Summer this year is crazy. Though I have no complaints, I am ready for the summer to be over with already and it's only the end of June.
Stepping back to look at life "as in" before pressing the fast forward button too quickly, a friend of mine who I reconnected with on Facebook -we were best buddies in middle school- is getting married in nearly 2 weeks. Her bachelorette party is this weekend and I have a new dress and shoes that I'm dying to have the opportunity to wear. I rarely spend money on myself --it's usually everyone else I'm buying for-- so this is a very big deal in two different lights. The one song that comes to mind? Shania Twain's "Man! I Feel Like A Woman".
Well, 'fast forward' about two weeks ago, I was in the mood for snow. I'm ready for life to settle down and snow, in a way, reminds me how to slow down because for me, it's not just a 'thing' that happens, it's a symbol for me. I want to stay extremely productive though. For me, there's a difference between being busy and being busy with intention. For me that difference is spending more time with family.
There are so many good things I have to look forward to however:
- A cousin of mine who resides in Laramie, Wyo., is roughly 15-weeks pregnant and a little girl will join the Fossum/Burstad clan and I couldn't be more thrilled.
- Another friend of mine is getting married in August; her bridal shower is this coming weekend
- Switchfoot will be in Chicago in August, I believe the 16th, 17th and 18th; I'm hoping to make it to one of those shows
- My Mom's birthday is in August
- Labor Day; maybe by then I'll have my career going
- A close family friend is getting married; her bridal shower is this coming weekend as well
- A good friend of mine has a birthday in early September; I'm eager to see what he has planned
- My birthday; good grief I'm getting old ;)
- Halloween; always fun to dress up and get away with dressing however you want
- Traveling to Colorado Springs this November
- My sister's birthday
- My StepDad's birthday
- Thanksgiving
- Christmas
Previous to typing all of this up, I thought things would slow down a little bit. What's going to help is having a regular Monday through Friday job. I'm constantly finding ways to reinvent myself, only thing is, I need a career that's going to allow me to do so. With my new camera I decided I'm going to splurge on soon -finally (it's been way too long!)- I'll have a new way to market myself. I've been told I have a voice for radio and I'm just going to say that I know I have good angles for the camera!
The only way to stand out is to get creative and that's my plan of action for this coming fall. What I need to work on is focusing and I need to stop coming up with crazy (rather pointless) ideas. If you're heard some of them recently, you know what I'm talking about. But there are 3 things that will always remain close to my heart: Switchfoot, Jeep Wranglers and being a Mass Communicator (engaging the public).
P.S. If anybody has the winning lottery numbers for next weeks MN Powerball, I'll gladly take notes! ;)
Thursday, June 24, 2010
Friday, June 18, 2010
Caribou Coffee Meet-Up: Friday, June 25
I went for another walk/run tonight in my Mizuno's and even though I was at total peace all the way to Lake Marion (even took my shoes off and tried convincing my dog Ruby that it's okay to walk in the water!), something happened tonight on my journey back home and I felt incredibly alone.
So alone that my gut began turning. And even though I looked into the beautiful sunset in the sky, I still could not help but wonder "What am I doing wrong??"
I need to get back out there and talk to people. What about what, I'm not even sure. It's like the song by Michael Buble called "Home" specifically the lyrics: "And I'm surrounded by a million people, but I still feel alone. I just wanna come home."
And by 'home' for myself, that's social media. I feel like I'm not indulging myself enough. And it's completely my fault. Well, to a point.
Even with my choppy schedule at work, I may be busy working on my side projects, but my own self-satisfaction of interacting with others and meeting new folks is a huge chunk of importance in my life and unless I have it, I feel so unaccomplished. You can only sit in front of a computer for so long, typing your fingers away and telling your audience what you're thinking about, but community involvement is also so, so important and I want that so badly, too.
I don't get many readers, or maybe I do? Here's my chance to find out.
I went to Caribou Coffee's website to see where the heck the Caribou's are in the state of Minnesota. Well, turns out, there's 215 sites and I'm choosing next Friday, June 25 to have coffee in Eden Prarie. I was originally going to be there at whatever time they open, but I have to be at work from 8 a.m. - 10 a.m., so I'll be there for an afternoon coffee break. :)
If you want to join me, leave a comment letting me know what time you plan on coming, what company you're with and if there's something specific you want to talk about. If you're just coming for the socialization, I'm totally game for it.
