Ready to Connect

So in all of the excitement of this crazy adventure I found my DREAM place to work! The Starr Conspiracy is a growing marketing agency in the Fort Worth area of Texas that has me hooked! They seem like such a fun-loving, yet hard working company that gets their goals accomplished and then some. I mean Star Wars, Zombies, Ping Pong, Dickies, Kick Ball, Drinks, Ghosts, and walking on the Moon. They are determined to do right by their customers and clients even if that means admitting to something not working or going as according to plan. They have a "huddle" every day, which its motivating and exemplifies a great team ethic.

I WANT TO BE A PART OF THIS FAMILY! I applied for an entry level position because I do not have agency experience but was denied. I thinking ultimately I am over qualified for the position I applied for... but I still want so badly to work for them! I am following their blog, regularly check their website, follow them on their social media sites, etc.

I have never had a company grasp me so entirely. They call of their associates agents! I will be making my way to Texas very soon, and am trying to concoct a way to just introduce myself and get myself in their radar. I do not need to work with them today or next month, but I would love to say that at least within the next 6 -18 months I am a very proud Agent 047 at The Starr Conspiracy.

I am thinking I will try to get in with another agency just to get some experience in that particular type of marketing. Meanwhile on my journey, I will meet as many people as I can, make as many true connections as possible, and even more great memories. Like the book my uncle gave me that I am slowly finding time to read, I am ready to make art - something "new, complex, vital" - ready to make those human connections.

Are you ready to connect with me?

Adventure Awaits

HELLO!!

Welcome back! I am super excited to tell everyone that I am no longer with the job I hate! I quit on Tuesday and I have not looked back. This is a change I have been planning and looking forward to for a long time and it feels GREAT to have taken the step in the right direction.

I am home in CT for exactly 24 more days, seeing as many family and friends as I can and making the most of my limited time. What is next you ask?? ADVENTURE!

I will be taking off on Sunday, Feb 10 -- after an awesome going away/birthday party the night before. -- Details to come on that one.

I plan to spend the day in Philly with an old co-worker, maybe crashing on her couch, maybe heading to Maryland to see a college buddy and meet his awesome GF.... and maybe crash on their couch for a night.

From Maryland the next stop will be a Knoxville, where my awesome friend Sean has arranged for me to crash with his cousin. I plan to take the long route through Chattnoga and visit the Jack Daniels Factory then probably spend a night in Nashville at Sean's uncles place. There is a good chance I will stop for a bite to eat in Memphis on my way to Little Rock.

Why Little Rock you say? Well my hair dresser is there of course?! My eye brows are out of control and my hair needs a little revitalizing. so why the heck not!

Then it is on down to Texas for little Brynn's birthday and Christening. I do not have this as planned out as I would like at this point... but am super excited for it! Especially because by some random happenstance Travis will be down there the same time I am so I will get to visit him too!  So a few days with Amber, Jimmy and Brynn and the animals; Hopefully I will get to see my Uncle Mark... if he happens to be in town at all... TRAVIS and his family, who I am very excited to meet. And then of course Matt... I am excited... but not sure if I should be... that situation is very confusing...a story for a different time...

From there I will visit with Abby and Ryan in OK... hopefully I will get to see their new house since they just signed on that not too long ago! Super excited for them!

And then the final leg is to Boulder to stay with Jess, Will and Grayce for a little bit. Oddly enough Pete and LJ from Boston live right down the road from them, so that could be lots of fun! And that is where the journey ends for now. Of course I will have to make a few day trip into the mountains to go visit Joe, or perhaps I will just make him get me a job and spend my winter in the mountains with him... who knows.

The plan after that is completely and 100% up in the air. I am, have been, and will continue to apply for jobs in CO and TX, but until something comes up... Everything is left to work itself out on its own.

If you couldn't tell by my excessive babbling I am overly excited for this adventure! Now I just need to find a truck to take it in! HAHA

Until next time!

~Star

Catching Up

SOO! For all of you wondering.. here is the build up to got me to where I am at now...

Well the last time I really posted LAST FEB... guess I did not do too good of a job with sticking with writing... I was already complaining about how I did not think my job was for me... Way too much corruption and corporate BS to deal with.

Well no matter how hard I worked, no matter how much of a positive face I put on things were not getting any better... I was looking for new jobs... and striking out all over the place... a bit discouraging...

