Author: Carolann

Digital marketer, communicator and publisher
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Making Work Great Again… in Lisbon

 

Lisbon Cityscape

Making Work Great Again… in Lisbon

Starting month 2 brings an assortment of new experiences and challenges. Unfortunately, the shiny patina of a new experience starts to wear off. The seemingly predictable rhythm of the every day starts to set in, but to really throw you off and keep you paying attention, you change locations. We packed up the whole gypsy caravan and moved from Belgrade to Lisbon. With this there’s a litany of detail that causes you to engage way past your comfort zone. The basic changes of even knowing where you are in relation to others or the locale becomes exaggerated, there’s new keys and new apartment, new trash rules and a new grocery store to navigate. Quick side trip: For those of you that know the detailed layout of your local Publix (or Kroger, Safeway) there’s something that’s extremely telling on how people live by the way their grocery store is laid out. Lisbon is no exception. You notice a sweeping array of fresh fruit, vegetables and then there’s the cod bunker (yes, cod..the fish) These folks are sold on the power of salted cod. This display takes up a large portion of real estate between the melons and meat. Cod.. it’s a huge part of Portuguese cuisine and they love it. Love it or hate it, it’s a dominate force. Oh, and I’m liking it.

Then there’s the streets. The old town section is laid out in a crazy random maze, that is actually planned chaos. The Moors used this as a tactic to make it almost impossible for anyone invading to make a straight shot to the castle. It is a bona fide design point, as I am told. The streets are meticulous covered in limestone cobblestone that contingent on where you are in town can be literally peppered with basalt (black stone) laid out in the most captivating and intricate designs. The cityscape can be vertical in places adding to a challenging walk. It’s not unusual to have a stepped or terraced feature in a sidewalk to support navigating your daily walk. Yes.. It is a vertical city, giving your glutes an amazing workout. Be prepared, this is a five-star-sensible-shoe town. Think mountain goat precision balancing acts. Yet you start to notice that local women do navigate in high heels and even higher wedges..very impressive!   

The first day of my work commute, one of Lisbon’s famous yellow trolley traversed the street right as I turned the corner to walk up the street. It looked like a movie scene or an animated postcard that I just happened to witness. I did stop just to take it all in.. the sights, the trolley sounds, the narrowness of the streets and people just going about their everyday. This was also my new everyday. WOW! thank you, Remote Year.  

Realizing that  basic living logistical challenges is the cost of changing locations, it elevates you about two levels . While stretching, you get to absorb, breath it in and allow yourself to experience the sheer panic and beauty of a change of venue. It makes you feel alive. It energizes your creativity. You see new things with tired eyes and suddenly it’s effervescent.

Lisbon’s history and culture are deep and as American’s we have had exposure to the great discoveries of Prince Henry the Navigator and the explorations of Vasco de Gama. Portuguese is the 6th most spoken language in the world. There is a respectful beauty of the old city’s cityscape: tiled buildings, red clay tiled roofs, punctuated with the omnipresent cobblestones, street art, musical interludes of traditional Fado and lyrical guitars. This is a seriously magical place.

Most tourists stay a week, checking off their Bucket List items. When you stay longer, you take time to visit with your local barista (Mine is originally from Ireland and she makes an extraordinary Almond milk latte), buy cherries from a local grocery at the bottom of your terrace and take a long walk after dinner because there’s so much to see and do. You start to use words like terrace, cobblestone and trolley on a regular basis. Somehow there’s a funky juxtaposition of this beautiful simpler life overlaid with the virtual nature of digital working; technology has enhanced my life.

