107: How Jerrad made the move that changed his life and his career

JERRAD DIDN’T KNOW WHAT HE WANTED

He only knew that the Account Representative role he was doing definitely wasn’t it. He came to us stressed out, burnt out, and well aware that he needed to make a change. The question of course was “how?” and if not this, then what would make him happy?

Over the next five months, Jerrad did the hard work to identify what his “ideal career” could look like and then made the transition to work he describes as his dream job while at the same time relocating his family to a life they designed together!

WHAT YOU WILL LEARN

• The importance of listening to yourself and paying attention to signs that your job is making you miserable.
• How having a detailed plan and set of criteria for what you want is essential for making it happen.
• That no matter where you are, how stuck you may feel, you can make the move to something better.

Jerrad’s work was literally making him sick. The long hours and constant demands of the job had begun to wear on him to the point where he was waking up in the night with stomach pains. He knew something needed to change. This wasn’t what he wanted for himself or his family. He and his wife took action. Together they began designing the life they wanted. We know that there are a lot of other folks like Jerrad out there, stuck in careers that are making you miserable, and we wanted to share his story as proof that you don’t have to settle. You have more control over your circumstances than you might think. And you can either let your “life happen to you…or you can happen to your life!”

IF YOU’RE OPEN TO IT, THERE ARE OPPORTUNITIES TO LEARN NEW SKILLS WHEREVER YOU GO.

Jerrad had a small chemical application sales business in Colorado, and after he got married, he and his wife ran a small farm too.  Eventually, it became evident that working 80-90 hours weeks was not going to work with a young family.

When they got pregnant with their second child, they sold the farm and moved to Yuma, Colorado where Jerrad took a corporate job in the dairy industry. The dairy industry was new to Jerrad but he was up for the challenge.  His father had instilled in him a love for learning and the spirit of adventure.  He knew no matter what he did, he would learn something valuable.

But, his new job required him to be on call 24/7.

And he and his wife had their third child.

Eventually the constant demands of the job and balancing work with family life began to wear on Jerrad.  His stress manifested itself in the stomach pains that woke him up in the middle of the night.  He knew that things needed to change.

He and his wife started asking themselves what they truly wanted out of life.  They did some serious soul-searching.

Previously, they had gone through Dave Ramsey’s Financial Peace University and had been to Tennessee where Dave Ramsey has his headquarters.  They fell in love with Tennessee.

After careful thought and consideration, they made the decision to move the family to Tennessee.

HOW DO YOU RELOCATE AND GET A NEW CAREER OFF THE GROUND?

Well, it’s much easier when you’ve got support and good coaching.

This is where HTYC entered the picture.  Jerrad found the HTYC podcast and before long, began working with Scott.  With the personal side of the equation figured out – Tennesee had all of the elements that he wanted for himself and his family – Jerrad knew he needed help figuring out the career piece.

He’d given a 90-day notice to his former employer.  (Note:  He wouldn’t recommend this – he says 30 days would have been more than sufficient.)

Jerrad found his replacement and began training him.  About 2/3 of the way into his 90 days, after a discussion with his boss, Jerrad knew it was time to leave the company.

“YOU CAN LET LIFE HAPPEN TO YOU…OR YOU CAN HAPPEN TO YOUR LIFE.”

Most people would’ve been stopped in their tracks here.  Staying in a job for fear that the money would run out before they found a new job.  Or out of fear, grabbing the next job that came their way.

So, what kept Jerrad focused on the life he wanted?

He says being debt-free made his transition a lot more manageable than it would have been otherwise.

But, he is quick to point out that the worry will always be there, even if you don’t have debt.  The pressure kept Jerrad pushing forward.  He took a rideshare job.  He did what he needed to do to stack the odds in his favor and he says it helped him combat the worry.  Consistent movement in the direction of the life he wanted for himself and his family finally paid off.

The move to Tennessee also created a deadline for Jerrad’s career transition.

DESIGNING A DREAM JOB

Jerrad and his wife Brianne did all the work upfront in choosing the perfect place for their family to live.  They knew they wanted to be close to their church, the supermarket, and that Brianne wanted to surround herself with other young mothers.  They found exactly what they were looking for in the location they chose.

Applying the same strategy to Jerrad’s job search, they looked at everything from salary to the amount of travel required and put together a “checklist” that outlined specific criteria for any position he would consider.

YOU NEED TO PUT WHAT YOU’RE LOOKING FOR OUT THERE IN ORDER FOR THE OPPORTUNITIES TO FIND YOU.

As it turned out, Jerrad’s relationship-building skills brought the perfect position to him.  The position he wanted came to him through some of his associates back in Colorado.

The initial salary he was offered did not fit his criteria – in fact, Jerrad says it was “soulcrushing.”

After discussing things with Brianne and with Scott, Jerrad went back to the table to negotiate his salary.

Through honest and open conversations with his new employers and a willingness to deliver the value to offset the salary he wanted, he was able to get more than what he had originally been looking for.

To anyone contemplating a salary negotiation, Jerrad says, “You owe it to yourself.  You owe it to yourself and to your family to make the most money you can for the time you are selling.”

On the flip side, he says, “…but you’d better be ready produce a whole lot more for them than they’re paying you.”

“I’M NOT GOING TO BE THAT EVERYDAY PERSON THAT HATES MY JOB, I AM GOING TO STRETCH AND ASPIRE TO BE BETTER.”

He wants the message out there that no one needs to settle where they are.

Push yourself and continue to push yourself further.  Do a better job, build your skills.  Be better.  And you’ll be compensated for it.

You’ll always be scared.  That’s when you know you’re growing.  That’s when you know success is going to come around the corner.