The address:
Caribou
16506 West 78th Street
Eden Prairie, MN 55344
I'd love to talk . . . about anything. I'm a very easy going person and even if we've never met before, come on over. Seriously.
If I get a lot of people responding, I'll inform everyone of whose coming.
Have a fantastic weekend!
So alone that my gut began turning. And even though I looked into the beautiful sunset in the sky, I still could not help but wonder "What am I doing wrong??"
I need to get back out there and talk to people. What about what, I'm not even sure. It's like the song by Michael Buble called "Home" specifically the lyrics: "And I'm surrounded by a million people, but I still feel alone. I just wanna come home."
And by 'home' for myself, that's social media. I feel like I'm not indulging myself enough. And it's completely my fault. Well, to a point.
Even with my choppy schedule at work, I may be busy working on my side projects, but my own self-satisfaction of interacting with others and meeting new folks is a huge chunk of importance in my life and unless I have it, I feel so unaccomplished. You can only sit in front of a computer for so long, typing your fingers away and telling your audience what you're thinking about, but community involvement is also so, so important and I want that so badly, too.
I don't get many readers, or maybe I do? Here's my chance to find out.
I went to Caribou Coffee's website to see where the heck the Caribou's are in the state of Minnesota. Well, turns out, there's 215 sites and I'm choosing next Friday, June 25 to have coffee in Eden Prarie. I was originally going to be there at whatever time they open, but I have to be at work from 8 a.m. - 10 a.m., so I'll be there for an afternoon coffee break. :)
If you want to join me, leave a comment letting me know what time you plan on coming, what company you're with and if there's something specific you want to talk about. If you're just coming for the socialization, I'm totally game for it.
The address:
Caribou
16506 West 78th Street
Eden Prairie, MN 55344
I'd love to talk . . . about anything. I'm a very easy going person and even if we've never met before, come on over. Seriously.
If I get a lot of people responding, I'll inform everyone of whose coming.
Have a fantastic weekend!
Boards tests, certifications, The Miller Times and a beautiful Friday evening
Note: I originally was not going to post this tonight, but due to the timing of the topics, it only seems logical to post this today.
I want reasons to celebrate life because I'm grateful to be alive; but without a thrill of something to share with my audience, I feel like I'm just waking up and not satisfying my own goals. I enjoy talking to people about anything but religion and politics.
I like being the source for the information. I have a hard time with this though because I also want to be able to shut off technology Friday after 4 p.m. through Sunday evening however, I'm still working on this time frame. We all need a break, even from what we're passionate about. For me that's sometimes the only way to keep the juices flowing.
So, to begin, this has been a hectic week for me, in terms of my personal life, but I am not complaining at all as the sun is shining and I have the rest of the day to do whatever tickles my fancy. I was working on blog last night I feel extremely passionate about, but this blog doesn't compliment it.
Here's what's making me really happy as the sun beams off my face as I sit on my deck.
1. My Mom passed her boards test. She went back to school for her RN degree and after countless hours of studying, writing papers and having to put up with clinicals (nursing students do not get paid for these) she graduated in May and passed her boards test June 16.
I am grateful to have such a wonderful, brilliant, smart, beautiful, funny, hard-working Mom who continues to show me nothing but love, tough love (I still need it!) and she agrees to disagree with my decisions from time to time. I love you Mom!!
2. Andrew Miller won the competition for the Fast Horse Inc., Summer Internship. The reason I am so happy for him? First off, we're both alumnus' of Minnesota State University, Mankato and secondly, we both went to school for a degree in Mass Communications. He focused in journalism, while I focused in PR. You'd think we'd be worst enemies. ;)
His blog The Miller Times is pretty awesome, too! If you're wondering, Andrew and I connected on Twitter through an awesome professor we both had, Ellen Mrja, as she mentioned him in one of her tweets and I just decided to begin following him. Follow me here and follow him here.
Congratulations Andrew! I hope we can get together for a drink when you move back to Twins Territory, of course after you're all settled in!
Oh and the Star Tribune wrote an article about it, but Andrew isn't too thrilled with the piece. The process of the interview thrilled him however!