Yes, there can be pangs of extreme Heimweh… of home sickness. I am missing my Florida life. I miss my beautiful daughter and friends.  A benefit of a digital life is everyone is a simple keystroke away. It’s very easy to send them digital postcards, ensuring that they are part of this precious and precarious journey…real-time. By the way, I ate grilled Sardines for my Sunday dinner while watching the world beach soccer championships (yes, this is a real thing.. go figure!) while sipping a particularly crisp vino verde on the most incredible beach, Nazare.. where you can watch the sunset over the Atlantic (I’ll give you Floridians a moment to process)

Wish y’all were here too.. Smile– – I’m determined to Make Work Great Again.. one blog post at a time.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Happy 4th of July from Lisbon

 

As an American temporarily living outside the country, the thought of celebrating 4th of July is a bit melancholic… I love the 4th.. it’s one of my favorite holidays. It’s the quintessential lazy day. There are no presents required, usually entailing a party and there just might be some BBQ (OK.. maybe fried chicken, fried okra and potato salad)  involved. It’s a soft national holiday, perhaps no work and it ends with a full concert (preferably the Boston Pops.. and the 1812 Overture.. it’s the cannons and carillon and when the last cannon goes off) and a brilliant display of fireworks (note: my love is of choreographed fireworks displays, not firecrackers or errant bottle rockets that we all know terrify dogs and hurt returning veterans, be smart…OK?) illuminates the night sky. It is dazzling and it is oh, so American. Fireworks !!! Oh, and everyone in America celebrates it. It’s one of the few holidays we have that are inclusive of our entire citizenry. This year July 4 is a normal weekday in Lisbon.. no red-white-blue bunting, perhaps a picnic, but no patriotic displays. Perhaps that’s perfect punctuation for our country today. America’s in a funk too.. ☹

I’m wondering if this year marks the official start of America’s midlife crisis; that delightful time when you realize that you are not living up to you perceived potential, your life is good but lackluster, your prospects are limited and perhaps your cutest and thinnest years are past (oops, sorry.. that’s me) .. Humm, America… so what did you do..? You bought a seemingly shiny sportscar that you think makes you look cool and rich. The interesting thing about it is you don’t, we’d don’t and it’s time to take a good long look in our societal mirror and make some improvements. Yes.. we, the people…

If the premise is to Make America Great Again… perhaps America needs a bit of a midlife make over:  go on a diet, eliminate the bloat, reexamine your values and determine what it is that you want to be when you grow up. We have had an excellent run. It seems like we’re arching on the trendline and starting to decline. As a member of the Boomer generation, I and we all know what this means. Our supposed way of life is compromised, retirement was pending and we’re not as relevant as we think we should be. There’s an interesting thing that happens when you don’t stay hungry, the world starts catching up and in our case, we are being eclipsed. Our way is no longer the preferred way, business and much of manufacturing has morphed into an international digital culture. If you are not current, you are toast. After spending last month in Belgrade, I realized that America needs to get out of her funk. We have not had a war on our soil for centuries (was it the War of 1812?). Our cities have not been bombed, except for Sept 11. Our shores are safe. Instead of celebrating our good fortune, we have become isolated, xenophobic and narrow minded. Oh and I’m finding the world doesn’t care about us as much as we think they do. They care when we act stupid, bully, nation build, nation destroy and subvert their ways. There was a time when most of the world wanted what America had. This is no longer the case, sometimes they see our society as shallow, vapid and completely consumer consumption and work driven.  They see and hear that we want a wall put up to keep the Mexicans out (Ask any German about the effects of a walled society). Our problems are big (cite healthcare, new job creation, et al) and  symbolic landscaping walls aren’t the start of the remedy. It’s décor, when we need our foundation fixed. We need some serious help and I’m betting on America. We can do this.

The premise of our America is amazing. We’re a patchwork of diversity that sometimes works, sometimes resists and always surprises. We are in desperate need of a middle-aged makeover, NOT gratuitous plastic surgery and certainly not décor. We must do the big work the kind of work that starts with our core values coupled with slow and steady improvement. We all must be rowing in the same direction toward the same goals. This is the kind of work that you must earn, not buy and we must do it together. We are slow, fat and privileged. Saying Make America Great Again is repeating a marketing slogan, it does not even come close to the level of complexity, commitment and work required to regain our world stature. No one is going to give it to us. We, the people must do it.

On this 4th of July, I ask you: Are you willing to do the work?

 From Lisbon.. Wishing y’all a wonderful 4th.  Enjoy your friends, family, good food and the fireworks displays ! We’re going to have a lot of work to do to turn this sideshow around. I hope you’re up to it.

 As Kate Smith used to belt out in the World War II era… God Bless America, my home sweet home.. (yes, this is very dated..but you MUST view it.)

