I’ve always loved children’s stories - am I ever glad that will never change.
Many years ago, I found myself enrolled in teacher’s college, pursuing a Bachelor of Education degree. My first hands-on teaching opportunity was in Windsor, Ontario. I was assigned to a K-8 school where I landed a role with the Early Literacy program. My job was to circulate between classrooms getting children excited about words, stories, comprehension, and expression. I worked like crazy to make things magical because, to me, stories are magical. One day, I created a lesson around Phoebe Gilman’s Something from Nothing book and it has shaped my world since.
In these challenging economic times where job security may be in question, I think this book’s philosophy can shape your world, too.
Gilman’s Something from Nothing is a beautiful retelling of a Jewish folktale. The story features Joseph and the wonderful blanket his grandfather made for him. As Joseph grows older, so too does the blanket. Each time the blanket shows wearing, Grandfather gets to work on “fixing” it, creating smaller and smaller pieces of clothing; each time functional, each time with purpose. And each time, Grandfather absolutely creates something from nothing. It’s a philosophy that has changed my paradigm: where everyone else may see something useless or disposable or spent, where others may see barriers or loss, I look for opportunity that I can implement fast and with very little investment. And I take that opportunity and turn it into something. I owe a debt of gratitude to Phoebe Gilman; she cracked open wide a way of being that I’m forever grateful for. Sinek, Brown, Grant, Collins: leadership, self-development, career heavyweights. But these authors (for me) will never replace the simple, stripped-down lessons often found within the pages of a children’s book. They stand the test of time for a reason.
Here’s a secret: SparksResults was created in the spirit of the something from nothing philosophy.
In 2020, I was working a busy corporate job. When the world shut down, half of the organization was laid off and the focus of the work shifted. I was working from home, and I had a young son who found himself home; he was learning from screens and not having a good time of it. Like for so many of us, life was hard. I quickly recognized that my situation was untenable. My workload was heavy and it was leaving me zero time to nurture my son. The person I care most about in this world. So, I sat down with a pad of paper and in the spirit of something from nothing’ I asked myself a few things: What are you good at, Susie? What experience and skills do you have? What tools do you have at the ready right now? What can your financial position handle? What do you need work to look like? What kind of work will connect to your sense of purpose? What does the world need right now? I’ll skip the in-between bits (happy to connect on them), but in two weeks, I had a business name, website, and was taking clients under SparksResults. I am five years in now and have helped hundreds of clients to find more meaningful work. I ultimately did two things here: I knew myself/got honest about my current state AND I looked at the world circumstances around me, parked the obvious challenges, and looked for the opportunities. Marrying those two things (knowing the self/my situation and seeking the opportunities), I made something from nothing. And I’m so happy.
You can make something from nothing, too. It doesn’t have to be your entire focus, it can be a side hustle…but you can find a way to diversify your income quickly. It’s empowering and comforting; you have more control in this current climate than you may think.
I am working hard on creating a practical roadmap for clients to begin their ‘something from nothing’ plan. If you would like hands-on support to map out your side (or full-time!) hustle – SparksResults is here for you. Feel free to reach out to Susie at info@sparksresults.com and let’s see where Joseph’s grandfather’s wisdom can take you.
Susie Parks of SparksResults, a career consultant and educator, lives in Waterloo Region with her husband, son, and more pets than one can imagine. When she isn’t helping clients find meaningful work and positive forward movement in their working lives, Susie can be found cooking, painting, writing, or exploring nature. Or – you know – creating something from nothing.
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