wasn't in human resources and even my master's was really business orientation, but in strategy and leadership, and so it really can teach you all of those elements of the business in some respect. And I also talk to former HR clients all the time and tell them that I learned their functions by osmosis when I was working with them because I supported the VP or SVP of marketing, so I knew how to build those marketing plans, same with finance and so and that was because I was interested in learning those things and I couldn't get a degree in everything. Who's got time for that?

Speaker 1:

So yeah, that's, I like that question, Okay, good good.

Speaker 2:

I'm curious how far into your HR program are you at this point?

Speaker 1:

Oh, boy, boy, when I tell you um, not far enough.

Speaker 1:

Yes, I'm so, as it goes to time, I'm only about three months in three four months in okay the time, um, and, and the one thing that I'm learning is that what seems easy, it only comes with a decent amount of focus. I go back to that what seems easy, it needs to have a lot of time put into it, right, and that's what then makes it easy. So, while I am three months in and this is from a perspective of someone who's never taken any type of college courses it's a task, but I have a saying that I like to say it may be difficult, but it's not impossible. Yeah, right, and that's how I feel about it. It may be difficult, it may be something that kind of stresses me a little bit, makes me a little anxious.

Speaker 2:

Yes, of course, but it's not impossible. Yeah, yeah. It makes me think of a phrase that, when I'm working out, one of the trainers that I use will say we're made for hard things, and that sounds very similar to that where it's. You know, I recognize this path I'm on isn't necessarily easy for me. It's just that it's worth it to get to the other side. So what is it that you do to kind of keep yourself accountable and keep yourself focused on the task at hand?

Speaker 1:

Well, I'm working on that, Okay, and I don't mind saying that I'm working on that. I mean, I'll tell you why, because for me, again, focus it's a huge thing. So I have to now plan. I don't like planning. Um, my cousin would say that, that, um, I'm, I'm usually not a planner, and when they're planning things, I don't want to be a part of it. My girlfriend would say the same thing as well. Um, she, she plans everything. She asks for my input, but I'm like I don't care because that's just how I am.

Speaker 2:

I'll show up and I'll follow whatever you plan. It's fine, exactly.

Speaker 1:

Right, I'm cool and I'm going to go with the flow and I'm going to enjoy myself no matter what, and that's because that's how I see it. But now I can't take that same idea with school and business or any of those other things, because I have to plan. I have to actually set small goals. I have to set long term goals. I have to know what I'm doing day to day and I have to actually attack those things day to day and I have to actually attack those things. Yeah, I can't just go with the flow on them, which is difficult for someone. My whole life I've been able to go with the flow, but I've gone with the flow and for me it's only gotten me to where I am, which I'm okay. I don't feel like, you know, there's any, there's any issues with me or anything. You know I don't feel like there's any issues with me or anything.

Speaker 2:

I don't know how else to put it.

Speaker 1:

I'm not crazy, right. I mean some people may say there's a little bit of a situation there one of the producers over there but I say that to say focusing and planning goals. Those are the things that I now have to do. That have been a really big change and it's difficult. So I'm learning to focus because I know once I do find the opportunity to sit in one of those roles, I'm going to need to have that goal oriented. I'm going to have to be able to plan because that's going to be for me and whomever I decide to work for, and even if I want to do that and have my side hustles, I have to plan those things.

Speaker 2:

Yes, because the schedules could be in conflict with something like that and you'd need to plan around that. What kinds of things have you set up for yourself so that you have the structure where before you didn't need it, you weren't really looking for it. Now you do. What are some of the things that you use?

Speaker 1:

to help you. So I use again ChatGBT. I use AI all day and one of the things for me, it helps me be realistic about my timing Because, again, with the go with the flow, I'm unrealistic with time. You know I'm. I'm because I'm going to go go right with it. So, using that, I'm able to put in the set of things that I want to do weekly and pay. This is what time I work. This is my days off. This is the time I want to spend with with the people I love. This is the time I want to. You know, hey, maybe, maybe my cousin has something that he's doing. I need to make time for this. I put all that information in there and I have to make me a little a little list.

