https://www.entrepreneur.com/video/289351
This is an interesting article about how a former Editor in Chief of the Yale Law Journal and clerk to Justice Sandra Day O’Connor quit her law job and became a writer/entrepreneur. The subject of the piece, Gretchen Rubin, has some tips for how to be happy–both in ‘regular’ jobs and when starting a new career or business. One quote that stood out to me was “I know 80 percent about a lot of things, but I go to the people that know 100 percent about one thing.” You need to be willing to consult with experts, and there is no point in being too proud to do so. I also appreciated her insight into thinking about who you ‘envy’ professionally, and thinking about why you do–perhaps this could be an insight into what you ‘really’ want to do with your life!
I was interested to read how she marketed herself to agents despite not having any formal “writing” training outside of the law. The article states: “Rubin was leaving her law career, moving to a new state and trying to land an agent, even though she was an unknown. ‘I had no clips, no short stories, no track record,’ she recalled….She also used her law career as a selling point — she was the type of person who stuck with things, such as years of very competitive schooling, and did what she said she was going to do.” She overcame her inexperience with writing by emphasizing her experience in the legal profession. While it’s certainly easy for a former Supreme Court clerk to showcase their legal talent, the broader message — that skills are transferable from one profession to the next — is a point well taken.