Having a career plan is not just about climbing the ranks to your next promotion, or doing a little bit extra to get your next raise. It’s about having a long-term plan for your career, and mapping out the steps you need to take to reach your final destination. For many professionals, this often gets overlooked as they become consumed in overworking themselves, or simply switching companies or industries if they get passed over for a promotion because they lack the mindset and strategy to get themselves to where they want to be. Andrea Martin is no such person.
Starting her career at just 22 whilst having to overcome a male-dominated field, she’s shown the world that it’s not always about who has the most experience or years served. Creator of the Success Blueprint Vault, Andrea now coaches talented professionals who want to implement strategy and determination into their careers. It’s a place where people can learn the step-by-step process to increase a strategic mindset as well as some practical steps that they can follow to ensure they are constantly moving towards their goals. We sat down with Andrea to hear more about her career path and successes so far.
Q. Tell us a bit about your background.
Andrea: Well my corporate story I have to say is quite unique and extraordinary. I started my career at 22 after landing an international contract working for the largest oilfield service company in the world. I had to work 24 days straight, then had 6 days off, so I had to adopt a hustle mindset literally 24/7. I had to learn how to work under intense pressure, manage crews of men three times my age, and through it I was able to climb the corporate ladder at record speed. In what usually takes 5+ years to reach, I did in just 2 years and 2 months! This led me to breaking a worldwide record and everyone asking, how did you do it?
Q. That’s incredible! So, how did you do it?
Andrea: I knew I had to tap into a level of strategy that is only seen with decades of experience, and so I became obsessed with understanding it more. I studied every possible book on high performance and honed in on my craft further. I analyzed everything and strategized my every move; from how I positioned myself as a leader to how I managed conflict at work. I was awarded opportunities that were unheard of for someone my age but it was because I had the blueprint of how to position myself as a thought leader and trailblazer from day one.
Q. Can you let us in on what’s in this blueprint?
Andrea: I can let you in on 2 things, high performance and an agility mindset. These 2 things are paramount to success. Throughout my career I have never settled, and I kept focusing on adapting and growing. I was always looking out for the right environment to help me flourish to an ultimate state of high performance. Through this, my career kept moving forward at a fast pace. It led me to switching companies, re-shaping my career path to aligned with my values, got my Masters in Business, and kept my eye on the next step.
Q. That’s a lot to have achieved for someone so young. How do you balance your work and personal life?
Andrea: It does take a lot of work and pre-planning, but it’s possible! My personal life and lifestyle have not at all been impacted by my drive and ambition. I kept at the career hustle all whilst marrying my best friend and becoming a mother to two little babies. I embraced motherhood with everything it had to offer, and my career did not take a step back at all during this time because I prepared for this. In fact, both years I was on maternity leave were the years I received major promotions and started managing larger teams. I even got a promotion days before having my second baby and my maternity leave was to last 8 weeks, proving once again that everything with strategy and a plan is possible.
Q. Okay so now we’ve established you’re quite literally a superwoman, what are you doing with yourself these days?
Andrea: I now lead a team responsible for a multi-billion-dollar operation and I continue to set even higher goals for my career. With what I’ve learnt through the years, I notice how ambitious, hard-working women do not have the support needed to identify gaps in their plan and adjust quickly. They are finding themselves sacrificing their values because they do not see another option. After navigating working in male-dominated fields, finding my boundaries, my voice, and positioning myself as a confident and purposeful leader, I knew that my journey was not complete. I want to find that ambitious professional that finds themselves navigating conflict at work, striving to find balance, and standing up for their worth – and I want to help them so they don’t have to it alone. This is why I’ve created the Successful Blueprint Vault and have made it my personal challenge to support women with practical advice that ensures your progress is aligned with your true values and you are not holding yourself back.
The hard truth is that working harder can only get you so far. Many talented professionals simply do not know how to implement a strategy to get them working smarter and further ahead than their competition. If you’re looking to increase your strategic mindset and take the practical steps necessary to reach your goals, sign up for your free trial of Andrea’s Success Blueprint Vault here.