Employed But Looking?

Ah, gentle readers, your MatchGirl has been a busy, busy bee. She is about to leave her cozy apartment, where she has lived for 6 1/2 years. She had been hard at work as part of the team that brings your favorite networking event to Brooklyn. She has joined the Community Managers Meetup community, hoping to meet more people who share her passions for connecting people in real life. And she has been working away at her day job.

At the same time, she is still connecting with people who are unemployed and underemployed, sharing the knowledge she gained during her year and a half of unemployment and trying to help make sure that others have smooth transitions and answer any questions that I can.

Recently I spoke with a friend who was employed, yet unhappy. And I've been thinking about that conversation. She's since quit her job and is in the process of figuring out what her next steps will be. I also spoke, recently, with a friend who, though he doesn't hate his job, he certainly does not look forward to going to it every morning. In that conversation he confided to me, and I feel OK in sharing it here, that after a long period of unemployment, he still just felt grateful to have a job. And, through, my network of formerly unemployed and still unemployed people, I have had the opportunity to speak to a lot of people who have been or are currently in similar situations.

Many of you, dear readers, took the first job you could get. You needed to. You needed to make more than $405 a week. You needed to get health insurance. You needed to start putting money back in your savings account. You needed to be able to go out for a drink or to brunch. You needed to be able to afford that plane ticket home for Christmas. And, for some of you, that's worked out well. For some of you, you feel stuck. You're employed, but you're looking. You don't want to seem ungrateful, because you still feel so lucky to even have a job at all, but you're not in a place that feels an exact fit.

And that, gentle ones, is OK.

It's awesome that you have a job now. It's awesome that you can pay your rent on time and without freaking out that the check will bounce. It's amazing that you can go to the doctor without having to go into debt. And you are not ungrateful.

Here is my advice. If you are unhappy, but employed, look. It doesn't hurt. And it's not ungrateful. See what's out there. Either you will find something that will suit you better or you will find out that where you are is not so bad.


It's not the same kind of job search that you had while you were unemployed. It's not as pressing. It's not imperative. It's just putting your feelers out there. Knowing what you are worth. Knowing that it's healthy to be keeping an eye open for your future. It's totally OK to look to better yourself and to take care of yourself. Keep eyes forward, gentle readers, it can only help you move ahead.

Go Go Go

Sunday night, I saw something amazing happen. I watched someone I know win an Academy Award. I watched him accept his award in his usual, easy and funny way. I watched him tell his girlfriend she was his dream come true. I watched him become a trending topic on Twitter. I watched our mutual friends fill up his wall on Facebook and tease each other about who was and who wasn't an extra in the film (your MatchGirl, gentle readers, *was* an extra). I whooped out loud when they called his name. I can't explain the feeling of excitement when you watch someone's dream come true. When it's someone who you know.

It's magical.

But here's the thing, dear ones, it's not magic. It's work. It's a lot of hard hard work.

And it's inspirational. To see someone, a regular person, someone you were just singing karaoke with a couple of months ago, reach this. This epitome of success.

I think I feel more emotional and excited about it because I have been spending a lot of time thinking about going and doing and innovation. I have been spending a lot of time thinking about ideas and how to spread them. I have been spending a lot of time thinking about how to not only think outside the box, but to build a whole new box. And I feel inspired.

Yesterday I mentioned that I have been working on a lot of new projects and I linked to them in a post. But here's the one that I didn't talk about. Here's the one, gentle readers, that has your MatchGirl filled with ideas and inspiration and excitement.

The Domino Project is the latest project from Seth Godin, with a simple goal: "get books to readers who want them. We identify great authors, establish smart partnerships, and use digital tools to give readers ideas they can spread." And I was accepted as part of the street team for this new venture.

The biggest perk so far (aside from meeting, IRL and online some really amazing people), has been that I received an early edition of Godin's new book "Poke The Box". It's a slim missive, no chapters no footnotes, no Table of Contents. It is, however, chock full of inspiration. Of ideas. Of reminders that the the people who wait to be picked are never the rule-breakers, the deal-makers, the innovators. The people who are afraid to fail - afraid to fuck up - are the ones who can never succeed.