3. I passed my CPR/AED test this morning. I set my alarm, woke up, did my usual routine, got to work (that's where I took my test), bought myself breakfast and was done at 1:30ish. After I watched a handful or two of videos, I demonstrated my understanding of CPR, rescue breathing, and what to do when an adult/child or infant is choking, how to apply the AED pads and use the machine if the victim goes into cardiac arrest, took the written test and passed! I'd love to brag about my score, but honestly, the numbers at this point done count. ;)
4. It's Friday. Not only did I pass my CPR/AED demonstrations and written test, it's Friday and holy crap I'm actually NOT working?! What??!? :) Paul Tran, you can pick your jaw up off the ground buddy.
Needless to say, it's beautiful out (mostly sunny), I am at home, organizing my thoughts, processing my next steps, doing a little cleaning, making a wonderful batch of ice tea, the wind in my face feels magnificent and the weekend is here. Even if that means I'm working, I'm grateful for the opportunities to work with the team I do.
5. I'm alive and well; oh and I'm still Diet Coke free! Just looking at their web site makes me crave for just one 12 ounce can of the stuff!! The main reason I gave up pop is something very simple called self control. Why I chose June is a different story...because there isn't a story. It's simply all about self control. I like to test myself and it's always a great way to wash out my system and hydrate myself with more water. I do enjoy other refreshments like Dr Pepper, Sierra Mist or Diet Mountain Dew every so often. Sometimes I'll even have a Coke if I really feel the need to "sugar" myself up. I refuse to drink Pepsi (pretty much battery acid --well, that's what I've heard!) or Diet Pepsi from a can. I'll only drink Diet Pepsi from tap as I don't like the taste of it from the can. All in all, I feel great about this. It's so silly, but it's perfect for me.
That wraps up my day folks! I hope you have a wonderful weekend :)
I want reasons to celebrate life because I'm grateful to be alive; but without a thrill of something to share with my audience, I feel like I'm just waking up and not satisfying my own goals. I enjoy talking to people about anything but religion and politics.
I like being the source for the information. I have a hard time with this though because I also want to be able to shut off technology Friday after 4 p.m. through Sunday evening however, I'm still working on this time frame. We all need a break, even from what we're passionate about. For me that's sometimes the only way to keep the juices flowing.
So, to begin, this has been a hectic week for me, in terms of my personal life, but I am not complaining at all as the sun is shining and I have the rest of the day to do whatever tickles my fancy. I was working on blog last night I feel extremely passionate about, but this blog doesn't compliment it.
Here's what's making me really happy as the sun beams off my face as I sit on my deck.
1. My Mom passed her boards test. She went back to school for her RN degree and after countless hours of studying, writing papers and having to put up with clinicals (nursing students do not get paid for these) she graduated in May and passed her boards test June 16.
I am grateful to have such a wonderful, brilliant, smart, beautiful, funny, hard-working Mom who continues to show me nothing but love, tough love (I still need it!) and she agrees to disagree with my decisions from time to time. I love you Mom!!
2. Andrew Miller won the competition for the Fast Horse Inc., Summer Internship. The reason I am so happy for him? First off, we're both alumnus' of Minnesota State University, Mankato and secondly, we both went to school for a degree in Mass Communications. He focused in journalism, while I focused in PR. You'd think we'd be worst enemies. ;)
His blog The Miller Times is pretty awesome, too! If you're wondering, Andrew and I connected on Twitter through an awesome professor we both had, Ellen Mrja, as she mentioned him in one of her tweets and I just decided to begin following him. Follow me here and follow him here.
Congratulations Andrew! I hope we can get together for a drink when you move back to Twins Territory, of course after you're all settled in!
Oh and the Star Tribune wrote an article about it, but Andrew isn't too thrilled with the piece. The process of the interview thrilled him however!
3. I passed my CPR/AED test this morning. I set my alarm, woke up, did my usual routine, got to work (that's where I took my test), bought myself breakfast and was done at 1:30ish. After I watched a handful or two of videos, I demonstrated my understanding of CPR, rescue breathing, and what to do when an adult/child or infant is choking, how to apply the AED pads and use the machine if the victim goes into cardiac arrest, took the written test and passed! I'd love to brag about my score, but honestly, the numbers at this point done count. ;)
4. It's Friday. Not only did I pass my CPR/AED demonstrations and written test, it's Friday and holy crap I'm actually NOT working?! What??!? :) Paul Tran, you can pick your jaw up off the ground buddy.
