A new route

One of the things that I’ve enjoyed most about the morning walk with Bruno is his inquisitive nature and his intense desire to always take a new route. At every crossroads, he undoubtedly will pull in the direction we’ve never gone. Recently I’ve been exploring those new routes with him. It only adds one block, maybe two to our walk. Sometimes it makes the walk an hour, not just 30 minutes. I don’t know why it’s taken me so long to just try something new with him but it has.

On these new routes, Bruno has met some new “friends.” Bubba, another basset hound, is a tri-color with as big of a mouth as Bruno. His sleepy owner came out the day we met, at 6:30 in the morning, and implored Bubba to “Quiet down!” and told him, “It’s too early for this.” Bubba, like Bruno, doesn’t listen. I think some bassets just like to hear their own voice, especially when it’s particularly melodic.

I got to thinking about my new routes with Bruno and starting doing some research about my interviewing history and the lack of success in getting an offer that I’ve had. I talked to a couple of hiring managers who passed me by, an HR director or two who know me well, a few friends, and asked for advice. What I learned was to me surprising news. In my career search, I have been submitting to positions equal to or somewhat lower than my most recent position. My “panelists” all suggested that I wasn’t digging deep enough into my strengths, that I needed to re-evaluate what I am really good at and then search for positions that matched it based on my experience. I finally figured out that I’m qualified for not only a lateral position (duh) but had I still been employed at this point and searching for a new career, I’d be looking up the ladder. I’ve spent so much time on just trying to land a position that I can do and not enough time looking for something that will challenge me. How odd. In the work world, I continually look for change, for improvement. What happened to me that I lead me to be looking for “good enough?”

So I started a new route. I changed my job search agents to reflect the true skills, passion, and drive that I have. What came up were not only director level positions, but AVP and VP, even a CMO or two. Huh. What a dope I’ve been. I think that being unemployed I was being too hard on myself. I’ve continued my education, something I’ve wanted to do but traveling for work made it nearly impossible. I’ve been volunteering at a couple of charitable organizations that need marketing help, I’ve helped two friends with their marketing plans for their new businesses, and I’ve counseled a friend going back to school later in life who wants a new career in marketing. I’ve kept my skills sharp. I’ve kept my competitive edge. I’ve figured out why I’ve been overqualified for the other positions.

A new route. And it has already started to pay off. Within a few days of applying for these better matched positions, I’ve gotten phone calls. That’s what it’s all about. I’m really excited about what the new route will bring.

Weakness

As spring makes its way, the ground begins to peak out from under the snow. And when the ground becomes exposed, so do all the smells. It’s another favorite time of year for Bruno. Not only does he take in every smell he can, occasionally he ferrets out something to eat. Yesterday I found myself fishing a chicken bone out of his mouth. I find it interesting that when I want to take his bone away, I’m met with at least a grumble but when I’m extracting something yummy that he pilfered from the ground, he willingly gives it up, almost laughing at me because now it’s slimy. Call it his weakness.

I started walking Bruno on a new route this week. I don’t know if that was a mistake because with bassets, probably most dogs, the language is, “Always and never.” We always go that way. You never give me what I really want. From what I’ve heard, sounds like kids, too. On this new route of just 10 blocks, I found eight houses for sale, two of them empty. I used to drive past car lots and think to myself, all of these cars will go home with someone at some point. I don’t know about the houses. They can’t possibly all get a new resident. There are too many. The housing market remains very weak.

In the past three weeks, I’ve had an incredible flurry of interviews and I still haven’t been hired. I can’t seem to figure out where I’m weak on a consistent basis and yet strong enough to be interviewed. When I’ve asked for advice from friends, I’ve been told that someone else simply rose a little higher. At the end of last week, after two rejections on the same day, I sent an email that I later regretted. I had asked a friend why I wasn’t hired nearly a year ago. My intention was pure – I wanted to understand what I could have done better, said better, proven better. That was a mistake. He had already shared the reasons months ago. A moment of professional weakness, and five days later I’m still beating myself up for it because he is truly a wonderful person and that email may have been interpreted as a guilt trip. I did ask that my email be disregarded, that I acted on a weak moment. And, I can’t take it back.

So how do I move forward? I just do. I have to. Tomorrow I have a phone interview.

