Rethinking Success: Beyond the Linear Path and Bold Creativity
“Alissa’s headshot method involves building you up. It’s so empowering.” That is what Jessica Sohl, EFX (Electronic Foreign Exchange) Principal at GTS, said about her headshot.
“Finance has been my space for quite some time. I have thoroughly enjoyed it & have had good success. But I feel a shift happening. I am adding opportunities into my life to be more creative. We will see what happens.” As Jessica pauses to consider her path, she remarks, “My path has been non-linear. I attended a non-traditional college. During those years, I didn’t know what I wanted to do. I tried things on for size. I am grateful for all of it because it helped me to develop unique skill sets.
Growing up, my dad pastored a conservative Christian church.” There seemed to be high stakes for every decision Jessica made, causing fear & anxiety to filter in. “It took me a long time to realize that fear is not the way to live. My question to myself & others is, ‘So what if you get it wrong?’ Things have a way of working out.
I advise a younger colleague, there is no right or wrong path. Sit and listen to what feels right, then do that. That is your best path forward.
Jessica affirms her transformation, “I want to walk out on the precipice of something new. I see it on the horizon.” She believes the winding path yields high dividends. “The best lessons in life & business for me was a crazy reroute & yes, I have had to dig out but that is part of the DNA in my road map.
Fueling change, I did this crazy thing. My husband and a friend signed up for a triathlon relay. My husband is a cyclist, my friend is a runner, and to include me, they gave me swimming. I was not a swimmer—at all.”
So, from January of this year to April, Jessica trained for that race. “It was so much more than swimming,” she reflects. “I felt like I was shedding skin and breathing for the first time. When I first got in the water, we had to battle it out. Now the water & I have an understanding. The relay was transformative.”
As Jessica stood on the beach waiting for the whistle to blow to begin her part of the relay, she heard a fellow swimmer talking. “A lady standing in our relay group shared some news with us. She said, ‘There have been sharks in these waters.’ So, I am thinking to myself, what am I going to do? Walk away? No. Let’s put it this way: I swam the fastest mile I’ve ever swum in my life! I couldn’t believe the accomplishment that came from it.”
Besides swimming Jessica is embracing her creativity, reading The Artist’s Way by Julie Cameron and is excited to follow that author’s advice to make dates with her inner artist. “The intensity of being an attorney creates a strong need to have an outlet.
Alissa’s studio was serene & professional. Lisa, her makeup artist, and I were having the best conversation. I was very relaxed and prepared for my session. The first photo was so much more beautiful than I imagined it could be. I can’t wait to send it out & update my LinkedIn profile.”