In 2001, I started my senior year in college. At the same time, I was also hired as a video-scouting intern for the Milwaukee Bucks, in the National Basketball Association (NBA). My first assignment was to purge all of the VHS tapes from the 1990s, so that we could create space for the DVD decade of the 2000s.

While all of my friends were telling me how awesome it was that I was working in the NBA, I had days when working in a dark video storage closet with no windows did not seem all that cool. Have you ever had a job like that, one that sounded like it would be great, but maybe had its not-so-great moments?

During that same year, I was also the vending manager at Delaware North Companies (DNC) for the Milwaukee Brewers. My main responsibility was to hire the best beer vendors, and train them to actively sell and yell, “Beer here!” during the home games at Miller Park. Every week, we had a manager’s meeting, which was led by our General Manager, Tom Olson.

At one of the meetings, Mr. Olson said something that struck me. He said with passion, “Derek, when I was a porter…” (At DNC, a porter is someone who physically moves the product from the warehouse to the concession areas). The beginning of Tom’s sentence was all that I remember, but it was incredibly meaningful, especially given the timing. I immediately told myself that if Mr. Olson could enthusiastically start at the bottom and work his way to the top of an organization, then I could, too.

The next day, I was scheduled to sort tapes for the Bucks. When I came into work that day, I had a little more of a pep-to-my-step… because I had arrived with a whole new mindset. I could see more clearly that my current role at the bottom of the totem pole was a necessary step on my way to the bigger picture of me desiring to become a head coach or general manager. I started to notice that everyone around me, including the Buck’s general manager, Larry Harris, had started at the bottom, too.

The power to grow is right in front of you. You will need to have the right mindset and it only takes a moment or a green light to change. Accelerate your growth by shifting your mindset today. It only takes a moment to change your mindset.

ACTION: Do you need to change your mindset to grow? If so, what internal changes do you need to make?