 

 

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Bye, bye Belgrade… Part 1

Bye, Bye Belgrade… Part 1

I have to admit, I tried to have no expectations about Belgrade when I first arrived. I did get the obligatory DK Eyewitness tour book for Serbia and looked up the Top 10 things to see on Trip Advisor. It did not overwhelm. My base line was simple: post Tito, post-Soviet, non-EU, issues with Kosovo and Bosnia. Serbia sits precariously on the Balkan Peninsula with Belgrade perched at the confluence of the Danube and Sava Rivers. It’s as if it is the goodbye point to the west and a hand shake over to the East. They have been invaded, occupied and are now in yet another cycle of recovery. What I discovered is a remarkable gem on the ascent of change with an eye on their future, challenged by geopolitical change and steeped in artful expression. I’m bullish on Belgrade, it’s stolen my heart.

Belgrade has taught me…

1- Resiliency – – this city has been destroyed over 40 times and it gets up every time. Did you know Belgrade was bombed by NATO in the 1990’s? I do not believe I have met any contemporaries that lived in wartime. Bombs falling from the sky interrupting their play, only to continue after the raid ended. My country has never been bombed by a foreign power (Pearl Harbor exception and that was a military installation in 1940) and I have never lived in a war zone. My country hasn’t been invaded, dictated or lived through regime changes (although current events might question our feeling). We have always been free.
2- To enjoy my journey – You do not have to be in a hurry to be productive. I have not driven a car in a month. When you walk, taxi, bike everywhere there is no need to own a car, have a garage, car insurance, buy gas. You are also limited to where your foot power can take you. I’ve walked an average of 6 miles a day. This isn’t treadmill or gym induced, it’s free range – -fresh air
3- I really, really have to want/need something to buy it. There are two threads here. When you know you only get 22 Kg baggage limit, you stick to it (and worthy of an overall post.. learning to live in a 22-kg limit). Next because there is no driving, this means if you buy something you have to carry it. Carry it from the store to your apartment. You really think about what you buy when you must hold it for a half mile and climb over 125 combined stairs to arrive at your destination
4- Wear sensible shoes!  I thought I would never say this.. wearing sensible shoes to me is the kiss of death.. once you go sensible, you’ll never teeter on stilettos again. This might be true, but I’m all about the safety and balance sensible shoes provide. The Belgrade cityscape terrain is uneven, the streets are wonky and there are random utility pipes sticking out of the pavement. You must be aware of where you walk. It appears that people take responsibility for their walking too. There must not be a series of litigious lawyers preying and praying for pedestrian mishaps and ensuring law suits.
5- I enjoy my walking commute. There’s a very pleasant zen aspect to it. It gives me time to connect with the day, weather and fellow workers and helps me decompress from a work day. It’s an excellent transition and I have not seen one person with sidewalk rage.. Breathe in.. gently exhale.. repeat
6- I want more café life. There are numerous outdoor platforms pepper along the streets inviting people in for coffee or cocktails. People visit, they talk, they enjoy each other. I like this. It gets you out, about and laughing. The only downside is smoking.. we (Americans) don’t do it, we don’t enjoy it and second-hand smoke is everywhere. Stinky ☹
7- I do not need TV in my life. I believe the noise level of US events is making us all overly anxious, intolerant and unhappy. I like to blame it on the newsmakers, 24/7 news coverage and the ensuing commentary surrounding it. It’s a poisonous ecosystem. Not only from a news vantage but from a consumer aspect. I am not bombarded with messages designed to make me feel bad, unattractive or undesirable because I do not buy a product or watch a certain show. There is a certain calm that happens when the screaming stops. Now, I have not actively embraced local politics (and there are numerous issues big and small). I have gone apolitical; it’s a conscious temporary decision. And when you see a US ad dubbed in Serbian, it becomes very clear how ridiculous advertising is. I believe I needed a little venting.
8- We all need to take a social media break! We have upped the corporate marketing messaging construct from buy-this-product to making ourselves affected by sometimes self-inflected negativity. Be authentic and don’t compare. Be present in the world, connect with real people and use social media for good… 😊
9- Google has flattened the world. Travel has become much easier due to Maps, Translate and Search. Thank you, Google. You can ‘drop a pin’ anywhere and find people, places and taxis. My phone does speak better Serbian than I ever will while calculating currency conversions and Celsius temperatures simultaneously. It delights me. I had been wary of this part of the world mainly due to the Cyrillic alphabet (daunting). I have not encountered any situation that I could not navigate with my mobile device. And when in doubt, speak in emoji.
10- My phone is no longer a phone.. it has officially transformed to a full mobile device. It started out in the 90’s as a phone, evolved to allowing me to text.. it used to take 3 clicks to get to an “S” so you had to be really committed to text “a**hole”.. then lastly it morphed into an app station. With the adoption of the app culture, my device is now for data followed by text and yes, I can make a phone call on it. It’s a complete reverse. I’m travelling almost effortlessly with my mobile device securing a SIM card in each location at a minimal cost. I wonder if I’ll continue this when I go back.