Needless to say, it's beautiful out (mostly sunny), I am at home, organizing my thoughts, processing my next steps, doing a little cleaning, making a wonderful batch of ice tea, the wind in my face feels magnificent and the weekend is here. Even if that means I'm working, I'm grateful for the opportunities to work with the team I do.
5. I'm alive and well; oh and I'm still Diet Coke free! Just looking at their web site makes me crave for just one 12 ounce can of the stuff!! The main reason I gave up pop is something very simple called self control. Why I chose June is a different story...because there isn't a story. It's simply all about self control. I like to test myself and it's always a great way to wash out my system and hydrate myself with more water. I do enjoy other refreshments like Dr Pepper, Sierra Mist or Diet Mountain Dew every so often. Sometimes I'll even have a Coke if I really feel the need to "sugar" myself up. I refuse to drink Pepsi (pretty much battery acid --well, that's what I've heard!) or Diet Pepsi from a can. I'll only drink Diet Pepsi from tap as I don't like the taste of it from the can. All in all, I feel great about this. It's so silly, but it's perfect for me.
That wraps up my day folks! I hope you have a wonderful weekend :)
Thursday, June 17, 2010
Switchfoot: I simply love their music and messages
I believe I was a given the gift of a musicial ear. This post has little to do with that, but has everything to do with musicial talents.
For those who know me well, I use music to express myself and I usually stick with anything by Switchfoot because I appreciate Jonathan Foreman's thought process and someday I will meet him and the band and we will write a song together. His younger brother Tim Foreman also writes and co-writes with Jonathan. I'm used to calling Jonathan "Jon" but I read somewhere he prefers his birth name and I don't know if that's fact or fiction. I'll probably change it up here and there.
A few great Switchfoot videos:
"Dare You To Move" from "The Beautiful Letdown" (2003) album <---This video reminds me that life is too short to not Move in life and give it all you've got. Note: This song is on A Walk To Remember's soundtrack and when I saw the movie (starring Shane West and Mandy Moore), I heard this song and the band had me at, well,"I dare you to move."
"Stars" from "Nothing Is Sound" (2005) <--- Great, great, great "under water" animation and the opening lyrics just scream at you: "Maybe I've been the problem, Maybe I'm the one to blame, But even when I turn it off and blame myself, The outcome feels the same. Maybe I've been partly cloudy, Maybe I'm the chance of rain and Maybe I'm overcast and maybe all my lucks washed down the drain." "Awakening" from "Oh! Gravity" (2006) <--- If you're having a bad day and you need a new tune to jam to, check out this video. You may dress up in a business suit or at least a dress shirt and tie when you go to work, but when you get home, you might have a little 'punk' in you that needs to be set free. Just sayin. :) "The Sound" from "Hello Hurricane" (2009) <--- I'm just gonna say check it out. It might just make the hair on the back of your neck stand up. If you like Martin Luther King Jr., you're going to like what this song is all about and who it's dedicated to: John M. Perkins.
"Hello Hurricane" also from "Hello Hurricane" <--- If you enjoy metaphors as much as I do, crank this puppy. To understand who Switchfoot is, Jon is the one who seems to do a lot of the talking. I found this video a long time ago and I felt like he was literally talking to me about...life. This video is fun and somewhat informational but it depends on what you're after, in terms of 'what is the meaning of our daily lives?' They write and performs songs about life and what they perceive it to be about, what we're capable of, what we can do to improve ourselves daily and how we can 'slow down'. Obviously the words are only their opinions, but to me, the actions behind the words speak louder than the lyrics. They give their listeners much to think about, IF they choose to break down the lyrics --this is what I do. And it gets really, really, really intense for me sometimes.
These guys aren't always "so serious". Check this out (it's a podcast they've made while on their Hello Hurricane tour which ended June 24 in Del Mar, California) and you'll see what I mean.
Switchfoot had 90 songs (they wrote a new song every day) for their latest album "Hello Hurricane" which dropped November 10, 2009 and you can buy it here. I believe it is their best album yet, I think. To understand Jon Foreman, Tim Foreman, Drew Shirley, Jerome Fontamillas and Chad Butler, you have to be willing to understand that these guys literally sing, play and write from their heart.
