730. His Dad’s “We’ll Figure It Out” Mindset Guides Him Today

Scott Anthony Barlow

Scott Anthony Barlow, founder and CEO of Happen to Your Career

“I remember sitting stopped at a traffic light in Portland…it was a long commute, like almost 3 hours a day. And I remember looking around at everybody else’s faces …is this what everybody goes through when they get a real job?….and just thinking, there’s got to be a better way.”

Scott Anthony Barlow is the founder and CEO of Happen to Your Career. He has been featured on CNBC, Yahoo, Career Builder, Fast Company, Huffington Post and various colleges and universities as an expert on career happiness. He and his team run two of the top career change podcasts on iTunes. He lives with his wife and three kids in Moses Lake, Washington and sometimes Paris or London. He gets excited about careers, coffee, and parkour, not necessarily in that order.

How Did You Start Using Your Talents?

“When I was still an undergraduate at Eastern Washington University I was required to have an internship to graduate. The typical internships sounded so boring and menial that I looked around for other opportunities, something that would give me real-world experience. I was very fortunate to find a franchise opportunity in exterior house painting that was affordable even for college students. Over three years I built a crew of about 25 other college students and we painted over 200 homes and I learned volumes about how to run a business from the ground up—it was an amazing experience.”

The Most Impactful Turning Point?

“After I graduated I sold the franchise and right away was offered a key role in a regional manager position at the parent company. My new wife and I were super excited about our new life together and about this opportunity. We moved down to Portland, Oregon, and I immersed myself into this new role. Early on I realized that the role was a terrible fit, because I did not have the autonomy or free reign that I had in my own company. I was working 80 hours a week and on weekends with a three-hour commute. I remember sitting at a traffic light on the way home one day thinking, ‘There has to be a better way, this is just not working for me.’ I told my boss about my concerns and three weeks later he fired me. While I didn’t feel that way at the time, this was one of the bests gifts he could have given me, because it changed the course of my life!”

The Most Powerful Lessons Learned?

“There are so many powerful lessons I have taken from my dad. No matter what the project or situation, he’s the kind of guy that says, ‘We’ll figure it out.’ He was my den leader in Cub Scouts and involved in many of the sports I was actively involved in. He worked nights at the mill and he always found time to be around for the activities that I was involved in. The older I get the more I have come to understand that this attitude and core value of his has played a vital role in every aspect of my life and career.”

Steps to Success from Scott Anthony Barlow

“Most people do not open themselves up to the many and varied choices that are available to them in their lives and careers. This ‘exposure problem’ inhibits them from taking the vital first step toward a career opportunity or other life goal that is very important to them. They believe it’s just not possible for them. Once you invest the time and energy in knowing who you are, what you want and what you need, your chances to succeed expand exponentially from that point on.”