Billy Keels  0:00  Announcer, the truth about corporate sustainability being right for you. Today's episode is sponsored by Billy Keels advisory services. If you want to learn more about how to make your 99 optional, just go to makeitoptional.com. Once again, that's makeitoptional.com. The truth about corporate job sustainability being right for you. Is it directly inspired from conversations or direct messages I had with LinkedIn that led to a conversation with a high ranking executive of a very large enterprise software company? And if you've ever asked yourself the question, like, you're not sure if corporate life is sustainable, will you be able to do it over time? Well, I want to share my experience with you, and especially if you are a high achiever, like you're going to want to listen all the way until the very end, because it's like, it's not a long episode. But when you get to understand high achievers do things differently, you will understand that this question that you're asking yourself because I'm answering because someone asked me in a conversation, hopefully this is going to help you to understand a bit more, because here's one of the things that happens, especially when you're like you you're listening to podcasts, you're watching videos, because you want to continuously be productive, you are constantly being bombarded with new ideas, new ways of doing things. And one of the key questions that constantly comes up is like, you know, am I going to do this job forever. Is the corporate role sustainable forever? And I want to talk to you about whether or not it is the right thing for you at this moment in time, right? And stick around with me, because it's probably not what you are expecting. This is something a bit different. This is something that I lived and I want to make sure that you understand, because when you're asking these questions, there's a tendency, when you're watching a lot of videos, when you're when you're listening to a lot of podcasts, is that you're always looking for something better, like, what is the thing that you could be doing or should be doing? Because so many people are talking about, well, the corporate is not the right thing. Well, I completely don't agree with that. I mean, that brought me a lot of benefit to myself, my family, exposure, the world, all kinds of great stuff. But the reality is, is, yeah, there are moments in time when you keep saying, like, Can I keep this rhythm up forever? Especially if you're in the enterprise software space, because there is constant growth. I mean, I'm talking like, double multiple, double digits, year after year after year after year. And so, yeah, it's like, it's part of the process. So there's the first thing. I don't want you to feel like you're the only one. I want you to recognize that this is something that happens. Right? We talk about in the US, there's 160 million employees, maybe a little bit different now or depending on when you're listening to this. But of those that are working in big, large corporates, especially enterprise software sales, there is this constant desire to want to grow and so at some point in time. And the reason I'm sharing this in today's podcast episode is because it's not the first time I've heard the question like this question came up recently, but it because it's happened a couple of times, and this is one of the reasons I like to speak to you, because you are on the front line. You're living it day to day as you're in corporate and you're thinking about doing something different, maximizing your the harmony between your life and your work. And the thing that I want you to realize is that one of the things that happened to me, like this is just a reality. And this is probably why you're asking yourself the question, Can I keep doing these hours? Can I keep doing this? Can I keep doing that? There's a it's a reality. I want you to know. Like, if you're making an in an ill informed decision, please make no doubt that the day that you decide to do something very drastic that's not well thought out, that's not, you know, designed appropriately, if you ever leave your job, you will be replaced tomorrow. Like, don't, don't fear that, especially if you're in a very large company. That is the type of company that continues to grow, double digit growth enterprise software sales you want to be able to recognize. And this is one of the things we're going to get to is, what is the most important thing to you? Asking about the sustainability of a particular job role or job title or within a company? Yeah. I mean, this is okay to ask the question. But let's get to the meat of the matter. The meat of the matter is, if you do something drastic, make no doubt about it, you will be replaced tomorrow, provided that your role continues to exist in the company. I used to think the entire world revolved around me because I was in the top accounts and because I was doing the leading the right types of teams and providing double digit growth, but the day that I left, and my employee number like that was erased, and somebody else came in to replace me in the role that I was in, actually while I was in the role. So it's just a reality. Don't take it personally. But it comes back to the question the truth about the corporate job sustainability being right for you, there are so many. What I don't want for you is that you get caught up in this whole list of consistent LinkedIn posts or podcasts where you just get a part of the story like you're listening to the entire brief episode. Right? This is a brief episode, but I want you to hear from the. Beginning to the end, because that is where the largest impact can happen. And so the question is, if you're asking yourself, depends on where you are in your in your professional career. If you're asking this question early on in your professional career, well, I was in corporate for almost 30 years, and so I can tell you that there are so many things that you can gain from