ponder | the Net-A-Porter story

Earlier this week, I had an insightful discussion with a uni friend over lunch. The topic centred around the mental struggle that young professionals experience when they've fallen into a job that is different to what they are actually passionate about. 

I dare say that this applies to quite a few of us, as we are generally taught to pursue jobs and careers that offer stability and security that are often at odds with the more creative career paths for which we are passionate about; but then again, the creative jobs don't necessarily pay the bills or support us in living our desired lifestyle (forget Louboutins and dining at Vue de monde, right?). 

What seems to happen though is that as we try to focus on reality, and the secure jobs that we have chosen over the more uncertain but desired career paths, there always seems to be a part of us that is discontent, disappointed even, at our own decisions. Overtime that sense of unhappiness drives some to start questioning whether their current role is really right for them, and maybe, just maybe, they should have let their heart decide. 

Some people sit on that feeling and keeps focusing on their current career path, while others drop everything in a desperate search for a position that will take them to their dream job. To this day I don't think anyone is exactly sure which option is right, although we tend to like listening to the stories of people that drop everything to pursue their dreams and even offers support to friends that are thinking of taking that big leap of faith. 

With those thoughts in mind, I stumbled across this article on 032c about Natalie Massenet, the founder of the behemoth luxury online retailer Net-A-Porter. I have always admired her courage in setting up an online business just when the dot-com bubble had crashed, but little did I know that she didn't always intend to be an entrepreneur, and that she, like many of us, had experienced moments when her career didn't pan out the way she had imagined and her dreams seemed to vanish. 

But instead of blindly pursuing her passions, she sat back and observed, and took time to build her networks, sharpen her skills and fine tune her vision before launching Net-A-Porter.  One can see in some of her interview responses that her clear and grounded vision of Net-A-Porter is one of many reasons for the website's curated style and ability for consistent growth. I think this provides a fresh perspective to how one could go about pursuing what they love; instead of dropping everything and changing course, it might be worth taking some time to think and observe. 

I share this today in the hope that it will provide inspiration and perhaps a little bit of reassurance, to those sitting in a moment of doubt about their careers. The path is never linear, but you never know what you might come across along the way. 

xoxo