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I was not one of those kids

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that knew exactly what they wanted to do
when they were growing up.

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In the last 15 years of my career,

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I've been an English teacher,
attorney, video game creator

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and now, a toilet paper salesman,

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selling millions of rolls
of toilet paper a year.

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[The Way We Work]

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Life is about finding the intersection
of what you really, really love

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with what you're really, really good at.

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As simple as it sounds,
it's really not that easy to find.

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After a brief stint as an English teacher,

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I went to law school and ended up
becoming an attorney

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at a big law firm here in New York City.

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Like most Americans,
for the next two, three years,

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I was holding on to my job for dear life,

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working really late hours at a job
that I thought maybe I was good at

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but certainly not one that I really loved.

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I then came upon the epiphany

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that it takes years if not
tens of thousands of hours

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to get really good at something.

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I really didn't have
a lot of time to waste.

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This talk isn't for those
looking to quit their job

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because they don't like their boss
or they had a long day at work.

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This is for those that are ready
to make the completely scary leap

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into a brand-new career.

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So as you think about
making a career change,

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here are a few tips
I hope you consider

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and a few things
I've picked up along the way.

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First, there's three things to think about
before you're ready to move on.

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Number one: professional
life is about learning.

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If you're not even interested
in learning anymore,

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that's a huge red flag

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that there might not be
a future for you in that industry.

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Number two: career changes
are often gut-driven.

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If you constantly have sleepless nights

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where you're wide awake staring
at the ceiling thinking,

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"Oh, man. I can't live with myself
if I never try to make this change

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or if I don't even
actually investigate it,"

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then trust your gut.

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It might be time for that career change.

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On the flip side,

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one reason to not move on
is short-term pain.

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If you don't like your boss

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or people at the office
are grating on you,

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that's actually not a good reason
to absolutely change your career,

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because when you do change a career,

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you generally have to start
from the bottom,

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and you'll probably feel
a lot of short-term pain,

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whether it's through a lack of
salary or lack of a title.

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Pain at any job is inevitable.

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So now you're convinced
that it's time to change your career.

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Then there's three things
to do immediately.

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First: network, network, network.

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No one ever builds a career
without a good mentor

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or a good support network.

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What I mean by networking
is getting all the great advice

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that you can possibly get.

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Technology has made it so simple
to reach out to new people

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to say, "Hey, I'm thinking
about making a career change.

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Do you have just five
minutes to chat with me?"

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That passion and that hunger
and that ability to be a sponge

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really attracts awesome mentors

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and people willing to give you their time

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to give you some good advice.

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So go out there and meet new people.

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The second thing
you need to do immediately

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is shore up your finances.

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The reality is, when
you change your career,

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you'll either start
with a job with a lower title

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or lower pay or maybe even no pay,

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especially if you're starting
your own business.

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So going out there and making sure
your finances are in order

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to make the transition less painful

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is really, really important.

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For me personally, as I made
the transition from being an attorney

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over to a video game creator,

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I wanted to have at least six to 12 months
of personal runway in the bank.

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Six to 12 months might not be
the right number for you,

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but be honest with yourself
on what that number should be.

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Number three, if you're not ready to make
the full jump right at this moment,

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then get your side hustle on.

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Side hustles could be anything
from volunteering with an organization

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that's in the new industry
you want to go into,

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could be starting your business
part-time on the weekends.

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It's a free way to get a taste
to see if you really love something.

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So you're ready to make the move

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or maybe you already made the move.

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Here are three things
you should think about doing, right now.

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One: do not -- I repeat --
do not burn bridges.

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You spent years building those bridges,

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why burn them now?

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The world is such a small place,

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especially with all
these online platforms,

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that, believe me,
you will see these people again

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and probably in the most
inopportune times.

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Number two: take stock
of what you've learned

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in your previous career or careers.

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Most likely, a lot of those
things are really applicable

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to your new job and your new career,

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whether it's interacting
with people, playing on a team

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or dealing with jerks and assholes.

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All those things are really
universally applicable.

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You'll find jerks no matter
what industry you're in;

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no one's immune to it,
everyone's got to figure it out,

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and you probably know
how to do it already.

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Lastly, when you start your new job,
you're going to be nervous.

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But don't worry, take a deep breath,

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because this is what I want to tell you:

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you're part of a new team now,

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and everyone around you
is rooting for your success,

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because your success is their success.

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So welcome to your new career.