That's how it is for any band though; if you're enough of a fanatic, you're going to take the time to learn about the band.
They departed from Columbia records in 2003 I believe (their was change in management at the label) and made their own record label Lowercase people records because they wanted to remove the corporate barrier between their audience and their songs. They wanted to be able to give more back to society and the people who have supported them throughout the years they've been a band and not be marketed as the label saw it to be. They don't think about societies standards, either; they write about how messed up our society is (if you don't agree with me then I'll agree to disagree with you) and how we have the ability to make a difference and be the difference we'd like to see in the world. I honestly believe they write in the rawest form possible and if you're looking/seeking for more meaning in life, they've done the "thinking" for you and break it down metaphorically.
Best part about music in general? You can come up with your own meanings and what you think their lyrics are referring to (or any song for that matter) and for me, this is the best part about a song.
Switchfoot has their own YouTube page and Episode 47 [Surf] is pretty amazing --I'm being absolutely biased obviously. It involves a lot of surfing, a few scoops of ice cream and some live music from their song "Awakening."
For those who know me well, I use music to express myself and I usually stick with anything by Switchfoot because I appreciate Jonathan Foreman's thought process and someday I will meet him and the band and we will write a song together. His younger brother Tim Foreman also writes and co-writes with Jonathan. I'm used to calling Jonathan "Jon" but I read somewhere he prefers his birth name and I don't know if that's fact or fiction. I'll probably change it up here and there.
A few great Switchfoot videos:
"Dare You To Move" from "The Beautiful Letdown" (2003) album <---This video reminds me that life is too short to not Move in life and give it all you've got. Note: This song is on A Walk To Remember's soundtrack and when I saw the movie (starring Shane West and Mandy Moore), I heard this song and the band had me at, well,"I dare you to move."
"Stars" from "Nothing Is Sound" (2005) <--- Great, great, great "under water" animation and the opening lyrics just scream at you: "Maybe I've been the problem, Maybe I'm the one to blame, But even when I turn it off and blame myself, The outcome feels the same. Maybe I've been partly cloudy, Maybe I'm the chance of rain and Maybe I'm overcast and maybe all my lucks washed down the drain." "Awakening" from "Oh! Gravity" (2006) <--- If you're having a bad day and you need a new tune to jam to, check out this video. You may dress up in a business suit or at least a dress shirt and tie when you go to work, but when you get home, you might have a little 'punk' in you that needs to be set free. Just sayin. :) "The Sound" from "Hello Hurricane" (2009) <--- I'm just gonna say check it out. It might just make the hair on the back of your neck stand up. If you like Martin Luther King Jr., you're going to like what this song is all about and who it's dedicated to: John M. Perkins.
"Hello Hurricane" also from "Hello Hurricane" <--- If you enjoy metaphors as much as I do, crank this puppy. To understand who Switchfoot is, Jon is the one who seems to do a lot of the talking. I found this video a long time ago and I felt like he was literally talking to me about...life. This video is fun and somewhat informational but it depends on what you're after, in terms of 'what is the meaning of our daily lives?' They write and performs songs about life and what they perceive it to be about, what we're capable of, what we can do to improve ourselves daily and how we can 'slow down'. Obviously the words are only their opinions, but to me, the actions behind the words speak louder than the lyrics. They give their listeners much to think about, IF they choose to break down the lyrics --this is what I do. And it gets really, really, really intense for me sometimes.
These guys aren't always "so serious". Check this out (it's a podcast they've made while on their Hello Hurricane tour which ended June 24 in Del Mar, California) and you'll see what I mean.
Switchfoot had 90 songs (they wrote a new song every day) for their latest album "Hello Hurricane" which dropped November 10, 2009 and you can buy it here. I believe it is their best album yet, I think. To understand Jon Foreman, Tim Foreman, Drew Shirley, Jerome Fontamillas and Chad Butler, you have to be willing to understand that these guys literally sing, play and write from their heart.
That's how it is for any band though; if you're enough of a fanatic, you're going to take the time to learn about the band.
