Discover how the closed doors in your life can lead you to what’s next
Dionne Leigh Kumpe and Colleen Considine discuss how the closed doors in our lives can lead to new possibilities and greater fulfillment.
Dionne Leigh Kumpe helps businesses discover the benefits of better brand marketing through her consultancy, Dionne Leigh. Her e-commerce store Carter & Gray is for people who want to explore their creativity and do more of what they love.
Colleen Considine connects Fortune 100 brands and consumers using data analytics and identity graphing. Her extensive experience in marketing, sales, and volunteerism has given her insight into what works, what doesn’t, and what is needed for the future. Her latest passion is driving healthcare change in the US and helping those in food and educational deserts.
Transcript:
Dionne Kumpe 0:07
Welcome to the Agency to Act podcast where we commit to take action on what we want in business in life. I’m your host Dionne Leigh Kumpe. I’m a brand and marketing consultant helping business leaders discover the benefits of better brand marketing. You can find me at dionneleigh.com. I’m excited to be in the studio today with longtime friend Colleen Considine. Colleen connects Fortune 100 brands and consumers using data analytics and identity graphing. Her experience in marketing sales and volunteerism has given her a great gut for what works in the marketplace and what doesn’t, as well as vetting out what’s needed in the future. I invited Colleen to the podcast today to talk about what she’s learned from closed doors. Colleen, welcome to the podcast.
Colleen Considine 0:49
Thank you, Dionne, I’m honored to be your guest today.
Dionne Kumpe 0:52
Well, we’re talking about closed doors. And when we talk about closed doors, what should our listeners imagine?
Colleen Considine 0:59
Our natural inclination is to feel shut out or abandoned when a door is closed to us. We’ve been conditioned that the phrase “closed door” is synonymous with something negative. Yet, in my experience, I’ve learned to transform the phrase into something more positive. And to remind myself that this closed door has created a new, more open space to align with my wants and needs that will hopefully lead to better fulfillment. So to your listeners, I encourage them to imagine a blank canvas to pull out their best life pencil, and to begin sketching out a new visual possibility.
Dionne Kumpe 1:41
So it sounds like you’ve had quite a few closed doors, because you’ve got a lot of experience when it comes to that. So what are some of the most memorable closed doors that you’ve experienced in business and in life?
Colleen Considine 1:52
The most memorable experiences are the ones earlier in my life, probably right after college, when I was less prepared for change, and likely, much less resilient than I am today. I recall one closed door when I decided to shut it myself, rather than it being shut on me. I was working long, long hours at an advertising agency. And my marriage at the time was really struggling. And if I’m really honest with myself, I knew I needed a break, and I wasn’t taking the best care of myself. So I saved up enough money to take a leave from the agency and explore some other opportunities and really recalibrate. In closing my door to agency life, I found a fun, fascinating and fulfilling career in marketing using consumer data and analytics to predict shopping behavior. And that career has spanned more than 15 years for me, and I’ve loved every minute of it. So sometimes closed doors happen to you. And other times you can close them yourself to find something that might be a little more fulfilling.
Dionne Kumpe 3:00
That sounds amazing. I’ve had quite a few closed doors too. And to your point, whether I’m closing them or they’ve been closed for me, there’s always been something really magnificent on the other side. When I take a look at it and and really inspect the situation, it’s been really valuable. So as you’ve looked at closed doors over the years, has there been an evolution to how you’ve related to them?
Colleen Considine 3:22
I’ve certainly embraced change more effectively. And I’ve determined that it’s really now one of my key strengths, which sounds a little hard to believe. It might be indicative of the number of closed doors that I’ve had, but I embrace change. And I enjoy opening new doors, sketching new canvases, to really create positive differences not only in my life, but in the lives of others. And it’s really led to a great career for me in marketing, sales and in the volunteer efforts I like to pursue. This evolution started when I began asking myself “what’s next?” after change occurred. I use this “what’s next?” question all the time, be it in post mortems at work or in my personal life. And asking this question keeps me from spiraling into wondering why. Too much wondering why is something I’ve been known to do and I found that, for me, it just isn’t quite as productive.