The Score

It’s in the teens today but it felt much colder as Bruno and I set out for our daily walk. He decided he wanted to go to the gas station on Memorial Drive. I don’t know why he likes that route but I know that we get lots of smiles from motorists as they drive by. Bassets do that to people. There is a stretch of the sidewalk that is close to the street and gets covered with road salt. Bruno doesn’t like road salt. It burns his paws and when we get home, he has to spend a lot of time licking it off which triggers drinking a lot of water and that requires more trips outside. He enjoyed going to the gas station today because it has been at least two months since we’ve done that route. So many new smells! As I write, I’m serenaded by snores. Tired, happy puppy.

This week I attended a CCN (Career Changers Network) meeting. I haven’t been to one since Thanksgiving. It felt good to be in the group atmosphere again but most of the faces were new. I sat near another “old-timer” and I asked him if not seeing more familiar faces meant they had gotten jobs. Jim didn’t think so. He said that he knew of a few who were giving up. Giving up finding a job, networking, all of it. I know that feeling. I go through days where I just want to give it all up, let the unemployment run out, walk away from everything. I sometimes feel so rejected by the working world and wonder why I get up every day and keep trying. It isn’t depression. That’s a different feeling. This is a tired, kind of weighty feeling. But somehow, I manage to put the smile back on my face, the lift in my voice, and square my shoulders to meet this challenge head on. I’m not going to let unemployment in the most difficult economy be my dominator. I know I’m better than that and I know that sometimes, my job is to bolster others in the same situation.

So the score as it stands is one rejection, one hold (American Family Insurance now has multiple openings of the position I interviewed for so they need to re-group a bit before going forward), one delay, one re-posted position (they want to interview more people so they need to look through more resumes - more resumes? how many do they want to look at? - and is that an indirect rejection?), and one is supposed to get back to me by the end of this week with the next steps. That’s the five jobs I told you about last week. Since then, I’ve gotten a call to interview by phone for a different position that I applied for at American Family. I’ve been trying so hard to get hired there. They’ve interviewed me for jobs, I don’t know, six times, seven times by phone and I’ve been there twice for in-person interviews. I have at least one internal contact who keeps trying to help me get hired, maybe three. I fantasize that they really, really want to hire me but are just trying to find the right place to put me. Otherwise, why would they keeping talking to me? For awhile, I gave up trying to get hired by them, but since Christmas I have a renewed sense of urgency and desire to work there. I think the multiple rejections were harder to take than I thought and the break from it was good.

There is also a fabulous opening at an independent, community bank in the heart of Chicago, Bridgeview Bank Group, that was posted over the weekend. I called to make sure they received my resume but I don’t know how strong my chances are. I have everything they require and more but I don’t know what the competition looks like. I hope that I score an interview, and then the job. I wonder what quarter this this?

Prepared

Monday morning when we returned from our walk, the front door knob broke. It was an unsettling crunch in my hand, something I had not felt before. Bruno saw me turn the handle and expected the door to open but stopped just before bonking his little pun’kin head on the door. He waited patiently at the front door while I went around, through the back door and to the front door thinking I could open it from the inside. I couldn’t. He lost his patience and began to howl that soulful, mournful howl that sounds like he’s on his last legs. So I ran back outside to calm him down and coax him around to the back door with a treat. Bruno is such a creature of habit. Whatever door we’ve gone out of, we must return in to. With the front door unusable until it was fix (yesterday, by the way), Bruno was all out of sorts. The front door is fun to come in and go out of! I don’t know why but to him it is. This morning all was back to normal, the walk was extra long because the weather is pleasant and now the nap is extra deep.

It’s Thursday and there’s no new news. I’ve done all the follow up I can without being a pest or an annoyance so now I have to wait for decisions to be made. Keeping busy during this wait is a challenge. It’s so exciting to know that I could be very close to landing a great opportunity. Minutes tick by like hours…..really. Being unemployed and waiting for that decision is much harder than being employed and waiting. When you’re at work, you’re working and you need to stay focused on the job at hand. When you’re unemployed, the search is your job and you stay focused on landing the offer. It’s all you think about. It’s all my husband thinks about. Yesterday we had to make a change.