There are a few more areas that almost demand mention, but it will have to wait. Oh, Belgrade’s taught me to be patient too. Back to work. When was the last time, you paused to reflect on your workday and really enjoyed it too?

I know… that’s the beauty of this experience.

There’s more to tell about Belgrade… the murals, music and lifestyle. I found a killer Pilates studio that took my practice to a higher level while helping me navigate living here. And I love that I can get an excellent dinner with wine for about $12 (a lot of wine) Sad to say, I only have 6 more days then we pack up and move the show to Lisbon for July. Yes, it really is as much fun as it seems. Best summer ever!

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The Trampoline Effect: Summer Career Hurricane Season

Preamble: When I posted  Leap and the Net will appear… my good friend, David Hance commented that he views it less a net and more as a trampoline. I loved it! It takes something that we might see with dread or fear and elevates it to exhilaration and maybe even a fun challenge. I embrace it and will go forward reference: Leap and the trampoline will elevate you… I’m calling it the Trampoline Effect! (See notes way below)

Since it is the beginning of summer, there’s all sorts of anticipation and nostalgia for the season.. seaside vacations, barbeques, no school for the kids, watermelon, lightening bugs and maybe a work slowdown.

It might be the perfect time to take advantage of the summertime work slowdown to get yourself prepared and ready for your next career rev too. Here’s a very simple outline to take advantage of the potential slower work pace and get serious about you. It’s a career prep list like the hurricane preparedness we do in Florida and we all know how much we all love lists!  

It’s Summer Hurricane Season

Living in Florida has all kinds of perks, hurricane season isn’t one of them. Hurricanes are wily, unpredictable forces of nature that when they hit can be devastating. Preparing for one acknowledges that you may have an electric outage, welcome water into your home and potentially have everything you own destroyed in a short period of time, kind of like a job loss only wetter.

 I’ve lived in Florida long enough to know that a hurricane is going to hit, it’s just a matter of when. How you deal with disaster is up to you. There’s the sky-is-falling or Chicken Little approach (buy beer-wine-pizza-toilet paper because Jim Cantore from the Weather Channel is in town and we’re all going die), the in-denialists (we haven’t had a direct hit since 1923!) and then there’s the hard-core pragmatist (think more Boy/Girl Scout: be prepared) . You may enjoy the drama of uncertainty. I applaud your approach and decision. For those of us who don’t, I offer you the trampoline effect (thanks, David!)..

If you accept that everything is in flux now, how are you going to weather this potential storm? Here’s my hurricane list on how to get trampoline lift and not be completely washed up..

Summer Career Hurricane Preparedness List…

Total Investment Time: minimum of 4 hours (your mileage may vary)

1.       Let’s start. Pause for more than a moment. I know.. let’s stop before starting when you’re all ready to start, bait and switch ! This is important stuff. Schedule a half day to examine what you are doing for a living now and what you would like to do. Be brutally honest, if what you are doing now is working. Congratulations! No need to read further, pat yourself on the back and put a reminder on your calendar to do this work again in August. Because this analysis/reflection work should never end. Employers like people who are curious, lifelong learners. It means you are flexible and adaptable to new challenges. For those of us who need constant reevaluation, the pause helps to frame our approach. Get post-it notes, markers for the very visual, or use project board software and brainstorm. There is no right answer, this is all about you. I would allot 2-3 hours of uninterrupted time for this segment. Unplug yourself from everything (yes, everything) but your thoughts. This work is your baseline.

