40 days have passed since I was laid off! (...58)

40 days have passed since I was laid off!  It's nerve-wracking to take note of the amount of time that's gone by.  Have I done enough with this time so far? Am I using it for the right projects?  Am I talking to who I should talk to? Networking enough?  Exploring what I'm interested in enough?

I'm heading to an interesting networking eventt, combined with a talk tonight put on by the popular online sales site, Rue La La.  It's titled "Why consumers are addicted to private sales web sites (Hint: The hard wiring of your brain makes the deals impossible to resist)."  Since I'm working on an online venture with two friends, it's a good topic that will speak directly to part of the service we hope to provide, private sales.  I call it a venture, because it is just that.  Based on what we think is a great idea, we're taking on a project with an uncertain outcome.  And what a great experience it is!  The uncertainty seems insignificant compared to the challenge creating something ourselves and learning anything we need to in order to make this a successful business.  If it is not, we will have gained a lot of knowledge in the process.  I like this perspective.  It's the perspective I'm reminding myself, often, to take during this layoff period.  Whatever I end up doing during this time, I'm learning a good deal about what I want to be doing and I'm certain I'll mold a good career for myself out of the experiences I'm having.

Update post-talk: The Rue La La event, despite direction mishaps and locked doors to the building where the event was being held, was exactly what I'd hoped it would be!  I took notes on related books that were referenced and on private sale website strategies. The speaker, Rue La La's SVP of Member Experience, Colin Hynes, gave a clear breakdown of his company's strategy as well as how it needs to change as consumer purchasing habits change.  He used a few video clips to illustrate his points. One video in particular was Dan Ariely's TED talk, "Are we in control of our own decisions?"  In the clip we watched, Ariely, a behavioral economist, discuss people's decisions regarding organ donation.  Watch the clip for interesting illustrations.  Perhaps you'll think more carefully the next time you fill our a form or buy something online...

Overall it was an interesting discussion from a business perspective, but also from a personal perspective. I found myself thinking "oh gosh! I do that..."  when hearing how consumers act in response to private sales.

Balancing Actions (...72)

I haven't been targeted in my career path thus far.  Actually, I was targeted early on.  Around age 24 I decided I wanted to work as a digital video editor.  I taught myself the software, interned, freelanced, and started working full time.  Then I changed my mind and moved into a related field, broadcast post production.  It was a good shift for me.  I liked the work, learned a lot, committed myself to the job, and got promoted.  But then a big health scare, a brain tumor, shifted my direction, or, better put, my concerns.  Work felt insignificant to me.  The product, a television show, lost its luster.  I couldn't see my work goals anymore but my personal goals came into focus.  Personal goals got most of my energy, effort, emotions, and thoughts.  Career goals suffered.  But now I want to shift my efforts.  I don't intend to drop personal goals, but I want a better balance.  I want my personal and professional goals to coincide.  So, with that in mind, this evening I  went to the Marsh’s Women’s Executive Business to Business (WEBB) Women and Wine Reception.  It was held at Brix on Broad, an impressively well stocked boutique wine shop, owned by two women in Boston.  The intent of these events is to provide networking opportunities for women in the form of interesting and educational social events.  The combo of a wine tasting, networking, and author talk is brilliant.  Talk about a good balance! 

The speaker, Pam Lassiter, gave us all a copy of her book The New Job Security.  Rather than read from her book, she offered a few bite size career questions for us to think about as we consider our future.  Her ideas were easy to swallow along with our glasses of wine, cheese, and charcuterie!

My favorites of the ideas she presented were these two:  "What do people seek you out for?" She suggested we ask ourselves.  I like this approach to thinking about career direction because everybody can come up with an answer to this.  Another tip from Pam:  "Be a jack of all trades, master of two."  This suggests that we need not neglect any of our interests. We should pursue all of them but make a few our focus.  Helpful advice for me right now as I find myself skipping around from one thing I like to do after another.  Which do I want to focus on and incorporate into my next job?  And why is this question so tough for me?