Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Gretchen Corsillo. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Gretchen, so great to have you with us and thanks for taking the time to share your thoughts with the community. So, let’s jump into something that stops so many people from going after their dreams – haters, nay-sayers, etc. We’d love to hear about how you dealt with that and persisted on your path.
I have always found myself working in fields that are misunderstood by the general public. My day job is working as the director of a public library, and I own a business reading and teaching tarot. I truly cannot even count the number of times I’ve been met with snarky comments implying that I don’t work hard or that my work is evil. This used to bother me extensively, but as I’ve gotten older, I’ve come to really understand that other people’s opinions don’t matter. What matters is that, at the end of the day, I love what I do. I’ve spent a lot of time in self-reflection coming up with my core values and what I want out of my career. I thrive on helping people, and my mission is to leave the world a little better than I found it. If people can’t accept that, that’s on them. I don’t need to engage with them. I used to exhaust myself fighting to change people’s minds, but I now know when to walk away. Many people don’t want to consider anything outside their own preconceived notions of the world – which is a reflection on them, not anyone else – and they don’t need to occupy my time or energy. As long as I am working hard and sticking with what I know is right, I’m happy.
Thanks for sharing that. So, before we get any further into our conversation, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself and what you’re working on?
In addition to my career as a public library leader, I am the owner and founder of Anchors Aweigh Tarot. I launched the business in January 2021, focusing solely on giving tarot readings. Several months later, I found myself presenting at a statewide conference about offering tarot programs in libraries. I received so many excellent questions from colleagues about what tarot is that I decided to expand my business to teaching classes as well. In addition to offering readings, I now conduct group and private lessons about the basics of reading tarot. Looking ahead, I plan to offer more advanced topics as well as networking opportunities for readers and the spiritually-inclined.
Tarot is something that has always appealed to me, but until the pandemic I considered it private. As I dove deeper into my own study, I started connecting with friends and family members to offer virtual readings. Being able to offer guidance to others in this way just clicked for me and felt so right. I knew I needed to expand beyond my existing circles and keep tarot reading a big part of my life even once the world returned to normal. Thus, my business was born. I’ve tried a lot of side hustles over the years, and nothing connected with me as naturally as this did. Running a business is difficult, especially on top of a full-time career, but it truly doesn’t feel like work most of the time.
There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?
It sounds obvious, but having a strong work ethic has been so important to my success. When you’re running a business, you don’t have the luxury of slacking off. Being able to come up with a plan and stick to it is key. My parents instilled in me the importance of hard work from a young age, and I’ve taken that with me into everything I’ve ever done from school, to launching my career, to building my business. I absolutely credit my success to my willingness to work hard and see things through to completion.
Marketing is something I learned early on in my career, and it has proven to be a gamechanger. When I was in grad school, I took a part time job at a digital marketing firm to pay my bills. Having knowledge in this area has made me stand out from others in my field as a library administrator and has also made running my business so much easier. You can have the best ideas in the world, but if no one knows about them, your business will not succeed. Being able to present a cohesive brand identity and promote your services is vital. Fortunately for me, I truly love this kind of work and don’t mind taking it all on myself.
Being able to write well and communicate clearly has also been helpful. I was a literature major in college, and I was often told that a liberal arts degree would not translate into career success. On the contrary, it helped me develop communication and critical thinking skills that have served me well in everything I’ve ever done professionally. Like marketing, these skills have helped me stand out from the crowd.
My advice for folks just starting out is to nail down a solid work ethic first. Flying by the seat of your pants is not going to translate to success and is only going to create more work for you in the end. Think ahead about the steps you need to take, and make a plan to accomplish them. This also helps you avoid burning yourself out because you can set the pace that works for you. Once you’ve gotten this down, take an honest assessment of your existing skills and see where you have room to improve – especially in the areas I’ve mentioned. Is there someone you can connect with who can mentor you in these areas? Use your network to help you grow! In my experience, most people genuinely want to help others succeed when asked.
Who is your ideal client or what sort of characteristics would make someone an ideal client for you?
Whether I’m conducting a tarot reading or teaching a class, my ideal client is someone who is open to what they need to hear and willing to take advice. Tarot is an energy exchange. If you approach a reading or class from a point of being closed off or extremely skeptical, you’re not going to get anything out of it. On my end, it feels like I’m hitting a brick wall. It’s a waste of both of our time.
On the other hand, I can tell when a client genuinely wants to learn or improve their life. Coming into a reading with this mindset will give you the best guidance and will help me help you. And, please, don’t keep asking the same question over and over again hoping to get a different result! Just relax and take in what resonates with you.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.anchorsaweightarot.com
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/anchorsaweightarot
- Linkedin: https://linkedin.com/in/gretchenkaser
Image Credits
Jennifer Miriam Photography
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