You know how they say give a girl the right shoes and she can conquer the world? Today, I am excited to partner with Olay to tell my story about how I worked my way up the corporate ladder (while growing my little corner in the vast inter-webs) to become a girl boss by overcoming adversity, challenging the status quo, and implementing my 5 keys to success.

HOW TO BECOME A GIRL BOSS

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CORPORATE GIRL BOSS

Over the past few weeks, I have received a lot of questions about my corporate job. Some of you knew I worked in the medical device industry and others were absolutely shocked to learn this. I feel like I talk about it a lot, but let’s open the conversation up a little more. So, what do I do exactly? I motivate and inspire a team of 13 sales professionals to sell the hell out of some knee injections to become LEADERS within their territories, the Southeast region, and our company. As a sales manager for one of the top orthopedic companies in the world, I cover 6 states across the Southeast, managing a rather large book of business. FUN? Yes. Challenging? Holy moly.

Yes, I travel a TON. Usually 2-3 weeks out of the month, I am riding with my sales consultants, building relationships with physicians, and doing whatever I can to grow our business. We ARE in sales, right? It’s hands down the hardest yet most rewarding professional title I have ever held. MY biggest challenge? Feeling like I am responsible for the livelihoods of 13 people I genuinely love and respect. But as challenging as this is, the thing I love most about my career is mentoring and developing each individual person in a unique way. Ok, so how in the WORLD did I get to this point? Well, I…

STARTED AT THE BOTTOM, NOW I’M HERE

After I graduated college, I got a job as a credit manager with Wells Fargo Financial. I was 22-years-old with not a clue what I wanted to do with my life. I loved fashion, football, and going out. How could I turn THAT into a job. Well, unfortunately/fortunately, I took the safe, yet not easy, route. I found myself working 60 hours a week behind a desk. As cheesy as it sounds, I learned the value of hard work, perseverance, and humility. Let me tell you, NO ONE is “too above” starting at the bottom.

I worked my way up to become the branch manager of one of the largest offices in the Southeast. And then my phone rang. A friend of mine called me about an outside sales position that I would be “perfect” for. I would be taking a step back in terms of my title, but my hours would be much more flexible, and I would double my income. So, after I thought about it long and hard, I said SHOW ME THE MONEY! I knew my heart wasn’t into the branch manager role, and I had always wanted to get into the medical field. Growing up, I *thought* I wanted to become a doctor, but blood and guts were no bueno. So, I minored in pharmaceutical sales in college, and it eventually, all came full circle.

LIKE A BOSS, A GIRL BOSS OF COURSE

I absolutely LOVED my job. But something was missing. I wanted to DO MORE. To be in management, you have to have a little something inside you. Something that drives you to motivate, inspire, and serve (hmmm kinda sounds like the blog, too). When my manager at the time retired, I immediately called her boss and told him I wanted to interview. “Lindz, while I am 100% confident you would be great at the position, the position has actually changed. This would actually be two steps up from your current role, and you have no experience managing the surgical side of the business.”

OH HELL NO. No one puts baby in the corner. I still haven’t forgotten those worlds. And you know what? It motivated me. Those words forced me to challenge the status quo. That comment gave me the courage to step into a male-dominated industry and “hang with the boys.” Once I heard those works, I put together the most amazing presentation that would FORCE them to hire me. It would FORCE them to say “She may not be ready, but we cannot let her go.” MAKE them say “no.”

Would it be easy? NOPE. Would it suck to leave Ryan (and eventually Asher and Holden) every week? Oh my goodness yes. But would it be worth it? You better believe it. What I have learned and accomplished over the past 12 years has shaped who I am as a woman, a wife, and a mom. My biggest takeaway? In order to grow, you better get really comfortable with feeling uncomfortable. Anything, I mean ANYTHING, is figure-it-out-able.

MY GIRL BOSS KEYS TO SUCCESS

So, after reading ALL those words above, what comes to mind? Adversity? Not taking no for an answer? Challenging the status quo? Stepping outside my comfort zone? Well girlfriend, that’s what I want to discuss with you! And these keys to success can be applied in the corporate world, the blogging world, and even the mom world. So, without further ado…let’s do the damn thing!

GIRL BOSS TIP # 1: CHALLENGE THE STATUS QUO

A female has never held this role. You don’t have enough experience. I have a newborn. My current job is fine. I can’t grow on Instagram. No one is hiring right now.

Put all of those preconceived notions aside, and challenge the status quo. Get COMFORTABLE with feeling uncomfortable. MAKE THEM HIRE YOU! MAKE them say NO!

GIRL BOSS TIP # 2: FIGURE. IT. OUT.

My reps get so annoyed with me for constantly pushing back or even ignoring questions they ask me. But there is a reason for this. What you can learn by simply searching for an answer instead of just asking is INVALUABLE. Google it. Watch a YouTube video. I don’t care, figure it out. I promise you, you will thank me later. Everything, and I repeat EVERYTHING, is figure-it-out-able.

GIRL BOSS TIP # 3: STEP OUTSIDE YOUR COMFORT ZONE

AGAIN…get comfortable with feeling uncomfortable. Make the extra call; send one more email; take that picture you are scared to take; lift the extra weight. Push yourself to the edge, and it will be worth it.

GIRL BOSS TIP #4: STAY IN YOUR LANE

This is something I struggle with BIG TIME. Good ole, Mr. Comparison Trap. Stop doing it, turn it off, delete the app…whatever you have to do, STAY IN YOUR LANE. As much time as we spend comparing ourselves to others, we could be developing our own competencies and perfecting our own crafts.

GIRL BOSS TIP #5: DEFINE YOUR PURPOSE

Honestly, this should be number 1. WHY do you want this job? What purpose are you fulfilling? What VALUE can you bring? If you feel lost in your job or confused on what to do next, I challenge you to truly define your purpose. And once you do this, share it with a mentor who can help hold you accountable to this purpose.

Thank you to Olay for empowering me to tell you ALL the things no one tells you about becoming a girl boss. My door is open. If you have questions about this post, your career, or just life, please feel free to email me or DM me on Instagram. Let me ask you this…do you want more of these types of posts? please comment below if you would like me to launch a career series. And if so, let me know what you want to learn about. As always, thank you for supporting me and for supporting brands that support Life Lutzurious. Love ya, mean it!

PIN IT GIRL BOSS!

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Olay. The opinions and text are all mine.

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