I was forced to work over the summer, but was told I was going to be the new Marketing Manager... a position I have been pushing for! Except... oo my main account was in the process of a complete re-haul and ALL of the managers being brought in to run it we BRAND NEW! So needless to say I was strung between two jobs...

Positive side both of the two main managers to come in were great! Particularly the new ops manager. We all ended up spending pretty close to 80 hours a week together for 6 weeks straight... Long and short of it we got close... I also kind of fell head over heels... not quite sure its reciprocated... but it was too good of a feeling to really care...

Well MORE AND MORE bs and games happened and next thing I know OPs manager is basically getting forced out and I have to put my new position that I have been working REALLY hard in completely on the back burner to take his place -- for what is supposed to be temporarily.

Well he leaves... which he ended up being the only reason I was staying... I was/am miserable going to work... Then the kicker... I get told I am getting laid off for a month over the holiday break (3 days before I actually am supposed to start my layoff!!) because of payroll issues. Now I know for a fact that of the FOURTEEN!! salaried managers ONLY TWO of us got laid off... both happen to be very close with the ops manager that just got forced out... coincidence? doubtful! By the way... I am going on year three with the company and have gotten paid both of the last two holiday breaks -- and I have NEVER seen a manager get laid off during this time of year!

Additionally, when I return... oo my position is being taken away from me... no write-ups, no counseling, great performance review, and I am constantly being told I am doing a wonderful job... OO and not only am I losing my position... I have to take a demotion and be the assistant manager... when I have been running that account for at least a year and a half and have trained THREE managers how to run the account in 2.5 years!! YOU ARE KIDDING ME RIGHT?!! I am in the computer as the director and the person going into the director position is only in as an associate director... someone please tell me how this works??

I called HR to see if this was appropriate, allowable... they just told me I need to contact my bosses boss... who I have no relationship with, who is also my bosses biggest supporter no mater how inappropriate the things he does are... So tell me know why would I contact him?? But they literally gave me NO other option... so I just let it all go...

And this is where I will leave you... I come back from layoff tomorrow... cannot wait to see how this goes.

Working to Make Changes

So I guess here I am again, at the start of another New Year... looking back and realizing that I most definitely did not stick with my plan to up-keep my blog.

And here I am again... trying to make the effort to get back to it. This time will be a little different... I am not just trying to make changes... I AM MAKING CHANGES!

There are great, exciting, scary changes on the horizon! I cannot wait to write all about them, but alas I am at work and just be chance happened upon my blog... and thought I would put out a teaser on my lunch break.

So stay tuned folks, to learn about my up coming adventures!

~Star

Bed Time Brain Buzzing

So as I was getting ready to turn off the lights and settle in for the night, I realized I hadn't written on here in a few days. I am really determined to stick with this, at least writing once a week... So here goes the thoughts as I got ready for bed...

Am I made for the corporate world??

All I have seen of it thus far is red tape, unrealistic expectations handed down from people who sit at desks and have no idea what actually happens on the day to day. There is so much corruption, lying, manipulating, politics, and just general ass-kissing...

I want truth, I want actuality, I want realizable and attainable goals, I want trust and friendship in my peers. I want a mentor, a guide, and not one that teaches me how to play the game...

I hate that this is what our world and business has come to. I want to have a successful business built on good relationships, honest business and personal interactions, and a good standing in high morals and virtue.

Am I being naive? Is this possible? Am I in the wrong area? Is it all business? Is it all corporate businesses?

HOW DO I GET AWAY FROM THIS?!!

I am pretty sure one of the two people I have managed to form a relationship with at work left today... I do not know if it was her choice or not... and I have no details... I just know that because of my damn caring nature and ability to read people I accidentally got myself put into the situation a little bit without the right or ability to ask any questions and its so frustrating. I do not want to lose my only potential friend at work... when I am already having such a hard time finding reasons and ways to stay happy.

I just want to go back to being the happy person I usually am... I hope I can make that person a full time part of my life... and not someone that goes sulking away every morning when I walk through those doors....

There is still so much more reeling through my head... but I worry how much I should and should not share on here. I do not want to get myself in trouble, or have any questions raised about me or my loyalties... Again, I just want to be happy at work... and sadly right now I am not feeling that too much...

Here is to hoping for a brighter future... and working hard every day to get there!

Paths Ahead

OK, so I am at a point in my career where I am looking for a change. Unfortunately, there are some circumstances at my current account that I just am not happy with, nor do I want to have to succumb myself to this negativity. I am a pretty happy person and found myself really becoming bitter, angry and overall grouchy. I truly hate that this is happening!

