LET’S REDEFINE WHAT SUCCESS LOOKS LIKE.
An author, speaker, and entrepreneur, Eric is co-founder of NoW Innovations, and Lead Content Strategist for True Calling Canada., Eric has been featured in Forbes, Inc., Thrive Global, the Huffington Post and many others. In 2015, Eric was recognized as a Top 100 Emerging Innovators under 35 globally by American Express. Eric sat as Community Integration Chair for Global Shapers Calgary, a community that functions under the World Economic Forum. He is a former Canadian G20 YEA Delegate, representing Canada in Sydney in 2014. Eric is currently signed by the National Speakers Bureau and travels the world talking about the future of work and multiple generations in the workplace. In 2016, Eric spoke at TEDxBCIT in Vancouver giving his presentation entitled ‘Bigger than Work’. Eric has worked and spoken with clients across the world. His new book, Rethink Work is now available on Amazon.
I spoke with Eric about his journey about changing the way we talk about work and fulfillment.
1. Determination
Q: What are some challenges you faced when venturing towards what you are currently doing?
There are no shortages of challenges when trying to boot-strap a company and become an internationally recognized thought-leader. From being half the age of many of the people I present to, to trying to push an entirely new way of thinking, I am metaphorically pushing a pretty big boulder up a pretty steep hill.
When speaking to Eric though, these challenges are exactly what he loves about his ‘job’.
Q: Was there any point when you thought it was over? That you were going to fail? How did you overcome it?
There was a time when I was living in a windowless basement suite with no windows and had $7.31 in my bank account. Resumes were ready to send out and it seemed to be the end of the entrepreneurial journey. That day though, my co-founder was able to secure a deal that carried us into the next months.
2. Flexibility
Q: As a professional, how important has flexibility been to you?
Flexibility is an interesting word. The work that I do allows me to work from wherever, whenever. With that said though, the days aren’t 9–5, they’re more like 7–9 (with breaks in between) and usually require weekend hours as well. The glorification and glamorization of entrepreneurship and the flexibility of it is great, but not always representative of the experience.
3. Imagination
Q: What was your spark, where did it come from? What inspired and empowered you?
I graduated University with a very low GPA, so low that I wasn’t able to get interviews the the companies I had worked my whole degree to get interviews with. As a result, it became my goal to change the conversation about work, how we find it, talk about it, and attract and retain talent.
4. What are your non-work habits that help you with your work-life balance?
Staying active and getting outside is really important to me. From cycling to hiking, running to walks close to the water, clearing my head, getting fresh air, and mentally slowing down is key to being effective and getting work done when the time is right. In addition, a great night’s sleep is extremely important.
5. What is your best tip for those who are reading this?
I believe success looks like society does. Those who make big money, drive fancy cars, work in the upper floors of skyscrapers, and have big houses. While that may come if we do the things that make us happy, I thinks that there is no recipe for success and that if we can do what makes us happy and sustains a life we are comfortable living, that we can all be successful.
To get Eric’s book Rethink Work: Finding and Keeping the Right Talent, click here. To view his work, visit his website http://erictermuende.com
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Originally published at medium.com