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THE MUG 10
TEN QUESTIONS THAT UNLOCK REAL STORIES OF SUCCESS.
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AT A GLANCE
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I am able to make my patients feel comfortable and well cared for while using my analytical brain to give them the best dermatologic care possible.
My willingness to trust my gut, to try unconventional approaches, and to appreciate that the outcome of any experiment is unknown.
WHAT IS YOUR
UNIQUE GENIUS?
how did you become interested in this career?
I LOVE MAKING PRODUCTS THAT PEOPLE USE
I thought for sure I could get a job in soccer at Nike—I didn't. I went to work at Intel in technology and I realized I love making products, but Intel was making things that weren't super interesting to me. If I wanted to make things that I cared about, I needed to get more education. I went back to business school, and ultimately ended up in consumer products.
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IN WHAT WAYS IS THIS JOB
A PERFECT FIT FOR YOU?
I'm a risk taker.
I'm a designer.
I'm intuitive.
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When I started out I was making the pieces of products. They were things that I didn't really love, but I fell in love with that process. When I went back to school, I wanted to make tangible stuff that I could understand and get passionate about.
WHAT SKILLS DOES IT TAKE TO BE SUCCESSFUL AT YOUR JOB?
SUCCESS AND FAILURE ARE TWO SIDES OF THE SAME COIN.
Financial fluency and the ability to manage a spreadsheet. In addition, [you] need to be process oriented. You have to be able to figure out how to manage the development of many things across multiple geographies, and do it in a way that successfully produces repeatedly.
[You need to be] willing to fail in front of people and embrace the fact that that's okay. In an innovation job, when you're trying to create new products, it comes down to trying a lot of things, and not all of them work.
I am able to make my patients feel comfortable and well cared for while using my analytical brain to give them the best dermatologic care possible.
WHAT DO YOU WISH YOU KNEW WHEN YOU WERE YOUNGER?
FATE AND ACCIDENT PLAY A ROLE
Everyone who tells you the story of their career does it with the benefit of hindsight. They make it sound like every decision was made with a purpose. In my experience, that's not usually true. Fate and accident go into making decisions in your career. It's hard to predict where you'll end up but, but if you're true to yourself and what you care about, then you end up with a career path you can describe with the benefit of hindsight.
I am able to make my patients feel comfortable and well cared for while using my analytical brain to give them the best dermatologic care possible.
WHAT'S IN YOUR PORTFOLIO?
MAKING PRODUCTS I CARE ABOUT
My portfolio looks like me figuring out how to go from making the pieces parts of stuff, to making stuff that I cared about. I went to Nautilus and made lots of fitness equipment. Then, I went to Yeti where we changed the outdoor brand game and took the company public.
WHAT'S 1 THING PEOPLE DON'T KNOW OR UNDERSTAND ABOUT YOUR JOB?
CONSUMERS ARE THE DECIDERS
The thing that most people don't realize is sometimes it's an accident of timing. The consumers get to vote what matters most, not companies or product innovation leaders.
WHAT WAS A DEFINING MOMENT OF YOUR LIFE?
FINDING INDEPENDENCE
The defining moment in my life was probably my parents getting divorced when I was in fifth grade. I went to live with my mom and she didn't have any money. She worried a lot and I was kind of forced to grow up really quickly. I worked hard at my career and became successful in large part because I didn't want to live a life of worry.
INDUSTRY STATISTICS
PRODUCT INNOVATOR
PROJECTED GROWTH
Projected Growth: 3%
Projected Openings: 29,300
AVERAGE ANNUAL SALARY RANGE
$58,000 - $130,000
TOP SKILLS FOR THIS JOB
Problem Solving
Intuition
Design,
Collaboration
Idea-Generation
Visual Thinking
Innovation
Listening
WORK ENVIRONMENT
Attention to Detail
Initiative
Persistence
Concern for Others
TRAINING + DEGREE REQUIREMENTS
Bachelor's degree in a related field, such as graphic design