2.       Create your skills inventory. Every job application I’ve filled out in the past year requires some sort of introspection of your assets. Based on your brainstorm session, do you have the skills the hiring companies are requesting? Are you relevant in today’s mobile economy? This is going to determine your skills gap.  This part of the exercise should take no longer than an hour depending on the deep of your direction.

3.       What is missing from your skills list?  This is called the skills gap (there’s a link at the end to some additional background and tools for you to use). This is the gap between the skills you have today and the desired state, your future. You can find this by scanning open positions in your field from companies you think match your work ethos. You will be surprised how easily the key verbs and descriptions emerge.  In my world, it was a desire to become a digital marketing expert. I know I can manage the business, create compelling strategies, give direction to creative agencies/vendors, but could I still do?  Did my work style map to today’s way of working? I focused on my biggest gap: digital analytics. This is an area that I’ve managed, but haven’t done. It was a perfect starting point. My roadmap focuses on the science of marketing: digital platforms, aggregation, distribution, tools and content creation. Reflect on if the verbs/descriptions accurately depict your skills are they present in your resume/CV and your LinkedIn profile? Make sure your digital work presence is always current (there are eyes watching). Your skills gap may be a small refinement on your existing capabilities (kudos for keeping up and staying focused!) or if you decided on a big, life defining swing; you may need a complete overhaul (super kudos to you too for making the commitment!). Time in this segment is completely contingent on the breadth and scope of change desired.

4.      Assign to each skill category a way to gain knowledge and subsequent expertise. I found that finding this information is much easier than it’s ever been. Starting point is any web search engine for the skill of your choice. There is a plethora of resources available. You need to determine what level of skill you need/want to succeed at skill mastery. Do you want a working knowledge ? Then everything you want may be available on YouTube.. Do you need deeper knowledge, then take a more programmatic approach, start with Coursera, Khan Academy. Many online firms offer free survey audit courses through and including paid-for certifications. If you still need deeper skills, do you have the time and resources to go back to school? Consider for-profit training firms, community colleges and full university degree programs. Do your research, evaluate your skills inventory and decide what level of time and financial investment you need to make. This is the area that is going to take the most effort, reflection and time. Do not short change yourself.

5.       Feedback. I like to always include an evaluation loop in planning. This is where you vet your plan to others ensure that you’re going in the desired direction. Personally, I have a few friends and former work acquaintances that I refer to as my Board of Directors. I found early in my career that one mentor was never enough. Although I deeply respected his opinion; I always found that I needed more insight. In my world, this has worked. These are people whose opinion you trust. You are not leaning on them to make your decision, you value their input. Be aware when you do ask for someone’s opinion, you must be prepared for the feedback. It might sting. It is like when someone calls your baby ugly (ouch!) You do want candid feedback. There are so many added pluses to this approach including: idea validation, direction support, additional obstacles you may not have anticipated, objection resolution. It can be a huge confidence booster or make you want to re-think your entire approach. Remember, you decide the final outcome.. but decide and keep moving.

6.       Create a highly targeted action plan on what, how, how long it will take you to get the plan done. Take each skill and break it down

a.       What level of mastery you want to accomplish (Awareness-to-Mastery)  

b.       Where you are going to get the skills (YouTube,Certifications or University degree)

c.       How long will it take (Can you do this immediately, need testing to secure space,     formal application process?) 

d.       Are there any obstacles to holding you back? 

e.       Determine your time milestones (Simple as a calendar entry to MS Project Plan) 

f.        Hold yourself accountable.

 Career uncertainty is our new reality.  You must ensure that you keep your skills fresh to be relevant in our ever changing mobile, digital economy. It’s on you, no one is going to do this for you. This not only includes precise technical aspects of your profession (the what) but how you approach it from a process vantage and problem solving method (think more sophisticated analytics less  x-y spreadsheet). Make sure you don’t get hit by the hurricane; or if you do be prepared. I think this will explain why I always travel with extra batteries, tuna in pouches and cocktail wieners (because everyone needs a good cocktail wiener during a disaster, it makes them smile).

