Portions of this article originally appeared in NCDA's web magazine, Career Convergence. Copyright National Career Development Association, (February, 2008). Reprinted with permission. Readers are invited to enjoy Career Convergence by visiting the NCDA website to read articles, search the archives, sign up for a free subscription, and even submit an article! NCDA link to article.

Sue Aiken, MA, NCC, MCC lives in an intentional community, Oak Creek Commons Co-housing on the California Central Coast, where consensus building is the process used to make decisions.  Since 1982, Sue has had a private practice in the San Francisco bay area as part of her professional portfolio working primarily with lawyers in transition.  Other client groups include re-entry women, health professionals and those seeking meaning in their work.  After serving for 13 years as chair of the Career Development Program at John F. Kennedy University, Sue is now a career coach with Career Development Alliance providing distance coaching services via email and telephone.  Armed with materials, laptop and cell phone, she can be in touch with clients anywhere.

Sue is the Associate Editor for the Independent Section of Career Convergence, a member of the Public Relations committee of NCDA and chair of the board of the California Registry for Professional Career Counselors. 

Eugene Muscat, Ed.D., has served in a variety of positions at the University of San Francisco’s McClaren School of Business – Senior Associate Dean, External Affairs; Founding Director of the Carl Gellert and Celia Berta Gellert Foundation Family Business Center; Lead Professor, Online Courses; Professor, Information Systems; and Faculty, Executive Program. He has also served as a Visiting Professor at the Estonia Business School. He earned an Ed.D. in Organizational Leadership, an MBA in Management, a Credential in Administration, and a B.S. in Business Administration.

Dr. Muscat’s professional honors and awards include the following:  Alpha Sigma Nu, Jesuit National Honor Society; Beta Gamma Sigma, National Business Honor Society; Student Teach of the Year, USF; Education Alumni Board Director, USF; Service Award, USF Alumni Association 1986; and Faculty Service Award, USF Business School; Technology Innovation Award, USF.

His significant publications include the following: “Impact of a Life-Changing Event on the Family Business,” Efendioglu, A. and Muscat, E. Western Decision Sciences Institute, San Diego, March 2008; “When Cultures Collide: How Family Business Interfaces with E-Business”, McCann, G. and Muscat, E., International Academy of E-Business, San Francisco, March 2008; “ The Role of Strategic Planning In the Connected Economy – A Small Business Call to Action”, Geller, D. and Muscat, E., International Academy of E-Business, San Francisco, March 2008; “Values Based Advising: An Applied Approach For Legal Counsel and Their Clients,” Caspersen, F., Milne, P. and Muscat, E. Attorneys for Family-Held Enterprises Annual Conference, Yountville, California, May 2006.

Contact him as follows:

Eugene J. Muscat, Ed.D. , Professor of Management

University of San Francisco

School of Business and Management

Room MH 235

2130 Fulton Street

San Francisco, CA 94117

Telephone       415-422-2514

More than any other career entrepreneur whom I have interviewed for this tele-interview series, I feel like Carolyn is one of us, a career counselor who has actually made it as a successful author and train-the-trainer in the career development field.  Years ago I met Carolyn at a career or counseling conference where she had her own booth and was marketing her new book, Follow Your True Colors, Discover Your Unique Gifts and Talents. (now one of the top 10 best-selling career books). The book was very colorful, as was Carolyn, with her friendly, outgoing personality.  At that time, I believe she was working as a community college counselor.

After I met her, it seemed like each year she was becoming more and more well known in the field, helping career practitioners use her book and facilitating the True Colors Certification Training to inspire others to use their unique gifts and talents and guide them in making career decisions. Carolyn expanded her contributions to the field by joining and becoming active in the National Employment Counseling Association (NECA). She eventually became president of that organization. She continued to grow her business, wrote several more books, and now runs her own certification training.  What a treat it is to have with us today Carolyn Kalil, a leading career and counselor educator, trainer, and author.

Please take a few minutes to complete Carolyn's free exercise prior to the tele-interview.

Participants will have an opportunity to ask questions during the interview. To help me gauge how much time to reserve for participant questions and to make sure your questions is addressed, please send question(s) before the tele-interview to sal @gelardin.net. 

