4 Keys to Success We Can Learn From the Desperate Housewives Finale

So I admitted, I am a Desperate Housewives fan. I’ve enjoyed the show from day one, tormented my husband when DVR didn’t record an episode (even though I knew it would be available online or on demand if I just waited a day or two) and found myself embarrassingly disappointed when I learned this was the final season. There, I said it – I dare you to slap me, Bree.

That said, when the series finale ran and of course I was glued to my screen when something struck me (Don’t worry men, I am not going to give you a detailed report of all 100+ minutes of the show… although if you send me an email:) ). In the final ten minutes, the writers (knowingly or not) presented the audience with four key elements in the recipe for success & a reminder. (Spoiler Alert – if you haven’t watched the final show, you may want to do so prior to continuing to read)

 

    • Find your passion: How many of us get stuck in a rut and follow the same pre-defined career path that started well before college? Some of us have a perceivably successful career, with great mid-level management opportunities ahead. This may work for some, but how many of us are missing the real opportunity to soar. Many never pause or step back to ask critical questions: What am I really good at? What am I passionate at? These are the life-changing questions that can help make or break our success. The true success stories stem from real passion and unpredictable areas of focus. Think of Gaby building her personal shopping business – who would have expected it from her?
    • Focus and right setting: Almost everyone in the business world has taken that class or purchased those books to improve themselves. Doing so expands our skills and abilities, thus making us more marketable. By the time we are done with our first 10+ years of our corporate career, it can be next to impossible to remember who the real person behind all this training and self-improvement is. Has anyone asked the question: maybe this is just not for me? Bree’s example demonstrates that the core values and beliefs (conservative NRA member) can be turned into a highly successful political career. It is all about focusing on core of who you truly are and finding the right setting for it to flourish.
    • It is never too late: Have you ever met an amazingly talented individual who is a talented chef with passion for cooking, but may work as an accountant? Quite often I run into folks who exhibit all of the qualities for success, but they are settled for the comfortable path they’ve been on for all these years. As desperate housewives demonstrate in the season finale, you do not need to be in your early twenties to completely change your focus and build a successful business. In fact, you are more likely to succeed if you do.
  • Stop and enjoy your life. And the most important lesson in life and the finale – no matter what you do, you just have to stop and enjoy. Remember the scenes of Tom and Lynette enjoying their penthouse suite overlooking central park. Success has to be earned, but there’s no point to it if you can’t step back and smell the roses sometimes.

 

And the final reminder…

 

  • Don’t wait too long. The finale’s last five minutes was a bit of a sad/creepy (all of the characters who did not survive the entire series standing on the road watching Terri Hatcher drive by) but it does raise a point. You never know, especially on Wisteria Lane, when your character maybe written off the show. If you aspire to more, don’t wait until after the next advertisement, start now.

 

So, how about you? Are you ready to succeed? Share your personal stories of successes and finding your way.

TreDigital is a strategic advisory and accountability company. We are your digital marketing guide. Our goal is to make digital simple while optimizing your marketing budget.

We help mid-size (20-100 employees) companies understand how changes in business, technology and media impact their customer expectations. We provide strategy and education services to improve customer acquisition and nurture loyalty with the new breed of consumer – the “connected consumer”.

 

desperate housewives terry hatcher

We work with you to supplement and optimize your existing sales and marketing approach with strategies around social, mobile, local, content, emerging technology and more. Our strategy recommendations are effective yet simple, cost effective and easy to execute using your own resources. On those rare occasions should you need help with the implementation step.

By Maria S Dykstra