Yesterday we finished packing all of Christmas. Doc’s recent surgery dragged this process out because he’s the decorator in chief in our home. He knows how everything gets put away. This time, after the boxes were packed (you don’t want to know how many because we do Christmas like no else I know), they didn’t go back into the attic. They went into the garage of a friend who is loaning us storage space while we prepare for selling our home and moving. When this was complete, we decided to continue packing other things in the house and set a date for an open house, February 21. We started packing things that we know we’ll be selling and today we will get the right boxes to start packing the very fragile things that will stay with us. Things like our china and crystal. There’s a lot of it because we’ve entertained so much over the years. Every time we wandered into a Goodwill or thrift store we carefully looked through the glassware section. We’ve landed some incredible items, Baccarat and Stuart crystal, for example. These are things we would not have been able to afford at their retail of $25-75 each but there they were, looking for a new home at a dollar or two a piece. Picking through these items makes us trip through memory lane…the parties…the celebrations…the intimate dinners alone. What do you keep and what gets sold? It’s a hard choice sometimes, other times we say, “What were we thinking?” and laugh.

The process of moving has begun even without a job. We’re fully prepared to redirect our move and have been in contact with distant friends who had to do just that. Kris landed a job in the Carolinas and literally during the drive to the new apartment, she received a call on her mobile phone offering her a position with a company she really, really wanted to work for. She and her husband took 2 hours to “think about it” and she accepted the new job, in Washington DC. Called the movers and told them, “Turn North, put our things in storage for a couple of days, we need to find another place to live.” They gave us some good tips had they known in hindsight that this could happen.

So, we’re prepared. Now if the phone would just ring.

Wait

Monday morning means get the trash out to the curb. For the first time, I let Bruno “run free” while I gathered up the trash. We’re pretty sure that he wasn’t trained to stay in a yard so being off leash is a bit of a risk. Our neighborhood is a closed community so there aren’t racing vehicles (usually) to worry about but there are lots of other dogs and Bruno can’t resist a visit. He knows his name but he also knows when to play deaf. I got the trash out to the curb with Bruno by my side and he knew that he was free. He was giddy and full of excitement. I've been training him to the word "wait" rather than stay. He's getting pretty good about it. I use wait to signal waiting for the street to clear before crossing it and to help him calm down while I get his meal prepared. Today I reminded him to wait while I positioned the trash. When I finished, we walked to the next house and then I had to get him hooked up to the leash. Why tempt fate? We did an extended version of our Ravinia route and that meant he would get scents that he rarely smells. It was a very slow walk.

It’s Monday of the longest week ever. Last Wednesday I was selected to participate in a written interview for a VP of Marketing position in Deerfield, Ill. It isn’t unusual to interview in writing when the position has large writing demands. The email instructions were clear about how to answer the questions and to whom to reply. I did my research first and learned that the person receiving the replies is the President and CEO of the company. Nice! Generally these replies go to HR first but this was a very welcome surprise because the position reports directly to this man. Again, nice! The deadline to reply is Feb. 3 but I’ve already sent mine in. I really enjoyed the questions….tell us three things about yourself so that we may get to know you better……what about the position is most exciting……we’re passionate about what we do – are you and why? There were a few others but these kinds of questions really get my creative juices flowing. If you know me personally, you know how revved up and passionate I can be about things. It was a nice break from the waiting game. I spent most of the day Friday writing and rewriting.

My interview on Thursday went well. I drove two hours for a 45 minute interview. Being a government position, their portion was very structured. I was asked precisely five questions with a time limit to answer them. Then it was my turn. I always bring two pages of questions with me (not solid type – about 24 questions in total with plenty of space to write my notes) that help me better understand the position, the expectations, and get a clearer picture of the company and its culture. Usually half of the questions get answered through the interview process but these are questions I really do want answered so I write them down. You never know how the conversation is going to go. What I find interesting is that more than half of the time, the person(s) interviewing me are either amused or surprised by my two pages of questions. I learned that this was very important years and years ago so doesn’t everyone do this? Well, maybe not two pages but don't they bring at least six to 10 questions?

I got home from the interview just before the evening news. Doc is technologically “impaired” so he watches the 5:30pm and 6pm news. Thursday I used the time to catch up on email from the day away and to get my news fix. I find it humorous that I can give him quick snippets of the news before he sees it. He doesn’t mind. In going through my email that day, one article grabbed my attention. “The Three Questions You Should Always Ask When Interviewing for a Job.” I didn’t assume that I knew them so I looked at the article. Two were familiar and ones I use: “Why is this position open?” and “What are the next steps in the process?” But the third one is fabulous and I wish I had had it in my repertoire before now. “Can you tell me what my first day, week, and month will look like?” The question is designed to help the candidate better understand the orientation process and any training that will take place. Think of it…you’d know how well prepared the company is to welcome you and help you fit into the organization. I remember starting one position and after two hours with HR completing the necessary forms and such, I was taken to an office and told, “OK, now do what it is that you do.” Funny! Like I was a magician. But then again, sometimes in very conservative industries, marketing people look like magicians or at the very least we’re the odd man out. It was that experience that taught me to be prepared to orient myself to the organization if they don’t.