Promise me to give your summer trampoline lift? Get prepared and use the time to get skilled! You’ll position yourself for success and have something to tell everyone after Labor Day what you did on your summer vacation. Have fun, be brilliant and as I always tell my daughter: fulfill your destiny.

 

Post Notes:

1.       Official Florida Hurricane Preparedness List

2.       Project Management templates – free and fee

3.       Take a look at Mindtools for gap analysis overview and tools

4.       Dang, there is a real thing called The Trampoline Effect.. perhaps ours should be the Hance Trampoline Effect going forward. So much for thinking we cornered the market on something potentially marketable.. oy! Next time.

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Nailing it in Belgrade

Let me tell you that when you take yourself out of your regular environment and are thrown into a completely different locale, stuff starts to happen.. It’s called change. If you leave yourself open to the possibilities, you can find magic in the mundane.

Somewhere around week 3, you start to realize that almost everything you do is different than you do in your home environment. When you vacation, it’s fun.. it’s part of the cool part of going somewhere new. When you start to call someplace  a temporary home, there’s all sorts of things you start to need or want to make your life comfortable. For me.. it was time to get a manicure. Well, this became an immediate emergency and obsession on so many levels. I thought the sky was falling ! Where the hell am I going to get my nails done in Belgrade? (As if the rotation of the earth depended on my nails!)  In the US, we are accustomed to a wide variety of inexpensive, fast nail options. It’s as if there  is a requirement that at least one nail salon be in any strip mall.  I discovered (my extensive research is thanks to Google) that there were 7 standalone nail salons, a 3 day spas offering nail services in a 5 mile radius of my home. It’s no secret that most of the standalone nail salons are foreign owned and operated. It’s part of our community fabric and the entry point to the economy. Your interaction with them is easy: you show up, they do your nails, you pay them, the next person gets in the chair. In masterful supply chain execution, regardless of how many people are in the salon; there always seems to be someone who can service your need immediately. This makes it almost a fast food commodity… McChair 2 is waiting and supersize me. 

Here in Belgrade, the nail salon is considered a value added service. You have to find someone, who knows someone to get you access to the most skilled technician. There is not a nail salon on every corner. Cleverly, I asked my new Pilates friends who does the best nails. They all gave me the same answer ending with… it may take some time to get an appointment. I immediately got on Google to search for them, eureka!.. a Facebook page.. The digital hunt starts: Liking their page, then requesting via messenger for an appointment.. Starting off..’ my apologies, I do not speak Serbian’… then getting a cryptic reply.. two new vacancies, you must reply immediately. Not knowing if it was a regular direct Serbian response or the person’s English; I responded not quite immediately. My response was too late! These people are relentless. This is serious. Game on. I then asked for the next available, it was 3 days out. This may not seem like much, but remember… I’m used to having 10 options at my chipped nail fingertips. I took the appointment, got Maps to take me within steps of the well-hidden secret entrance (seems to be a prevailing theme in Serbia… how can we disguise the entrance game..?)     I rang the security bell, and was promptly greeted by a well-groomed woman wearing a white medical coat embroidered with the salon logo. I was in the inner sanctum! She seated me, gave me beverage  (a nice chilled beverage, might I add) and got the process going. My appointment was at 2:30 and I was in the chair at 2:29. My technician got her tools and space prepped and laid out 20 color wheels, each with 19 different hues for me to select. This must be color heaven! We decided that my summer emergency demands a bright color and a punched up hue of magenta was selected. She commented on the quality of my prior manicure and wanted to know if it was ‘executed’ locally… Made me smile. It was ‘executed’ all right.  Remember I said I was in full-on nail emergency, I was looking all chipped and snaggle-nailed. I needed an expert.

The process of polish removing, cuticle shaping and nail filing is boring.. but she had a rhythm to her work that kept me engaged with the process and even liking being there. Her polish application was extraordinary precise. It was also kind of funny, but the background suspended TV had a US episode of “Big RV’s”; focused on Americans buying RV’s for family vacations. Hearing it dubbed in Serbian was telling in a bad way like looking in to us from the outside (and it wasn’t pretty)… My whole nail extravaganza lasted an hour and half and there was chilled Serbian wine!

