I was 13 when I decided I wanted to be a civil engineer. 13! How lucky was I to know early on?
Ask my high school friends… they thought I was crazy.
All I did for years was immerse myself in anything to do with engineering, maths, science and physics… I even visited Professor Wheen at The University of Sydney in year 10 to get a “feel” for the place.
And that is exactly what I’m doing now… immersing myself in the magical world of marketing, copywriting and business strategy. And I’m loving it!
So what made me want to be an engineer? And why have I now become a Copywriter, Marketer and Business Strategist?
Before I answer that, let me tell you a short story.
In 1993 I met Chris while I was studying as an exchange student at the University of Illinois. He is intelligent, energetic and is funny.
He made me laugh and made me feel worthwhile. He believed in me.
You see, I was mentoring Chris in Computer Science because he was falling behind in his work.
Three times a week I’d visit him in his dorm room and help him go through the notes and assignments.
Why?
Chris couldn’t take any notes in class because he’s a quadriplegic. He can’t walk, talk and even has difficulty eating.
But… he has a wicked sense of humour.
Chris gets around in an electric motorised wheelchair. He controls it with his head and one hand. And boy can he drive that thing!
One time he decided he didn’t want to study anymore so he drove out of his room into the corridor and raced his next door neighbour! Both of them had so much fun until they crashed into the walls and nearly fell out of their chairs.
I loved teaching him and seeing the spark in his eye when he “got it.” I felt inspired by him.
When Chris graduated from the University of Illinois with his Science Degree I was proud of him.
And that’s why I became an engineer.
It wasn’t because I wanted to design bridges… although I am blessed to have designed many amazing bridges. And I LOVE bridges!
But it was because of what bridges do for people. For the communities.
I became an engineer to really help people. REALLY help people.
And now I realize being a Copywriter, Marketer and Business Strategist is (nearly) the same as being an engineer. I’m in the profession of helping people on a deep level.
I use my engineering skills to analyse businesses, research their ideal clients, prepare strategy plans, and write engaging copy to connect with their client. In essence, I research, analyse and diagnose solutions.
And to help my clients, even more, I’ve developed a system, using my engineering skills. A Lead Generation System to help business owners easily get hot leads in their business, which is revealed in my new book “F.R.E.E. F.L.O.W”.
My final confession. I’ll always be an engineer at heart. You can’t take the engineer out of the girl.
Everything I look at I ask, “How did they design and build that?” and of course I still plan all my holidays to make sure I see the best bridges in the world!
