Money is a currency. Money effects the personal and business decisions people make on a daily basis. Money influences politics and makes us dependent on other countries. Some people have a lot of it, some people have a little and some people couldn’t even tell you how much they have. It also means more to some than others. From the second I knew how to add two nickels and a quarter together, I’ve been very aware of how much money I had. I never needed a lot, but I was always the kid who could tell you how much money I had in my piggy bank at any given point in time. I would even hide change around different secret hiding places in my bedroom just in case for some reason my piggy bank disappeared one day. In college, I took a dance class that was a Bob Fosse technique class. My final exam was to choreograph a dance, Fosse style. I choreograhed a group of three to the song ‘Money Makes the World Go Round’ and got an A+. To this day when someone asks me what color my eyes are, it never fails, every singe time I reply “green like money.”
I was raised by two worker bee parents. My dad has had the same job he’s always had and even after a horrible workplace accident he still reports to work everyday, on time. My mom, a career care taker and home visiting nurse for Hospice, brings her work home with her every night and spends hours updating charts, dictating notes from visits with patients and even more time on the phone with doctors arranging follow-up care…never shutting work off. It’s no wonder I grew up to be a worker bee too.
While interviewing for my first job out of college, I met an aggressive sales manager from a local Boston radio station. I’ll never forget a question that he asked me. He simply asked me, “Melanie, what motivates you?” At the time all I could think was, frankly dude, I motivate myself. I can’t put my finger on exactly what motivates me, but right now I really need a job so I can afford to pay my rent and some health insurance would be awesome too. I didn’t say that though…I forget what I said but apparently it wasn’t a good answer. So this sales manager (who I believe didn’t keep his job too much longer after that interview) said to me, “I’ll tell you what you’re supposed to say. You’re supposed to say that money motivates you. Whenever you interview for sales job in the future, always say money.” I didn’t get the job, but I certainly haven’t forgotten that interview.
At that point in my life though, I wasn’t working for anything of importance except to get my first job and to pay for the bare necessities. I believed that if I believed in what I was doing, I’d become successful. Then, very quickly I did because that worker bee ethic my parents instilled in me went a long way in sales. I used that success to buy all kinds of things, bags, trips, my condo, a beautiful wedding and I even paid off my student loans to boot. But, now that I’m married though and have people in my life to think about other than just myself, I find that I want to work and succeed financially for other … very important…reasons.
I’ve always found that I’ve been surrounded by very ambitious people, perhaps we attract one another. Just last weekend I spent some time with two of the most ambitious people I know. Their energy became very contagious throughout the weekend and they helped me realize that I’m not crazy for setting high expectations for myself and my life. Instead, I’d be crazy not to always go for it, so I can make the world go round and round. Go green! 😉
The Melanie Collins Blog 
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