In the time I’ve been writing this post, some of my waiting is over. I received an email from one of my opportunities apologizing and saying that the position has been put on hold, they’ll let me know if/when they can go forward with the process. OK, I’ve heard this before. That left four opportunities until I read the second email saying they’re behind in the process and are re-configuring the timeline. So, I’m not in but I’m not out, either. This type of email is rare but I appreciate it. When you don’t hear from an employer after you’ve interviewed and followed up, you’re left wondering what happened? I realize that HR is swamped with the process but not knowing where you stand is frustrating. I hate to bug them but I need to continue to follow up if it’s a position I really want and if I don’t know what’s happening on the inside, my follow up can work against me.

I’d really like to see this process come to an end this week. I’d have to change my blog.

Juggling. Plate spinning. Balls in the air. Gardening.

The January thaw has come to an end but Bruno still thinks the weather is delightful for his morning walk. Last week we enjoyed the freezing fog – on the trees, not so much on the sidewalks. The fog painted the trees with a delicate white lace of ice that was simply beautiful. Bruno was able to take in some very strong smells, too. The heavy air kept scents close to the ground. He considered that heaven.

Last week I was blessed with three great interviews. One was a second interview for a marketing director position at a bank that I’m very excited about. I think I could do really well for this company and be a strong contributor to their goals. I’ve been able to talk to a current employee by connecting to him through a mutual friend. It was good to hear similar comments about the culture and pace from him that I’ve heard from HR and the President and Senior Vice President. It means a move, but then all of my current opportunities mean a move. Hassle? Yes. Concerned? Absolutely not! Love the locations of all of them!

The other two are vastly different. One is a media buying position in television. I’ve bought media before so I know I can do the work, as did the hiring manager who interviewed me. She commented that she was only speaking to candidates who had the skills necessary. What she was really looking for was the right fit within the company. It’s a small office with an open design. Everyone must be able to get along with their co-workers. The office had such a homey and comfortable feel that I could see why it would be easy to spend long hours there. Many times the environment is cold and sterile but this one truly was inviting!

The third interview was with a company that interviewed me last spring but chose to hire someone else. I have a strong advocate there who continues to go to bat for me (thanks, Steve!) and pass along openings with other companies. I don’t know how I will ever repay his kindness to me but I will think of something. Even if he has no direct hand in me becoming employed, his support has been inspiring to me. Oh, yes. He forwarded another opportunity late last week that isn’t even posted yet and connected me with someone on the inside. How cool is that?

This week, I need to continue to try to follow up with a VP of Sales and Marketing that another fabulous friend, Grant, sent my resume in for me (he introduced me to Steve, by the way). He knows her and quickly forwarded my resume for me. I’ve been trying to reach her but this company has recently been awarded quite a few contracts and is probably quite busy managing everything. It’s a solid company that has had openings in marketing but I just can’t seem to get interviewed. A quick phone call with the VP might help…I’m hoping so.

I also have an interview with the State of Wisconsin’s Department of Agriculture. I passed an exam and qualified for an interview as an Economic Development Consultant. My past experience working overseas, importing and exporting goods and services has come into play. I don’t know what to expect with this interview but I do know that they are very structured. There could be as many as 10 of us interviewing but since we’ve all passed the exam, we are now equals, if I read the documentation correctly. The best part of the day will be having lunch with an old friend. I’ll be able to relax just before my interview and I’m sure he’ll give me some pointers because he currently works for the State of Wisconsin. He can’t give me any direct help but he can be encouraging and give me a general overview of what to expect.

So that makes four opportunities that I need to keep fed and watered. Some people call it juggling, others plate spinning, and still others say they have lots of balls in the air. I just know that I am very lucky to have so many possibilities and I must remain dedicated to each of them. The waiting is the hardest part. This has already been a very long week.

I’ve been asked which of all of these opportunities is the one I really want. The one that provides me with a challenge, good environment to work in, great people to work beside, and fair compensation is my favorite. That sounds like all of them right now! Sorry. I’ve got to run. I think my garden needs tending.

