I've Returned

First, I must say that I am a little disappointed with myself for having forgotten about this blog once I started on the next path to come into my life. If I hadn't made it clear I am definitely a person that does not think success is immediate or even finite. I feel like that is always something we can do to further better ourselves and work towards being a better, happier person and therefore, in my eyes, a more successful person.

Well a lot has obviously happened since my last post so a brief update...

I started the job at Taft as their leasing and service coordinator. It was a great job and there were a lot of challenges. When I got there, they did not have a mission statement set up, or any of the other basic marketing identity items that should have been in place. I quickly took over many items and pushed for even more. After just over a year I was promoted to the Assistant Property Manager Position, with three staff members under me and responsibilities over the Maintenance Team. I ran the 100+ unit on-site Mini Storage facility and had made great changes there too. Over my time there, I got the company on track with the marketing basics, helped create a website for the Community, played a major role in our consecutive Best Of Awards, got the ball running us into social media networks, and established great events for the residents to appreciate.

However, once I accomplished all of the things I set out to accomplish for the company I grew bored and started to seek out new opportunities. I shadowed my uncle in his position with a Food Service Management Company and was intrigued. He helped set me up with a couple interviews, but nothing panned out.

One day he called me and asked me if I wanted a job in Boston as the Front of House Manager -- basically the #2 in the account. After carefully weighing out my options and some back and forth on their part, I accepted the job and was in Boston starting to work within two weeks of my accepting.

It has not been easy! And it sure has been an eye opener. There have been a lot of changes, being short handed and just all around struggles, but I have prospered through each challenge. I am not coming up on my 18 months with the Company and am slowly trying to move into a Marketing Manager Role. This is slow coming as giving up my old duties, is not a quick process. I really hope to be able to get into this role and grow in it. I have a lot of ideas of what I want to be doing and hope I can get the support and time to accomplish those things.

In addition to the many hours I put in with the FSM company each week (full time managers are supposed to put in 50 hours a week... which somehow tends to be a minimum...) I also have gone back to the Taft as a marketing consultant for them. Which is an interesting aspect working from so far away, especially having been a large part of the team... to only be able to help to an extent can sometimes be frustrating because I know if I were there doing it, it would be bigger, better, more involved... but that is no longer my position there and I must learn to separate a little.

Well since you are all caught up for now, (and I have a bunch of other work I need to be doing) I will let you ponder that and hopefully you will come back to see what else is on my mind, where it is taking me, and how I feel about it.

Cheers!
Jess