I love introducing you to people who are doing their Work from Within. One of those is Kelly Lester, creator and CEO of EasyLunchboxes.com and host of the new, musical web series, “Let’s Do Lunch.” She has what I’d call a “portfolio career,” meaning she does more than one thing for work. In addition to creating amazing lunchboxes that solve all kinds of problems, she’s also an accomplished actress. She’s so genuinely loving her work that it’s hard to ignore her. I spent some time talking with Kelly, and thought you’d enjoy this interview.

How did you start Easy Lunchboxes?

No matter what I do, I’m always thinking, “is there a faster/better way to do this?” My brain is just wired like that. Making healthy lunches for my family has always been extremely important to me, but I dreaded it because it was so time-consuming. I looked around for a lunchbox system to help make my life easier and everything I found was either too expensive (or too hard to clean, which didn’t help solve the problem at all.) The only way to get exactly what I wanted was to design it myself. I figured that there were other moms (and others of all ages who need to pack lunch!) who would really appreciate what I’d created, and since there was nothing exactly like this in the marketplace, my business was born.

You’re also an actress. That’s what we call a portfolio career. How do you juggle being an actress and a CEO and a mom, too?

A big advantage to running an online biz is that you almost never have to leave your own house. So I can be constantly available for my kids (though I have to force myself away from the computer at times, and I’m often left with the feeling that “I should get out more!”)

I’ve managed to bring my business career and show business career together through video marketing of Easylunchboxes. I have two different web series that I’m producing to promote my company. My first love is musical theatre, so in one of the series (“Let’s Do Lunch!”) I literally get to “sing” the praises of my company thorough original, choregraphed songs. In the other series (“A Couple of Minutes with Kelly”), I get to use my acting/hosting skills in short, informative videos that offer lifestyle tips and solutions to common household problems.

How does your work touch your heart, or relate to what you truly feel?

The fan feedback is really a thrill. When I first started selling my products, I didn’t know that they would be “an instrument of change” on so many levels. So many people write to me to say “thank you”. Turns out, Easylunchboxes help people with a myriad of different concerns other than easy/quick lunch packing: portion control, special diets, sustainable living, etc.

As I mentioned before, I’m pretty focused on healthy eating (and avoiding the average school lunch program) and it’s very gratifying to know that I’m selling a product that helps promote something I so passionately believe in.

And because Easylunchboxes are reusable, I know that I’ve prevented tons of disposable garbage from going into landfills. That makes me very happy.

What advice do you have for someone who’s considering becoming an entrepreneur?

Research, research, research and patience, patience, patience. Don’t spend money until you’re sure that you have a product that people actually want. Fantastic information is a only a few clicks away on your computer – and it’s all free. See if there’s anything out there that’s similar to your idea and if you can’t make something better than what’s out there, don’t do it. Then slowly build your business. The biggest mistake is to go too far, too fast. Don’t throw money at things like advertising. Utilize all the free tools at your disposal, like Facebook, YouTube, etc., knowing that it takes time — probably three times as much time as you originally thought — to build brand awareness and bring eyeballs and dollars to your business.

What excites you about the future?

We’ve definitely created a presence on the internet and I’m proud of our current success. But when I think about the huge mountain of blogs, vlogs, and websites that are all a part of the social media circus, I realize that I’m only getting started, and I’m beyond excited about where this could all go. People who know about us and who have shared our information with their friends number in the tens of thousands after only one year. But there is no question that, with our social media campaign, we can reach potentially millions. I realize that will create even more work for me in some areas, but part of me hopes that with that kind of success, I’ll actually be able to take a small vacation!

I hope that Kelly’s wisdom encourages YOU to create YOUR work from within!

With care,

Dr. Susan Bernstein

PS – If you want to know how to create your own great work, including a portfolio career, like Kelly’s created, I invite you to my June 24-26 workshop at the Esalen Institute in Big Sur, California. Join me for a relaxing, renewing retreat, and get clear in your career. And, find out how to get $375 worth of bonuses when you sign up!

I used to live my life by what I thought I “should” do. Or “shouldn’t” do.

After I exuberantly declared Psychology as my major, the first thing my family and friends told me was, “You’ll never make any money doing that!” So I thought I *should* study business. I figured I *should* make money. But I ripped up my heart in the process. I remember crying the night I was inducted into my business fraternity, Beta Alpha Sigma. Fellow members thought I was overcome with joy. Hah! Far from it. I thought I’d sold out. But I “bucked up” and finished with a dual degree in Economics and Marketing. (I also told myself I *should* prove my muscle and get two degrees).

About 2 1/2 years into my first “real” job, at a time management training company that’s now owned by Franklin-Covey, my manager told me, “If you want to move up in the business world, you *should* go to law school or business school.” So, even though I *wanted to* get a Masters degree in Psychology, I thought I *should* follow her advice. I scored in the lower 50th percentage on the LSAT exam for law school, but in the top 5% on the GMAT exam, for business school. So, what did I think? I thought, “I *should* go to business school.” And I did. And mostly, I hated it.