Dear readers, your MatchGirl knows that some of you are still unemployed. She knows that many of you are under-employed. She knows that a lot of you are spending time trying to figure out what the hell you want to do. She knows that some of you are working in jobs that are not quite right and trying to fit into them. She knows that many of you are working in jobs that are not quite right and trying to make them fit to you. And your MatchGirl, gentle ones, wants you to to buy this book. Or borrow this book. But most of all, your MatchGirl wants you to read this book.

I read it over a couple of days on my commute to and from work. And as I read it, I smiled. I felt excited. I felt inspired. I felt like going into the office and kicking ass and figuring out what I could do that was different, that was unexpected, that was outside of my "job description." I felt like going home and getting online and telling you all about what I was reading. I felt like organizing events and pushing boundaries and trying to make not only my life better, but your life as well. I felt like launching my new projects and pushing them forward as hard as I can.

There are a lot of great quotes in there.

There are things I need to go through and pull out and share with you.

But for now, while I'm still full of excitement and inspiration; while I'm ready to work my ass off; while I am ready to begin, I share with you this:

This is a manifesto about starting
Starting a project, making a ruckus, taking what feels like a risk.

Not just "I'm starting to think about it," or "We're going to meet on this," or even "I filed a patent application..."

No, starting.

Going beyond the point of no return.

Leaping.

Committing.

Making something happen.

There are so many other inspirations your MatchGirl wants to share. There is so much I know we all can do. If you read the book, and I hope you will, let me know what you think. If you read the book and you have questions about the project, let me know. If you read the book and you think it's drivel, let me know. I'm really excited to hear what you guys have to say about it.

Finally, dear ones, I leave you with this: Have you fully understood the cost of not starting?

Go.

Go.

Go.

Projects!

Gentle readers, your MatchGirl, besides being a working girl, has been working with a variety of projects, so I thought I would take a moment to share them with you.

If you want to read more of my writing, as I have been blogging less on Unemployed Brooklyn of late, you can check out the blog for my company, From Bogota With Love, where I edit content, create the editorial calendar and, from time to time, write here.

If you want to know more about the direction that my life is moving, as Boyfriend and I look for an apartment and start a life of living and growing together, you can read about that (and please follow!) A Precious Environment. I'm blogging there 5 days a week.

I've started a Tumblr, too. Found, by MsMatchGirl is a place for me to share random things I find on my travels through the interwebs. It's updated from time to time, with no particular rhyme or reason - except that I've found something that I think is worth sharing.

I'm still working with Aja and Joann on Work It Brooklyn and you can find out more info on our blog, follow us on Twitter and join the conversation on our Facebook page.

Of course, I'm sure you all follow me on Twitter already!

There are a few other things in the works and a few other things I'm really excited to share with you. And share them, I will. In due time!

Dominoes

There's a lot of change going on in the world, gentle readers. Your MatchGirl means big change. She means little change. She means jobs being gotten on the power of a blog. She means dictatorships falling on the power of a tweet.  It's a whole new world when it comes to the written word and, in the end, it all can fall like dominoes.

Your MatchGirl is of two minds when it comes to digital books. (Seems like a tangent, but bear with...)

One the one hand, I love my neighborhood bookstore. I love the people that work there. I love their involvement in the community. I love going to book club once a month and talking about books (ones I might not have picked up on my own) with my friends and neighbors.

On the other hand, I recently downloaded the Kindle app on my Android. I haven't bought a book yet, but I've downloaded a couple of free ones. I like that I can have a book with me at all times - on my phone. I like that even in my smallest handbag, if I'm waiting for Boyfriend at the bar or stuck on a crowded train, that I have literature at my fingertips.

And while I know that some eReaders support your indie bookstore (thinking about getting a Nook, truth be told, since I could still buy Google books through Word), I'm still not 100% sold.

All that said, I believe in the power of the written word. I believe in the power of the written word to change minds and to change society. I believe that today's Twitter revolutions are a direct evolution of "Common Sense". And I believe that the standard rules of publishing - of distributing the written word - are changing.

I recently joined the Street Team for The Domino Project - Seth Godin's newest brainchild, destined to change the face - the "how" - of publishing. While I'm not sure exactly what the Street Team is all about just yet, I'm honored to be amongst such amazing people (seriously, you should check out these people). And as someone who has been putting thoughts and calls to action in this little space for the past two years, I'm excited about the possibilities that involvement can bring.

