Getting fired twice before age 30 taught this CEO an important lesson

Getting fired twice before age 30 taught this CEO an important lessonGetting fired twice before age 30 taught this CEO an important lessonDealing with getting fired is hard, especially if youre just starting your career. But getting fired twice before youre 30 can feel like a double whammy of bad luck.If you find yourself in a similar situation, you can feel at peace knowing that Sarah Robb OHagan, CEO of Flywheel Sports, found zu sichself in that position not too long ago. She was first fired from the leadmarketingposition atVirginAtlantic Airways on the grounds that she was too cocky. The second time was during her tenure inAtaris marketing department.Instead of letting those experiences hold her back, OHagans career has continued to thrive.Since those roles, OHagan has served as president of Gatorade and president ofEquinoxbefore moving on to lead Flywheel Sports.During aninterviewwith Pattie Sellers atFortunes MostPowerful WomenNext in richtung Summit, OHagan said that her negati ve experiences were crucial in helping her find positive ones.Early in your career, you think youre in this place that isnt you, OHagan said at the summit,according to Fortune. When referencing her past experience at Atari, she joked, I didnt even like video games.OHagan believes that your seemingly random experiences give you a great knowledge base to build the rest of your career. But ultimately, being fired twice also taught OHagan to pick something that you care about, and pursue it.I had a huge amount of perseverance that contributed to my own personal interests and turned them into areas of deeppassion, OHagan wrote onLinkedIn. While I absolutely love all of the work that I get to do these days - and have done for pretty much all of my career - a huge amount of my career path has been grueling and enormously difficult.Since becoming CEO of Flywheel Sports, OHagan has also written a book calledExtreme YOUto help young professionals achieve the same levels of success. In the b ook (as well as in real life), OHagan encourages people to follow their interests so they can find their path.I started my career in the airline industry. Not because I waspassionateabout aircraft types, fuselage, or the smell of jet fuel, but because I wanted a job that would fly me beyond my tiny little island nation, OHagan wrote. I was fired up about the idea of exploring and seeing the world, and in order to do that, I had to work my ass off to get the opportunity.Without her first airline industry position, OHagan wouldnt have worked at Virgin Atlantic Airways, so her path would have taken her somewhere other than her current role. Following your interests can clearly have an impact on your career path.But, just in case you need some additional help in finding your footing, heres some more advice from OHagan on how to get to where you want to be.Dont think about what everyone else is doingDuring Fortunes Most Powerful Women Next Gen Summit, OHagan stressed the personal and pro fessional importance of understanding yourself. Do not get distracted by the competition, she told the audience. Focus on you, your strengths and your challenges.Determine what motivates youWhen OHagan evaluates business opportunities for Flywheel, she thinks about what motivates people to exercise. Think about your motivations when youre looking to find something youre passionate about. What excites you about your day? What do you look forward to doing? These questions (and all the ones that follow) are great brainstorm starters.Focus on what youre good atOHagan uses the airline industry as an example of what not to do in business because airlines focus on everyone, they have few loyal, excited customers. The same strategy can be applied to determining what you want to focus on be specific and concise. Be spectacular for a few, OHagan said. Not average for many.This article originally appeared on Fairygodboss.