But the hard part is my job is at least talking about getting me into a marketing position, which is something I really want and think I will succeed at. However, this change has been "in effect" for at least two weeks and the amount of marketing I have gotten done is probably less than I was doing before. And for the rest of the semester (at the minimum) if it ever actually transforms I am still supposed to be responsible for things in the cafe. Basically my job responsiblities have doubled, but my pay and status have not really changed.

So do I stick around till next school year for a brand new cafe, hopefully a full marketing manager/director position, but still dealing with all of the incredible amounts of negativity that surrounds me when I am there.

Now I am at the point with this company that I can look into transfer to different accounts or sectors... but there are things in general about the company that I personally do not like... maybe even disagree with. But are these things important enough to me that I would walk away from a good company with a lot of growth opportunities. But in order to be in an area I find appealing I would have to stay in operations and walk away from the marketing opportunity sitting in my lap.

And then there is the question to just move on altogether. But I am worried that my experience is not focused enough in the marketing world to find something that will allow me to move forward, versus backward in my career path. I feel like there are so many things I still need and want to learn.

This desire to learn.. go back to school... is one of the few side reasons that make me want to stay with the company I am with now, because they will give me money each year toward school... and i just have to give them a year of service after I complete the course. So I could have my Masters by sticking with the company for another couple years... Also, I have to worry about health benefits, because of my previous health conditions I can NOT let my lapse at all. Obviously, there is a grace period before you can get insurance with a new company... and I am not sure of all the rules with Cobra health benefits when you leave a company... I guess its something to look into.

And then there is the question of if I leave, what kind of jobs do I look for. What is my niche? What in the marketing area am I really great at? Is there another company that just needs an all around marketing manager, that handles events, promotions, social media, etc.

I guess those would be my three main areas of focus. Hoping/Providing the company doesn't want online experience, HTML background, and things of those likes, which I keep seeing a lot for in my preliminary searches.

Plus, you have to think that as a marketing person, what can I do, that is out of the ordinary, that will make me stick out, make me be the one they choose. These days a typical resume does not get you very far. And how else do you show your personality true and true through one of two pieces of paper... Even better how do you show your quirkiness without coming off like a 5 year old. Because honestly I think one of my best qualities is that I can have fun doing just about anything and can lighten a situation because I am silly. But where is there room for that in the business world? Where will I fit in?!

All the Marbles

So one of my roommates and I... I have five... a big change for me, but a topic for another time...
Anyways, we were talking the other day and came across an interesting topic she's learning about in her Masters Macroeconomic class. Is it more economically profitable to find your niche to focus on and then outsource everything else... and if so, how far can you take that example. We got on to the subject of house updates and chores... which ultimately got way out of hand in the realm of excuses to keep us from having to do things... but it really made me think...

What exactly is my niche, what am I great at, what is my singular greatest passion??? I have a many talents and interests, but I feel like there are very few things that I go out of my way to know everything about? I love gymnastics, but I do not follow gymnasts or the sport... the same with pole... I never get so involved with music that I would be able to point out the guitarist of my favorite band... or most times even know his name.


Similar thoughts go into my career. What are the things that define me and my career path. What is my personal brand? Honestly, I was reading an article today about personal brands and realized I am totally lost in what mine is. I am not sure if that is because I do not have a business to brand, but I am a marketing person so I should be able to figure this out!

I guess my brain is fried from being over worked with two jobs, multiple moves, health craziness and generally just trying to figure out my life and my next steps.

Well I am working on things slowly I guess further pondering and exploring the aforementioned problems can get added to my list of goals for the future.

Just to keep my random thoughts rolling here are some more of the goals I thought up...

Increase Vocabulary
Read at least one book a month
Utilize the technology at hand to get more organized (schedules, to-do's, appointments, etc.)
Use my marketing skills toward my career
Call a friend or family member at least once a week
Take a closer look at relationships and evaluate which are worth putting time into and which are not
Be Healthy - in all aspects and decisions -- be balanced
Invest in the good things in life and let the negative and bad things fall to the wayside
Make the most of my time... explore places and meet new people -- make connections
Find a passion! Follow it to wherever it takes me
Learn more and put focus into learning my religion
Learn more and take an interest in politics... at least the basics.

I am sure there are more... but this is a pretty good start I think.