Speaker 1:

You know, those are the things that I would say has been a big thing. There's other things that I'm looking for, though, because I feel like that's a that's a steady process. It doesn it doesn't end at just that. I know there's more ways, so I'm always trying to research cognitive options, if you will.

Speaker 2:

Yes, yeah, things like time blocking and all of those that, over time, you're learning. Okay, if I'm going to read in preparation for this class, if I'm going to work on this homework assignment, you start to build up that foundation of I know how long it took me last time where that's not something that you had at the beginning of your coursework and everything who does something very similar to that in terms of dropping into. These are my objectives for the week. Lay out a schedule for me, and I've heard that's a really powerful thing.

Speaker 2:

I personally have not used that. I'm kind of ruled by my calendar and appointments instead, but I think that there's a really powerful help that. You know. We can complain about AI in terms of some of the different things, but that's a really tangible piece where it's like these are the tasks based on what you know out there in the universe, what is it that I can set up as a structure for myself? And it starts to teach you what will work for you. And because it's not going to be perfect, just because AI says it doesn't mean it's so as we know it.

Speaker 1:

We know, I mean try making a dessert with it.

Speaker 2:

Don't do that, don't do that.

Speaker 1:

Don't do that. Yeah. Do you train your AI model? Don't do it. Yes.

Speaker 2:

Understood, understood. So, as you've been starting this program and moving forward with it, how are you feeling now about HR? Is it feeling more and more like that thing that makes sense for you to do next?

Speaker 1:

So, yes, I would say the schooling portion of it, but it doesn't really phase what I want, and I'll tell you why. Because, while the schooling may be difficult, the schooling is just one of those. It's like a video game for me, which, hey, may form some other difficulties, right, but I'm OK with that. I'm ready to face the challenge, because that's what I did this for. But looking at it now, even with it, I'm enjoying the thought of it because I still, I still am where I want to be.

Speaker 2:

I want to help people.

Speaker 1:

That that hasn't changed. I want to help people in the field that I'm in. I want to be able to make some type of change, and for me that would be much greater than earning a commission or something, and in those forms it would be nice to have just a job that's here every week. I haven't had a situation like that, where it's structured in such a way.

Speaker 1:

Yeah right, Whereas you know, hey, you have this task to do, this task to do, this task to do, and then you have to do those tasks With the jobs that I've always had.

Speaker 2:

When it comes to sales or customer service, even every day is different, and for me, I feel like having that structure would allow me more ability to be more creative in my own personal life, yes, yes, well, and even thinking about that video game analogy with that, I think about, and I'm not much of a gamer myself, I just don't have the skill set for it, to be honest.

Speaker 1:

I'm better with puzzles you got thumbs. You got thumbs, you can do it. That's not enough, apparently. Be honest, I'm better with puzzles you got thumbs.

Speaker 2:

That's not enough, apparently, because I die immediately in those games, and so one of the things that I'm thinking about with that, though, is that the levels get more complex and they get harder, and you take what you learned at the beginning and you're able to level up to be able to learn the skills and maybe the layout of a game, or something like that, and that's really what I hear you saying about the education portion of okay, I learned these basics, then I learned my you know higher level fundamentals, and then I can go into the more advanced and get really selective about what I'm learning. At the same time, the thing that I'm hearing you say is it's not about that, because you're talented, you can learn the stuff. It's not the content. Where I'm hearing that you're learning the most is actually a little bit about you in terms of how do I focus and how do I structure this? What are other things that you've learned about yourself after you've made this decision to go this way?

Speaker 1:

Well, I've learned that. You know, perhaps I'm not just a go with the flow type of guy right. I've learned that perhaps it's a safety mechanism. Right, because if I tell myself I'm just going to go with the flow, then that means that it's a protection. Yes, right, because if I tell myself I'm just going to go with the flow, then that means that is a protection.

Speaker 2:

Yes.