Does it mean I'll write a book? I dunno. A bunch of people have said that I ought to.
Does it mean, if I follow that path, that I'll self-publish? Or does it mean that I will try to go a more traditional route and look for a publisher who might like what I have to say? I have some friends who have followed that path. I can't say.
It does mean that I'm open to all sorts of possibilities. It means that I'm open to seeing how this movement can change other people's minds about books, about publishing. It means that I'm putting into practice one thing that I have known for a long time - word of mouth, especially a referral from someone whose opinion you trust, is everything when it comes to something new - a book to read, music to listen to a movie to see in the theater - to experience.

There are a lot of changes, dear readers, in my life right now. What I do know is that I am excited to meet the people involved in the Domino Project, to soak in what they have to say, to gather inspiration and support from them.

And I am most certainly excited to see how the dominoes fall...

Success?

Your MatchGirl is remiss, once again, that it has been so long since she's properly written.  There are just so many things going on in life and I have not, to be very honest, gentle readers, been able to put words to blog in a way that would be even remotely interesting.


Yet, yesterday morning, I saw this tweet from Kneale Mann and it started me thinking of the nature of success.

 
You see, dear ones, your MatchGirl currently has a lot going on - from work to personal projects to personal life changing (more to come on that in a future post) - and, pretty much, all of these things are good. Ones for the win column. A success you might say.


When I was unemployed, I had no fear of failure. I felt like I could go no further down than that November day in 2008 when I got laid off for the simple fact that I was one of only a few people on salary and benefits and the poorly run company could no longer afford to pay it (however paltry it was). So I started blogging. Putting myself out there into the world wasn't scary. And when I started Hire Me Martha, even after appearing on her show, I had no illusions that I would be hired. It was simply good publicity for her. And, as all my gentle readers know, I was embarrassingly single for much of the past couple of years of blogging, and I had no fear of putting myself out there - it couldn't get any worse.


Things have started to turn around. And, though I am by no means successful, I am heading in that direction.


What does it mean?


I'm not sure yet.


Will I make more money? God I hope so.
Will I find happiness? Seems likely.

Is success, in the end, about reaching the summit of the mountain? Or about all the amazing steps it takes along the way?

Happy Valentine's Day

Gentle readers, though your MatchGirl is quite excited to be celebrating St. Valentine's Day with Boyfriend, she has decided to jump on the bandwagon and push to reboot Valentine's Day as Generosity Day.

This Monday, Valentine’s Day, is going to be rebooted as Generosity Day: one day of sharing love with everyone, of being generous to everyone, to see how it feels and to practice saying “Yes.” Let’s make the day about love, action and human connection--because we can do better than smarmy greeting cards, overpriced roses, and stressed-out couples trying to create romantic meals on the fly.

                                                                                           - Sasha Dichter

Work It Brooklyn - We're Back!

That's right, friends, Work It Brooklyn is back!

We know it's been awhile since you've heard from us, but we are now getting busy revving up for an exciting 2011 for WIB and have set the date for our next big mix-and-mingle event: Wednesday, February 23, from 7 to 10PM. We'll be at Public Assembly in Williamsburg, where we'll have plenty of room for speed networking and general excitement.

Register to join the fun at Eventbrite. And while you're busy clicking links, make sure you migrate over to our new Facebook group to join the discussion and mingle, in advance, with your fellow creatives.

To keep WIB running (for operating costs and to bring you bigger and better events all year long) we will be asking for a suggested donation of $5 at the door, though we will turn no one away. Unless you didn't register, of course!

Get those business cards ready!
Aja Marsh, Briana Campbell, and Joann Kim
Work It Brooklyn
Blog | Facebook | 2.23.11 Registration

P.S. Have a friend that wants to join our mailing list? Have them email us.

About

Work It Brooklyn is an event-based networking organization formed in 2010 to connect inspired creatives working independently within the creative fields. Graphic designers, dancers, musicians, tech gurus, painters, and others gather in our evenings of productive debauchery. WIB is devised as a forum to connect folks working from home without the benefit of a network support system, opening up the opportunity to meet and forge partnerships, fine and create work, instigate healthy competition, and encourage the exchange of ideas and potential collaborations, all the while having a whole lot of fun.
Work It Brooklyn is produced by Aja Marsh (North Brooklyn Runners), Briana Campbell (Unemployed Brooklyn) and Joann Kim (Greenpoint Food Market).

Online Ticketing for work it brooklyn - mix and mingle event - february 23, 2011 powered by Eventbrite