This was not a trivial outing. It was an experience, a nice experience. The atmosphere in the salon was communal, these people liked each other. They liked working together and they enjoyed their customers. I wasn’t just sitting in McChair 2. All of this for $15.. Did I mention the chilled Serbian wine too?  While there, I got the follow-on manicure appointment, booked a pedicure and got myself in queue for a facial. I might end up spending a day there in the hidden retreat behind the buzzer door.

I do declare: this is the best manicure I have every had! I’m giddy over it. It makes me happy. It’s another instance of finding magic in the ordinary, Belgrade style. This is city of contrast, grit and artistry at every turn.. even in the nail salon. I am smitten.

 End Note:

The New York Times did an interesting expose the state of US Nail Salons. It’s a good read. Makes you look at supply-demand and fair wages in a whole different light.

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Leap and the net will appear….

Leap and the net will appear…

After an exhaustive recent job search, I decided to start driving my life and career rather than letting life or circumstance do it for or to me. The step to join Remote Year this summer was an added layer to gain personal control. A dear friend and former colleague, David Hance forwarded a Facebook link for the program back in March. Initially I thought it was the same as the 100 IT jobs available in New Zealand contest circulating on the interwebs. Since I was in serious application mode, I thought it would fun. I had always enjoyed the global aspect of my previous positions (maybe it was the best part); it looked like a good fit. The application was concise, easy and I hit enter… that was it. It was a fun diversion… Oh, and then they called back.. Wow..

This is a clear cut case of watch-what-you-ask-for-you-just-might-get-it… Now it was time to actually do something about it. This was my opportunity and it presented itself in a much different package than I expected. Punt !

Here’s the ah-ha moment: There is an amazing power in allowing yourself to be open to options. Give yourself permission to go outside  your immediate view. You are not the sum of your resume. The chronology of your work experience does tell a great story of skill, capability and happenstance. Yet it never fully reflects your potential. I am now a converted zealot to Liz Ryan’s Reinvention Roadmap. The work Liz outlines is a ‘must do’ for anyone struggling with their purpose or looking for a job change. She very carefully and prescriptively outlines how to identify your passion (Note: splurge and get the hard copy, you will want to do the exercises) Coupled with Julia Cameron’s It’s Never Too Late to Begin Again and Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert, you are now fully armed to step into your next best work version of you. This might all sound too New Age-y for most, be assured.. it isn’t. These resources will ground you in the why and how of change, work and creativity. Change is a scary premise especially if you need to find work immediately. Through this exercise you will identify how to get a job and then in a parallel effort, how to more effectively manage your career so you can drive it. For those of us who have experienced the lay-off, it is not fun. It is a soul crushing, mind numbing event. It may leave you despondent, depressed and financially challenged. Do not despair, you are not alone and this is not something to be ashamed. It is a sad symptom of today’s corporate American compact with the worker. This is the time to focus on you and your resiliency capacity. To quote the great philosopher band of the 90’s Chumbawamba… I get knocked down, but I get up again… You’re never gonna keep me down.

In my personal game of Chutes and Ladders, Iay-off is the big, nasty chute. Special side note: when you go down any chute, hold your hands high, wear a tiara and enjoy the ride. The landing is a beast of a thud. It was like landing in Oz for me and I think I am learning to like the view more. Doors are opening, I have discovered the gig economy; landing a series of engagements that allow me to decide how I drive my time, energy, creativity and fuel my travel. Like the Wizard of Oz, my life is suddenly in Technicolor far away from the austere black and white before the tornado hit. It wasn’t where I thought I was going, but I’m damn glad I ended up here. Is it permanent? Probably not, but that’s the new world order of work. I will take as it comes and thoroughly enjoy this summer.

Make sure you have some fun this summer!

 

End Notes:

Leap and net will appear… The first time I saw this quote was on a refrigerator magnet in Boulder, CO. It was attributed to a Czech proverb. Since then I’ve seen citation given to James Burroughs and Julia Cameron. It’s one of my top 10 quotes for inspiration, which also includes Churchill’s..When walking though hell, keep going… there is definitely an overarching theme here worthy of a Pintrest board and snappy graphics.