Speaker 1:

Right.

Speaker 2:

Then I don't have to choose, then I don't have to choose.

Speaker 1:

I don't have to be upset about the choices that were chosen, right, right. So I would say that's a huge thing. That I've learned is is that that that may not be my style, while I feel that way, and in some cases it is okay, right, absolutely. If it's a Russian roulette on what to have dinner, hey, or what to have at dinner, who cares?

Speaker 2:

right, that's not my problem. Close your eyes, point on a menu.

Speaker 1:

it's fine as long as there's protein, maybe a little something to drink, you know, whatever, I don't care. But as it goes to my life and my goals and my long term goals, there has to be so much more Right. There has to be so much more planning, so much more going this way had successes now, whether it's achievements at work or achievements just in my own personal life, with my business or my DJing. I found that it only came when I made decisions, when I was very clear on the decisions that I was making, as opposed to just I'll do it this way or I'll do it this way. So that's one thing that I've learned.

Speaker 2:

Okay, and it makes me think about a recent episode where I had talked with someone about, you know, having this strict plan versus seeing opportunity and just selecting which opportunities were important and valuable, versus those that could be structured and planned out but leaving a little bit of flexibility in there. How much does that resonate with you in terms of a way that you might be able to go forward, that there's a plan and yet opportunities can come in as you see them come along?

Speaker 1:

Yeah, I feel like, yes, I'm with that and that's how I feel now, right, because a lot of the things that I've been doing and I don't know if this kind of goes with what you were saying, but a lot of the things that I was doing was I was doing it in my spare time, right, so, like if I'm at work or, for example, like studying, which is something I really need to get back into because it's not something that's still with me when I would study, I would replace Instagram time or scrolling time with studying. I did that for a long time. I was learning a language.

Speaker 1:

I would just open the app as soon as that time came, and I would do that instead of scrolling Soon as that time came, and I would just I would do that instead of scrolling so that I don't know. That would be how I would say, you know, just maintaining that right, right right, keeping the focus on what your end goal is instead of sort of at least I'll describe it for myself.

Speaker 2:

I won't place this on you, but I get a little mindless when I start doing the scrolling and I lose a lot of time. And it can be really challenging with situations like that, where I have commitments, I have things that I want to do, and then all of that time gets lost. And then you're sitting there thinking, well, what do I do that for? What do you think will be the most challenging thing for you as you look forward toward completing that program and stepping into this new profession?

Speaker 1:

Time. Mm-hmm, as strange as that sounds, time Time would be for me the biggest hurdle, right, right, because, again, coming from someone who's not always paying attention to to time, I think it's Chicago that the song.

Speaker 2:

Does anybody?

Speaker 1:

really know what time it is. I love that song because when I think of that song, I think of like I don't really care about time. Like you know, it's not, it's not something that that, that's that I care about. But at the same time, no pun intended it's something I need to be very aware of, right, because I don't have a lot of it, right yes and you lose more time not focusing on your time.

Speaker 2:

Right. I think it's very unconscious for many of us as we go through life until we hit that point when we say wait a second, am I where I want to be, is this where I want to head? And sometimes we end up going, hey, this is enough for me right now, this is fine, and other times we think this is good, and yet I want this other thing and I can be moving in that direction. That's what I hear you doing. So I really appreciate the time here and I'm curious, as we're talking here, what question might I have asked that I didn't, that you would want to answer today?

Speaker 1:

Well, I don't know. I would say you've touched on some pretty, pretty interesting things as far as it relates to. You know the changes that I'm trying to make. So hmm, you're going to have to come back to me on that. Ok, you're going to have to probe another time, because I'm going to have to think of that. But yeah, I think I think you've touched on everything.

Speaker 2:

Okay, well, let me ask it in a different way. Sure, If you were asking me the question about what I would answer for when I went into HR, oh, that's easy. All right, give it to me.