Dionne Kumpe 4:27
So let’s unpack some of the things that you’ve learned through these closed doors because you’ve been, again, you mentioned a post mortem, so looking back to figure out how that can help you moving forward. So what are some of those learnings that you’ve had?
Colleen Considine 4:39
I’ve learned three things tapping into my strengths. You know, I’m a huge fan of the book Strengths Finder 2.0. That book has something like 20 or so attributes that a reader can understand and assess their key personality drivers. And by identifying my best areas, I can put some decisions on autopilot during change so that I can allocate more time to sketch my reality and seek it out. I’ve also learned that it’s important to make time for my tribe, cultivating space to be with my support team, you know, the folks that really get me can be, whether it’s family, or friends or my dog. It reinforces for me an emotional connection and a rededication to a purpose that really fuels me. And I believe that an hour of any kind of good connection with a lot of laughter, adds years to my life. And then finally, I think seeking a professional advisor, or help when needed, is also a key learning of mine, when a major change in my life has occurred. I’ve been fortunate to receive wise counsel from accredited professionals who know more about the subject than I do. I believe there’s humility in asking for help and wisdom and listening and discerning. So whether it’s a life coach or professional mentor, a financial guide, or a therapist, I found that relying on the experience of others made my new chapters better informed and gave me a more sound peace of mind after I made my decisions.
Dionne Kumpe 6:10
That’s good. That was really good. So do you think you could have learned these lessons another way without the closed doors, or maybe not so many closed doors?
Colleen Considine 6:18
You know, I don’t know that I would have learned them. And if I didn’t have them, then it wouldn’t be my life. So I can say that I never thought I’d have any of the closed doors that I’ve had. But because I did have them, I can honestly say I accept them wholeheartedly, because they formed my outlook on life. And they really helped me identify what I think my talents are. And they’ve also brought me to the people that I want in my social circle and life circle, and kept the ones that I needed to keep out, out.
Dionne Kumpe 6:52
Man, I think one of the things closed doors have done for me too, is helped me to look at what it makes possible. If I was looking at a specific opportunity, and that’s the only one I saw when the door closed, then I had to look for something different. It’s sort of forced problem solving. And so it can reorient me to my life. And so I think I’ve developed skills in that area too, just in terms of accepting something different, looking for what’s valuable, and what’s now and then again, looking for what’s next. So I think that’s super valuable. So I love that closed doors can help us reflect and reframe. So how did these insights and form and even fuel the action that you’re taking to achieve what you want in business and in life?
Colleen Considine 7:32
I think closed doors can propel us to a higher purpose. Yes, I mean that in a spiritual sense, too, because I believe in the connectivity of a healthy body, mind and spirit. I’d also be remiss if I didn’t mention that my faith over the years, which has ebbed and flowed, has guided my best decision making before and after the closed doors. It’s really this faith fuel that centers me more than anything in my life today. You know, as I said earlier, I have a personality that’s very adaptive to change. And it’s probably based on the number of closed doors that I’ve had. But I haven’t always been able to see that with such confidence. And now when a life change occurs, I accept the space that’s been created for me to explore my strengths and interests. It’s in these life pauses that I’ve been able to be much more attuned to, not only my needs, but even more attuned to the needs of others. And it’s fueled my passion for helping the hungry and the financially underserved and a lot of the other nonprofit work that I do.
Dionne Kumpe 8:41
That’s beautiful. It sounds like closed doors may be just the thing we all need to take action on what we want. I’m so glad you joined us for this conversation today and made time to be here.
Colleen Considine 8:52
Thank you, Dionne, for your thought provoking questions. I’ve really enjoyed our discussion today.
Dionne Kumpe 8:56
All right, you guys have been listening to the Agency to Act podcast. We’ll see you next time.