a particular role. And if you are in a working in a large corporate and that has in funds, to invest in resources, to invest in employees, you are in a very privileged space, can is the role sustainable? Oh, it's more than likely going to be sustainable. It may go through some adaptations, just like everything else. And then right now, or depending on when you're listening to this, we're in a moment that so many things are changing drastically. You want to make sure that you are continuing to add value early in your career. Is it sustainable? Absolutely. If you're in the middle of your career, you have life changes, you have recently been married or divorced, or you've got kids, or you have parents who are aging. Is it sustainable? Of course, it's sustainable. Of course, it's sustainable. It's going to provide you with a number of different options, outlooks for your life, to benefit yourself, your loved ones. The question is, how much energy are you willing to continue to give to the role, the role sustainable? The question is, are you? And that is really about looking yourself in the mirror and being able to answer sometimes very difficult questions, right? And so the understanding that you could be continuously conflicted, because if you are watching too many videos, if you are listening to many podcasts, and you're not taking action, you're not taking action to find out if you're going to not get there or you are, it's just going to cause you a lot of internal strife.Billy Keels  6:43  Ask me how I know Been there, done that, not doing it again. So the question then remains, and you want to hear the truth about the corporate job sustainability being right for you? Well, a lot of that is going to depend. Number one, where are you in your process? I can tell you that the role sustainability absolutely is there for today and for longevity, even in spite of disruptive technologies that could be changing the face of the world. I know we talk about it, however, the role maybe not in its current form, it is going to continue to be sustainable for quite some time. It may evolve or adapt into something something else. So the reality is, every role has its ups and downs every role at every moment in your career, the key thing is for you to be asking the right question, what benefit is the role providing me, my family, my loved ones? Because everybody can find something positive in a role. Let me give you a real example, because if you've listened until Until now, I want to give you the example. Let's say you feel like you're overwhelmed, you're overworked, and you just there's so many other different things are going or maybe you didn't just get the job that you wanted because you got passed over for someone else, because they were more qualified. They had better allegiance, they had better I don't know, whatever you didn't get what you wanted. Well, here's the thing, that role is still providing benefit for you, for your family. Maybe it's sending your kids to the right school. It's allowing you to take that dream vacation that you wanted to or even have a number of days off, or maybe it helps you to have the benefit from health insurance, or whatever the case may be, you can always find at least one thing, and that is the question that you have to ask yourself, is, what is the one thing that is continuing to provide benefit for myself or for you or for your family, because that is the reality, and that's how you get to the truth about the corporate job sustainability being right for you, because you have to understand and tie it to what is the benefit that you want it to provide you. And when you continue to provide benefit, then the role is sustainable, and you in the particular role, and if it's time for you to level up and move and move to the next thing, then, then that's the time. But ask yourself that key question, because that is the truth about corporate job sustainability, whether it's right for you or not, the role is going to be sustainable for quite some time. It's where are you in your journey, and making sure that you can tie where you are in your journey to some benefit, and that benefit can be inside the role, and it can also be outside the role that you're continuing to build and develop yourself. That's the whole key. Don't get confused about the if your role is not where you want it to be right now that you can't continue to evolve, that's where you fall short, because that is a question about your role being your identity. That's That's not what you want. You want to continue to to evolve, in spite of maybe a moment in your career where you're continuing to do the same thing. So listen, and if this is not you, but this is someone that you know, that they are, they were asking themselves this existential question about corporate job sustainability and whether it's right for them. Well, share this episode with them, you know, give them the opportunity to reflect on their own. But here's the important part. After you share today's episode, make sure you get on the phone. Talk to the person, follow up with them, help them understand what was the benefit that they gained out of the listen to today's conversation, because you have to take what I've understood and what I've learned to be true is that you have to take this passive learning moment and. And put it into active action, because that is where you continue to grow. And if it's not you, and you're helping that person today, but by sharing today's episode, absolutely fantastic. So while you're sharing today's episodes, and you're thinking about it, and you're going from the theory to action, guess where I'm gonna be. I'm gonna be right here preparing for the next episode. So until then, go out and make it a great day. And thank you very, very much. Today's episode is sponsored by Billy Keels advisory services. If you want to learn more about how to make your 99 optional, just go to make it optional.com. Once again, that's make it optional.com.