And after business school, even though I *wanted to* take a job in Human Resources, I thought I *should* pay attention to the management consulting firms that were recruiting me. And, when I looked at the money and the prestige, I convinced myself that this was the “right” path for me. Only I was miserable. I worked insane hours on projects that required me to sit at a desk and crunch numbers and make PowerPoint presentations about corporate strategies. All I really *wanted* to do was connect with the clients, to know how they were feeling about the changes my consulting firm was planning for them.

I slugged it out in this job, telling myself “Come on! Show them you’re tough!” All the while, I was wishing for a Fairy Godmother to come rescue me and place me in work that would make me happier than dealing with 80 to 100 hour work weeks, living on airplanes and in hotels, and doing work that really didn’t excite me one iota.  I started getting killer headaches and violent stomachaches, but chalked it up to long hours and bad hotel food.

It took passing out — literally losing consciousness in front of a group of clients– for me to awaken to my desires. I slowed down, listened to my heart, and finally got back in touch with what I *wanted* from my life. I left the consulting firm and pursued a career in online learning, happy to have greater creativity and fewer hours. As I started to further clarify my desires, I experienced a cascade of other unfortunate events, including the demise of my marriage, moving from a big house into a teeny apartment, nearly losing a family member to a serious accident, enduring two surgeries, and getting laid off from my job. Sometimes, experiencing what we do not want wakes us up to what we do want.

In my heart of hearts, I wanted to study psychology. I said to myself, as well as to supportive friends, “I don’t want to be a 70 year-old woman when I finally go back to school. I need to study psychology now.” And I put my head in the service of my heart, and not the other way around. I followed my heart’s guidance to pursuing my PhD in Mind/Body psychology. And I enlisted my wise mind to figure out how to afford school, including getting work as a career advisor at the Haas School of Business at UC Berkeley, where I had earned my MBA.

While I was at Haas, not only did I do what was in my job description (to review resumes and cover letters and prepare students for interview). I helped the students to feel calm about their career search, to find the clarity about the work they desired, and to build the inner confidence to promote themselves. I had so much fun with these amazing students, applying the mind-body tools I was learning in school. I might ask a student to notice how his body felt as he discussed a company he was ambivalent about joining, and to follow his instincts and impulses, guiding him to find his own clarity within. Or if a student had to choose between two job offers, I might invite her to imagine one in each hand, and notice what her body was telling her about those choices.

Soon, I had a following of students, and over time, they said, “You *should* start your own coaching practice.” And this time, the “should” really aligned with what I felt inside. I “wanted to” pursue that. So, in 2005, I launched Work from Within.

Fast forward from 2001 to 2011. Recently, I’ve had a few financial struggles. A few well-meaning friends have said, “You *should* take a corporate job, or at least consult to corporations for a while. You could make a lot of money.” The word “should” makes me take a second look. It’s not that I immediately dismiss someone else’s “should.” It’s that I take a moment, take a deep breath, put a hand on my heart, and ask for my heart’s wisdom.

Right now, my heart is telling me that I “want to” move into sharing more of my message about what it means to “work from within” and about creating a ROLE (Return On Life Energy) that truly fits you. If I allow myself to envision connecting with readers like you, the sensations in my body are relaxed. Easy. Peaceful. Centered. And when I imagine walking into a corporate building and teaching, I feel tightness, a lump in my throat, and a knot in my stomach. Hmm. I could try to convince myself to take a corporate route. It’s not that I’m averse to helping people in the corporate world. They are 85% of my clients! And many of them wind up liking their jobs more because of our work. It’s just that I feel a greater affinity, at least for now, with individuals.

I feel like I can share the messages and wisdom I’ve been gleaning over the years so much better when I’m working with individuals. Who knows? Maybe individuals will lead me into their corporations. Or the book I’m working on will launch me into some corporate work. Or I’ll align with corporations in some amazing, yet-unforeseen way. It’s just that for now, I “want to” start with a bigger message for individuals, and if that leads me into corporate work, great. But starting with corporate work, right now, feels like a “should.”

I can move from the “should” path to the “want to” way because I’ve walked this way before. And while it does take some faith, walking this “want to” path just feels more like me. And that just feels right.

I welcome your thoughts and reflections on your own journey from “should” path to the “want to” way. What do you want to to say?

With care,

Dr. Susan Bernstein

Ready to let go of your “shoulds”? Do you “want to” find your new direction while you’re sitting in a hot tub, relaxing on the Pacific Ocean? Join me a transformative weekend workshop June 24-26, 2011. I’ll lead you in my highly-acclaimed “Crafting Careers That Truly Fit” workshop at the Esalen Institute in gorgeous Big Sur, California. And, if you sign up by June 1, you’ll get $375 in bonuses, including a one-on-one coaching session with me!  Get all the details here.