Chumbawamba.. I actually owned the Tubthumper CD and used to torture my daughter while driving in a suburban Atlanta school carpool. The band dissolved in 2012. It is always on my Make It Happen playlist regardless of medium.

Chutes and Ladders.. the link offers some interesting insight. I used to play this physical game for hours growing up in Gerard Russo’s garage. His mother allowed us to play board games in the summer when it was raining. She also made great lemonade.  This is when kids played all summer long and caught lightening bugs in jars for entertainment.

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Let’s spend summer working in Europe !

 

Sometimes the world just calls. This summer I have decided to fully explore a variety of cultures on the Remote Year program. My adventure will take in four European cities. Each will allow me to live in an local apartment and work from a communal workspace; proving that the virtual connection technology allows us to transcend borders and continue to do good work.

First stop this summer is Belgrade, Serbia. Belgrade is a city on the ascent. It is compact with an unique personality and energy to it. I arrived on Saturday night, greeted promptly by a Remote Year driver and taken directly to my accommodations. The apartment landlady was waiting, complete with house tour, directions and keys. I could exhale, unpack and go to sleep… This was painless!

My apartment is a third-floor walkup (there is an elevator, but the stairs are quicker), it’s an older building with white washed plastered walls, high ceilings, herringbone parquet flooring, spacious bath, modern kitchen and a balcony facing the street. In one direction, the apartment is located a block away from the Republic Plaza (Government seat) and adjacent Pedestrian Street (think super outdoor mall with outdoor cafes and musicians. It is very cool). In the other direction, it is next to the biggest city park and St. Marc’s cathedral. There are two workspaces in Belgrade. Both provide all the amenities necessary to do good work: fast WiFi, tech support, telephone booth, open work space, full kitchens. It’s fun to get up and walk to work. It’s about 5 blocks from apartment to work space (15 minutes total walking time says FitBit).. chance to get a good cup of coffee, pastry (oh, this town knows pastry!) and enjoy your commute. When was the last time you either commuted (I haven’t since 2001!) or enjoyed your journey from home to work? Hummm..be honest…

I know for certain that I enjoyed my commute today. It felt good.

 RSVP– I invite you to join me for this summer with Remote Year. My intention is to explore each city, see the sites, engage in the culture, learn some language, discover food & drink, do Pilates and have fun while doing some great work! Let’s have a good summer together!

 

 

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Greetings from 17 Albert Studios

 

Greetings from 17 Albert Studios

For me, branding and naming have always been the most challenging aspects of marketing. It’s how a product/service is going to be explained, sold and distributed during its lifecycle. It must reflect the providers values, product promise and functionality. It’s like naming a person. It’s hard!

When looking for a name for my blog, I reflected on what I wanted this to be. Herein lies the fun. It’s time to focus, be specific and expressive. I zeroed in on the Miranda Lambert song, The House that Built Me .. feel free to listen…

My daughter, Devin initially shared it with me. As we listened together during the torturous ride to Tallahassee, it made us smile, laugh and OK, we got tad teary. It was the perfect soundtrack to where our relationship was and highlighted the place where we felt safe, secure and free. For Devin, it was her childhood home in Roswell (GA).. a really cool house highlighted by a big rocking chair friendly front porch on a recessed wooded lot. As she shared her happiest memories, I got nostalgic for my own home. I was fortunate to have an idyllic childhood; lots of kids, bicycles, collecting lightening bugs in summertime. Raised by very well-intended, strict parents, I was encouraged to be curious, read, study, discuss and explore. Eureka… these are the same attributes I want for my blog, my product. Some other family lives there now. It may be their house, but it will always be my home.Those are my handprints in the sidewalk cement.

Hence – I wanted to create a safe place to express ideas, be curious and explore the world… I’m calling it the House that Built Me, albeit a virtual one: 17 Albert.

I hope you join me and discover your voice. There are so many issues facing us today that it is almost impossible to sit on the sidelines and be quiet. The world is changing and it’s going to keep evolving with or without us. My goal is to make these changes, opportunities understandable so we can make decisions on how we want to life. And we should have some fun too..