January Thaw

Sun streaming in the windows. Balmy morning walks with the beast. Slush in the streets. It makes me yearn for spring. I figure the January thaw is mean, really. It teases us with its pleasant weather and then wham! Back into snow falls measured in feet and temperatures measured by what it feels like and how fast exposed body parts can be frostbitten. But I’m enjoying it now … staying in the present.

I haven’t been able to attend my regular networking meetings for quite a while. Between personal appointments and interviews, I haven’t had the time. It’s a good-bad thing. I miss seeing everyone and I don’t know who has become employed. Not everyone posts celebratory statements at LinkedIn or at our network subgroup sites so I don’t get to hear the good news. I feel a bit cut off. But I’m happy for my situation having turned to a much more positive direction.

I’ve landed a second interviewnext week for a marketing director position. I’ve been in this spot before over the last year but this feels different. The first interview felt right. And, if the people in the next interview are as described, it should feel right again. I learned long ago to listen to my little voice inside. No, I don’t “hear voices.” It’s my intuition that can size up a situation and while I can’t describe it any better, I just know when it’s right and when it’s wrong. I didn’t listen to it once when I was quite young. I had been offered a job as a marketing director and my little voice said, “Don’t do it.” Well, I did it. On day two of my employment, the EVP (whom I had not met before), let me know in no uncertain terms that I shouldn’t get delusions of “having the President’s ear,” that if push came to shove, he would always win. The EVP didn’t believe that the company needed marketing and that this was all a waste of money and effort. I didn’t see that one coming. I went home that night and cried. I stuck it out for three years and was recruited to work at another firm before I even began to look for another position. I did learn a lot in that position and because I didn’t have a lot of money to work with, I became incredibly savvy and creative. And, as it turned out, the EVP and I became good friends. I’m glad I didn’t listen.

I also passed an exam for a position in the Department of Agriculture with the State of Wisconsin and I scored well enough to earn an interview. It’s in two weeks. Once you get to an interview, everyone is considered equal. I’m pretty excited about this opportunity, too. It would use my past experience working internationally. I enjoyed those years even if the travel was wearisome. I don’t think this job would require the same amount of travel that I did in the past so that’s good. And, I’ve always been a big advocate of Wisconsin products, trying to buy locally whenever I can so this could be a good fit. I won’t know until I get to the interview. I have a friend who works in continuity planning for the State of Wisconsin so I’m going to try to meet with him for lunch. I don’t think I’ve seen Art in 10 years but we’ve remained friends and try to stay in touch.

Both opportunities are very good ones. I'd be honored to work at either of them. A good start to the New Year. Seems it’s more than the weather that’s thawing.

Preparations

Finally, temperatures in the double digits. Our walk this morning, while brisk, felt good. We went down Verbrick, turned left on Bouten, left on Seymour and then left again on Memorial Drive bringing us back to Verbrick and into Cherry Court. We hadn’t done this route in many weeks so Bruno was extra interested in sniffing the way. So many smell changes since our last visit. A young man walked a few paces ahead of us as we turned onto Memorial Drive. Bruno excitedly sniffed his footprints and raised his hackles. He didn’t know this person but was getting to know him in his own way. Having someone to follow increased our walking speed. Usually at this point in the walk, Bruno is starting to seriously slow down. It’s why I say, “I’m taking Bruno for a drag.” You never really walk a basset hound.

After my post Friday, I had good activity on the opportunities that I submitted to last week. Two phone calls and one email resulting in an interview tomorrow. All three were inquiring where I lived which opened the door for me to allay concerns about not being a local candidate. When I first started this blog, my house had just been put on the market. Our plan has been to move closer to family if I am unable to find a great career opportunity somewhere first. I explained to the inquirers that I am in the transition process so while I physically live at one address for now, I am preparing for a move and there’s no reason why that move couldn’t be to their town, on their schedule. It’s a bit of a relief to learn that one of the reasons I’m not hearing from really great fits is my address. But at least I’m opening doors a little more and getting the chance to chat with HR or the hiring manager, and convincing them that the move is such a trivial thing for me. And it really is. All three of them said that I have great qualifications so now I just have to prove I’m the right person for their company. It was a tremendous boost.