I received an inquiry before the tele-interview about how to find Carolyn's and other speaker's exercises.  Each speaker created his or her own exercise.  Many of the exercises are available, along with the speakers' stories of building their own business,  in the NCDA monograph:  Starting and Growing a Business in the New Economy (2007).  I personally apply each of the speaker's exercises to growing my own business. In fact, I just completed Carolyn's exercise this morning.

Just a few more notes before we begin:

1. I am going to mute listeners for the first 20 minutes to a half hour.  If you have any questions for Carolyn, I shall then unmute listeners and you can ask your question.  Please make sure cell phones that you are not using are turned off and please don't pick up another phone or have outside conversations during this tele-interview.

2. AFter the interview, please remember to enter your evaluation on the CCA website: cacounseling.org. I take your comments seriously to continually improve this service. Once you enter your evaluation, you will see the link to download the CEU form.

Designed by Carolyn Kahil

Purpose of Exercise

To assist you in creating a business that is built on your expressing who you are, and doing what you do well and feel passionate about.

Learning Objectives

To clarify your personality preferences and unique talents

To write an intention statement that delineates your strengths on which you can base your business

Target Entrepreneur Population

It is best for those who are developing a new business, but it can also be helpful for entrepreneurs who want to re-evaluate their roles in their business.

Participants

This exercise is designed for you, the reader. You may want to share with others interested in becoming entrepreneurs.

Setting

Pick a favorite place that opens you up to your creativity. I can work in coffee shops in spite of the noise, but you may prefer someplace more peaceful such as the beach, a park, or the library.

Time Required

Proceed at whatever pace works for you. It depends on how aware you already are of your personality preferences and talents.

Materials

These are optional if you already have the information. Book: Follow Your True Colors To The Work You Love or MBTI or Keirsey Temperament Sorter.

Instructions

1. Make a list of five of your positive personality traits if you already know them. If not, you can take the True Colors Assessment and find a list of these traits based on your first color in Follow Your True Colors To The Work You Love.  You can find the same information from your MBTI or Keirsey Temperaments.

2. Next, make a list of five things that you do particularly well - your talents.

3. From your lists of personality traits and talents, which two traits and which two talents do you feel the most passionate about? In other words, which ones give you the greatest satisfaction or sense of excitement?

4. Who needs a service using your particular traits and talents - students, job seekers, career coaches, and others?

Write an intention statement that includes the four steps above. Example: I intend to use compassion and my desire to help people reach their potential to inspire and train professionals to better prepare job seekers in finding fulfilling and rewarding careers. Write your intention statement: I intend to use ( list 2 of your major personality traits) to ( list 2 of your special talents) (what audience for what purpose).

Focus your attention on your intention by reading your statement daily until you actualize it. This is exactly what Jack Canfield and Mark Victor Hansen, authors of Chicken Soup for the Soul did. Their book was turned down by all of the major New York publishers but they didn’t let that stop them. Two years before their book became a best seller I visited their office in Southern California and they had posted all over the walls – Chicken Soup for the Soul, #1 New York Times Bestseller. They believed in the idea so strongly that they wrote it down and focused their attention on what they wanted daily. Within two years they turned that book and many others into New York Times #1 Bestsellers. Like them, don’t allow any obstacles or challenges of any kind deter your efforts to be successful. Build your business on your strengths.

Discussion Questions

Are you open to introspection and discovering your true self?

What brings you satisfaction at a soul level?

How can you turn your strengths and passion into a service for others?

What are people looking for that you can provide in a unique way?

Is there a need for a partner and what strengths could they add that compliment yours?

Who would make good mentors?

Are you willing to stretch yourself and take some risks?

Assessment

Did you clearly state your personality traits and unique talents?

Did you write an intention statement that explains how you will use your personality strengths and talents to build your business?

Moving From "Intrepreneur" to Entrepreneur While Leading a National Organization
Many of us have moved from working for an organization (public or private) to working as a consultant.  Some of us have started and grown (or are in the process of starting and growing) our own businesses.  Interwoven with these career moves are continuing education - earning degrees and certificates,  volunteering our services in organizations, and maintaining a personal life - significant other, family, friends, community, hobbies. How does one fit these pieces together so they work in harmony?  Darrell Luzzo, current president of the National Career Development Association,  shares secrets about how he has fit the pieces of his life together:  his publications, his organizational contributions, his academic career, and his   "intrepreneurial" and entrepreneurial adventures. Discover how you can jump on his bandwagon!