Being successful w/o a 4 year degree
Being a success in life is pretty subjective. The one thing I was always told as a young child, adolescent, and teenager, was that if I didn't go to college and get a 4 year degree, I would basically be flipping burgers the rest of my life. I am here to tell you that is complete and utter BS. I was pretty low on the totem pole in HS when it came to GPA, one of the worst in my grade to be honest. Not that I wasn't smart, but I rarely applied myself in classes that I had no interest in. I did a year and half at a community college before I dropped out. School just wasn't my thing. Cue the frying machine!!
Fast forward through multiple small time jobs like scooping ice cream, waiting tables, and doing lawn maintenance...I lucked into a good group of guys who owned their own business. They weren't looking for someone with a 4 year degree, they were looking for someone with enough cajones to go and knock on doors for storm damage. I happened to be pretty good at it.
Two years later they bought another company, this time a franchise and asked if I wanted to slide over and become the account manager, I gladly accepted. Since we opened up shop I have now become the lead sales person and absolutely love what I do.
It was sometime in November of 2016 that the owners invited me to a Timberwolves basketball game, I had gone to a few before so I figured it was another run of the mill boys night out. But after a few minutes of sitting down they informed me that I had won sales consultant of the year for the whole country. My jaw dropped and I couldn't believe it. I didn't even know I was in the running for it.
Corporate would be flying me out to the national conference in NC and put me up at the hotel, all expenses paid. This was not the life I was told I would have when I was younger. I was accomplishing things I had always wanted to do but was told I couldn't. As a native MN born kid, I always loved watching Kevin Garnett play basketball for us. When we traded him to the Boston Celtics I was pretty sad about it, but at the same time, I knew he would have a good chance at winning a championship there than wasting away in the frozen tundra. So I got the biggest goose bumps of my life when the Celtics did win the title and KG was so emotional and screamed "ANYTHING'S POSSIBBBLLEEEEE!!!". It really hit home to me that I can do whatever I want to do, without a college degree, and I think I am proving that.
I feel I should note that college is obviously great for a lot of people. I have friends that are way more successful (monetarily) than I am who did go to college, it just wasn't for me. I wish parents and teacher would better recognize when their child or student might not be best equipped for college, instead of instilling this loser life fairy tale if they don't.
Success (at work) to me comes down to a few simple things...does what you do make you happy? and are you making a difference? I am over the moon that I can answer YES to both of those questions. I am so grateful and fortunate to work with such amazing people and love what I do.