More and more, people tell me things like this: "David, I've tried everything. I've explained why I want to create information online to spread my company's ideas. I've done a top ten list on what my company can do in social media and presented to management. I've asked my bosses to read your books and those of smart thinkers like Seth Godin and Paul Gillin and Larry Weber. I'm pointing out that we all make decisions every day based on what we find online. But they still won't let me do what I know is right by working on the sort of marketing you talk about. And they still insist on blocking social media sites like Facebook and YouTube."
If you face a challenge like this, don't fret. If it just isn't working and you know in your gut that you can do more, I've got news for you. If your company wants to hold you back from implementing the ideas you know are right—after you’ve explained what you want to do and why, then maybe you need to find a new company that will appreciate your talents.
Maybe it's time for you to quit your job. Now. Today.
If your business life is measured exclusively in terms of ROI, then maybe the best personal investment you can make is in a job search. Thousands of organizations would benefit from your enthusiasm. Many company executives lament the fact that they cannot find good people to implement online marketing strategies at their companies.
Your skills are in high demand. Quit your job and find a company that values them!
Many people escape the corporate salary world completely to become independent contractors. Or maybe you need to strike out on your own and build a business based on your enthusiasm. Millions of people start businesses every year. That's what Jonathan Fields did. He went from a six-figure, mega-firm Manhattan attorney to become a serial lifestyle entrepreneur, building a string of health and fitness companies that have changed the lives of thousands of people. "At some point, it dawns on you that the corporate-ladder is really more of a treadmill," he writes. "You run faster, work harder, climb-higher, sweat more blood, and push through stifling fatigue. But, in the end, all too often, you’re no freer or happier than the day you began."
Become a career renegade
Jonathan Fields wasn't satisfied with his career so he became a career renegade, quitting his job to pursue what was in his gut and in his heart. Now, just one of his businesses, Sonic Yoga is the top rated yoga center in New York City.
I wasn't satisfied with my corporate career either. I had been vice president of marketing for several publicly traded technology companies in the late 1990s, and even though I was making good money and well respected by my peers, the companies I worked for didn't want to implement my pioneering ideas to reach people online with great Web content. The companies I worked with were conservative and preferred to advertise in trade magazines, invest in expensive direct mail campaigns, and exhibit at countless tradeshows.
I escaped the corporate world in 2002. Although I didn't quit – I was fired from my last job as vice president corporate marketing at one of the Thomson businesses (now Thomson Reuters).
Today, I to sit on a few company boards, write books and magazine articles, blog, speak, and run seminars on the new rules of marketing and PR. Was it scary? Sure. But I'm having a blast. I'm making a difference in people's lives. I enjoy work every day. I meet interesting people - who comment on this blog, who interact with me via Twitter and through other social networking sites - every single day. And I've built a successful business and sold tons of books simply by implementing the ideas that you and I both know are right.
You can do it too. But maybe you need to quit your job to REALLY make it happen.