Speaker 1:

Your measure of how much time you spent work-life balance. Basically, what would you say? Your time and all your career, and you can just sum it up in whatever you'd like to sum it up in. However you'd like to sum it, how much would you say you spent between work and family life? Or your work-life balance with vacations, etc.

Speaker 2:

So I need to preface this was I did not learn to hold boundaries on work and life until much later into my career and I managed to burn myself out. So please do not take this as advice. So please do not take this as advice you or anyone else listening to this episode. I, at one point in time, was in a role where I was traveling for work to a great degree and I was counting hours of a weekend home instead of when I was traveling for business, and I was traveling to different places around mostly around the nation.

Speaker 2:

And after that I realized that was a quick path to burnout and there were definitely signs to that that were frightening, and so I had to clean it up. And so I had to clean it up, and when I found myself in a better balance, I had done what I probably should have done at the beginning and made that decision at this start and identified that this is how much I choose to give to my life, and so later in my HR career, I was far more successful in doing that. I still traveled a bit, but I didn't travel nearly as much as I did in the prior role and let's be clear, I traveled in that role. It wasn't necessarily that I had to, but it was more opportunistic to do that. So my question back to you then, because you had to know I was going to reverse this question If you were to set that boundary for yourself.

Speaker 1:

That was just thinking I was going to ask you a question and I was going to use the word boundaries. See I was. It was right there.

Speaker 2:

So what would you choose in terms of your work life balance or integration, really, because sometimes we flex one way or another right. How much would you be willing to give to work when it's filling you up but it's not your whole life?

Speaker 1:

Yeah, so using the word boundary again, I think for me is just making sure that when I go home work doesn't come in. That's just, I guess, and that's a boundary I set. Now. It's no matter what I'm doing, I don't allow work home and I don't take work with me to work thing. That that you know, it's a constant. You know work because immediately if you talk about any essence, of what you're doing.

Speaker 1:

You know, you're going to fall into a spiral, you know. So, whether it's you know that stupid bathroom's not working at all, that Cindy did this, and you know you go on and on. So I would say, for me is learning to keep work separate. You know, and that's why I asked the question. I asked because work-life balance is super important to me now. Yes, so I need to make sure that that's a constant in my life, is making sure that I don't bring one to work and don't take the other one home and then when I'm in my car, that's how they disperse. Yes, they leave one way and go the other.

Speaker 2:

Yes, yes, just like the car right.

Speaker 1:

Yes, exactly, exactly right.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, and that just depends on. Then. It becomes a criteria, I guess I would say, for the employer at that point in time, and that's amazing. Well, it's been great to talk with you today, Naaman. It's been a real pleasure, and I appreciate you being on the podcast today.

Speaker 1:

Thank you for having me.

Speaker 2:

My conversation with Naaman was fun and insightful. I've always been drawn to the stories behind people's career choices, what led them down a particular path. Sometimes it's a clear, conscious decision, like Naaman's growth into HR. Other times it's about recognizing talent and following opportunities as they arise, like his earlier experience in sales. Often it's a bit of both, and the truth is it's never too late to choose what's next.

Speaker 2:

Effective leaders know that growth isn't static. It requires ongoing skill development, adaptability and the willingness to stretch. Naaman made the decision to pursue formal education as a way to expand his capabilities. There's a clear intention behind it to better understand how business works and how he can contribute at a higher level. It's not always easy for him, but it's worth the effort because it aligns with what he wants to create. One of the most meaningful shifts he shared was moving from a go-with-the-flow mindset to a more intentional, focused approach. He's learning that growth isn't just about completing coursework or getting good grades. It's about how you choose to show up day after day. Sustainable career and leadership development comes from embracing change, seeking out feedback and being willing to build new muscles. Naaman is beginning to see the value in choosing his direction with more clarity. He's strengthening his ability to lead from intention, and he's aligning his energy with both the short and long-term goals.

Speaker 2:

Thanks for listening. If you found this episode helpful, share it with someone who could benefit from it. Until next time, I'm Becky Fraser, reminding you to integrate who you are with how you lead. Okay, bye.

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