We recently connected with Mark Collier and have shared our conversation below.
Mark, thrilled to have you on the platform as I think our readers can really benefit from your insights and experiences. In particular, we’d love to hear about how you think about burnout, avoiding or overcoming burnout, etc.
The easy answer is the guaranteed way to avoid overcoming burnout is to not get it in the first place. When you are young you have a lot of energy, you don’t mind burning the proverbial candle at both ends and working long days for extended periods of time. As we all have matured over the years in the workplace, there have been studies confirming that overworking is both counterproductive and unsustainable. I don’t share the philosophy of some that life is about working yourself more and more. I am of the opinion that quality of life is the holy grail. Taking time to develop and nurture mind, body and soul is a key to a life well lived in my humble opinion. I read an interesting book recently which was a series of interviews of those who were blessed to reach the age of 90 plus. Not one of those interviewees expressed regret that they hadn’t worked more in their younger years. As I have gotten older, I have become more intentional about taking the time to enjoy each and every one of life’s precious moments. I want to enjoy each and every moment, experience and memory.
Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?
I am a Chicago native, and now have lived in the Atlanta area for the past 20 plus years. I am currently a faculty business consultant with of the University of Georgia Small Business Development Center. I am the Area Director of the Dekalb office. Our mission is to enhance the economic well-being of Georgians by providing a wide range of educational services for small business owners and aspiring entrepreneurs. Our vision is to be THE trusted resource for transforming Georgia businesses. The resources we provide to facilitate small business growth and development is immensely rewarding work. No two businesses are alike. They all have unique challenges which allow me to really exercise my creative business part of my brain and hopefully ward off dementia one day in the distant future (laugh). I do enjoy consulting engagements with my clients and in many ways it does not seem like work at all. I am also extremely blessed to work with an organizational network of extremely talented individuals who are all singularly focused on the mission of delivering valuable resources to the small businesses of Georgia.
Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?
Looking back over the course of my career and life on a broader scale, the 3 skills which have consistently served me well along my journey are resilience, creativity and a commitment to excellence. Thanks for asking me about advice for young people at the genesis of their careers. I would remind them that in this sometimes fallen, broken world, we will all face an ocean of challenges both professionally and personally in this journey of life. The litmus test will be how you face and overcome those challenges which will determine the overall trajectory of your life. Those life’s journey decision points are called choices and decisions and each ultimate choice will deliver a binary outcome. It will either draw you closer to your goals or pull you further away from them, it’s really just that simple. The last thing I would tell them is the business world is constantly evolving and moving at a rapidly increasing rate. I would encourage everyone to develop a continuous improvement mindset over the course of their lives and strive to be lifelong learners along the way.
Awesome, really appreciate you opening up with us today and before we close maybe you can share a book recommendation with us. Has there been a book that’s been impactful in your growth and development?
Narrowing it down to one book is extremely difficult because of the large number of impactful books I have read over the course of my life to now. I really enjoy reading and learning. Your request to narrow it down to one book tells me I should choose a foundational book that speaks to my conception a life well lived. The Way Of The Peaceful Warrior by Dan Millman is that book. The overarching principle in this book is a foundational principle of developing a present moment living mindset. We all live in an advanced society and we are bombarded every moment with clutter, electronics and demands on our time both personally and professionally. Our humanness requires many things and recharging is one of them. As we will all near the end of our lives, how well we relished and soaked all the joy out of each and every good moment and every lesson out of each and every not so good moment in this journey called life will matter very much.
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