Tomorrow I travel for an interview and it is a great opportunity! I’ve been preparing by reading through their Web site and their holding company’s Web site. I want to learn as much as I possibly can before I meet with anyone. I’m also searching through LinkedIn to see if there are any network connections to people who work there, and I’m sending emails to friends who live in that area, again, looking for connections. My other preparations extend into “pre-answering” the standard interview questions to make sure I’m sharp, making my own list of questions, and looking at the backgrounds of their list of employees posted on their Web site. Sometimes you find common interests, experiences, or education with people who already work there. It gives me more to talk about and shows that I’m doing my homework. It can take 10-15 hours to prepare for one interview that lasts, if I’m lucky, an hour. But it’s well worth it. I know that my preparation shows and when I can get that offer, I know it will have paid off.

Focus

Welcome back! It’s been a month since my last post and a lot has happened. I’m still searching for that great opportunity, or maybe it’s still searching for me, but many other things have taken place since we last met.

Bruno continues to beg to play in the snow. Wednesday was a delightful day for a walk. Even though the temperature was in the mid-teens, I took Bruno through the Gardners Row triangle. It’s a bit of a longer walk and I was concerned about his ears freezing but I guess that won’t happen when they’re dragging through fresh snow that has a temp in the upper 20s. I enjoy watching his brisk shuffle, big paws flipping up snow almost to his nose (when it isn’t glued to the ground plowing the white stuff). And I get a chuckle when he brings his head up and that perfect cone of snow balances on top of his nose. I want to brush it off but then he puts his wiper on (his tongue) and everything gets cleaned up.

So, I’ve teased you about happenings since my last post. In a nutshell…lots of drama the weekend of Dec. 19 with a friend who needed her and her daughter’s evening gown altered for a debutante ball in three days after the professional seamstress literally butchered them (one rescued, one destined for small claims court), phone call from my sister-in-law inviting me to Christmas Day at their house (haven’t spoken to her in five years – very long story but this was a good sign), melt down in my stove – literally – that could have destroyed it but didn’t, and an unrelated to the melt down in my stove visit to the ER with my husband.

The week of Christmas, I heard from two dear friends. One was seriously unhappy and disillusioned with her job. It was time to start making career decisions because the current situation was going nowhere and she’s far too young to be in a dead-end job. I gave her some suggestions were to get help and answers. And the other was potentially seeing “the handwriting on the wall” not because of performance, but possibly the whim of a boss. She asked if this was the case and was told, “There’s no timetable for that yet.” What does THAT mean and how do you fix it? You can’t. You just do your best and forge ahead or look for another route.

The holidays this year were especially hard because it’s the second year without a job, no presents, no party of our own, and my husband’s impending surgery on the 28th. A year ago I said to myself, “In a year, this will probably be over and we’ll live happily ever after.” Shouldn’t have said that. Boxing Day had another trip to the ER making the surgery on the 28th more complicated. We counted our blessings that we delayed the surgery because those two trips to the ER revealed issues needing to be fixed that would have presented themselves a few weeks later, requiring another surgery. Friends came to us on New Year’s Eve and we toasted a fresh start. New Year’s Day we were back in the ER – a hematoma but not critical. Ice would take care of it – who knew? Was this our fresh start?

That brings us to this week. And what a week for a career search it has been! On Monday and Wednesday, I found the focus in my search and uncovered 32 excellent opportunities that suit me well. About 25 of them required 10+ years of experience. Finally, it seems they are looking up the ladder for new blood. Thursday there were eight more and this morning, another three so far. Tuesday was a bit of a disappointment, but that's OK. I had a long awaited interview for a job that was completely out of field but something I thought I could do. Very low pay, lots of overtime, no time off the first year – a bad combination if I wanted to continue searching for the right fit but still have an income. The worst part is that I would have been crushed emotionally by being in this position. It was a position as an adjudicator that required me to take sides. One party would always be, at the least, unhappy but likely quite angry. I’ve spent a good part of my career learning how to make every situation into a positive, the win-win. This job did not allow for that, at all. It was converse to my very being. Even when I have had to deliver the worst of news to a customer or my employer, I have always found a way to focus on the positive. That’s my nature and I’m good at it. I had to walk away.

Yesterday I connected two friends who have needs and talents that could help each of them start their businesses. One needed graphic design help (and marketing advice from me so I’m guess I’m providing consulting services now – for free - it feels good being needed) and the other wanted to do some freelance graphic design work. I think their personalities will mesh very well and that they have strengths that will complement each other. I’m glad I’ll get to see how this works out.

Oh yeah, already this week I’ve been contact by two of the 43 companies. That’s a 4% response rate – pretty darn good! Seems my focus is back in focus.