They departed from Columbia records in 2003 I believe (their was change in management at the label) and made their own record label Lowercase people records because they wanted to remove the corporate barrier between their audience and their songs. They wanted to be able to give more back to society and the people who have supported them throughout the years they've been a band and not be marketed as the label saw it to be. They don't think about societies standards, either; they write about how messed up our society is (if you don't agree with me then I'll agree to disagree with you) and how we have the ability to make a difference and be the difference we'd like to see in the world. I honestly believe they write in the rawest form possible and if you're looking/seeking for more meaning in life, they've done the "thinking" for you and break it down metaphorically.
Best part about music in general? You can come up with your own meanings and what you think their lyrics are referring to (or any song for that matter) and for me, this is the best part about a song.
Switchfoot has their own YouTube page and Episode 47 [Surf] is pretty amazing --I'm being absolutely biased obviously. It involves a lot of surfing, a few scoops of ice cream and some live music from their song "Awakening."
They also have charities they support, one of them imparticular is StandUp For Kids. There was a fundraiser at the 6th Annual BRO AM concert in San Diego which supported this charity project. Click on the link for more information.
At the end of the day, Switchfoot is Jon, Tim, Drew, Jerome and Chad; five guys who came together by fate whether it was a life decision, a random phone call or the natural ability to rock out with a powerful meaning very few artists have the raw talent of being able to create, deliver and all the while entertain through the purest form.
I'd say Switchfoot is the easiest yet the most lyrically-challenging band I've listened to. They dig deep and they've done plenty of 'open heart surgery' to get back to the basics (what this life is about and what the times we live in are all about (how we engage with each other)) but I feel like they're just getting started...all over again.
Switchfoot, you're amazing. Oh and I want one of these. Please and thank you!!!
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
Don't play games with a girl who can play better
Let me introduce myself, again. My name is Rachel Ryan and I'm a Mass Communication major. I love, love, love, love social media, Switchfoot, Jeep Wranglers and helping people.
What I'm good at:
Time-management, SWOT, staying audience-focused, developing relevant pitches, communicating and writing my thoughts out and I'm a confident social media professional. I know Microsoft Word, Microsoft Excel, Power Point very well. I get Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn --some people STILL don't understand Twitter. Oh, I'm also organized and in-depth researcher. For me, these go hand-in hand.
My dream jobs in social media consist of:
1) Doing contract work for Switchfoot. <-- I don't just listen to the lyrics they write, I de-code them. Ask anyone who knows me well enough. I'm not obsessed (I don't know their DOB's) and just recently learned all of the guys, except Jonathon Foreman, has kids. I pay attention to the music. The rest if I'm lucky enough, I will learn in time...as in when I get the opportunity to meet them.
I'm not the kind of person who snoops for information about people, unless it's for a job interview and that's a different story. I have a life, the clock is ticking and I'm passionate about this band so the day I get to personally meet them and hang out with them is the day my life will change...forever.
2) Working for Jeep. <-- I'm pretty much obsessed (it's a healthy obsession, so no worries) with Jeep Wranglers, specifically manuals, but love all the models. If I could, I'd blog and tweet about the experiences their customers have and get paid for it. ;) I have other things I want to do with Jeeps and it has absolutely nothing to do with Jeep.com either. My idea is still just an idea, but will eventually become a work in progress. ;)
I'll just say, we're a nation of builders and crafters and I'm very creative.
3) This isn't exactly a "dream job" but doing "contracting" work. I'm currently working with Sarah Hoffman and Robert Stanke. I'm on fire with these two and I'm looking forward to seeing what we can come up with as a team.
4) Being involved with the community I live in. This is done for me in two different ways.
First, if you volunteer your time somewhere or you have a project you're working on and you feel you have newsworthy information about what you're doing and you want the public to know about it (rememeber, to the rest of the world it's just "Tuesday"), you can use a platform I'm building. For more information about this, you may personally contact me: rachel.ryan09@gmail.com
Second, I like to help people find work (or perhaps even an internship) through connections I have and I'm not just talking about "Oh yeah?! Well I know this awesome celebrity who I tweet back and forth with --sorta kinda-- and I bet I can get you a job!" That's not how the world turns.
I'm willing to help people who are dedicated and passionate about what they do. My most recent encounter has been with Mr. Andrew Miller who you can also learn more about him here and here. I have never met the guy, but I feel we've become great friends already from 2,000 miles away. He's trying to land an internship with Fast Horse Inc. Vote for him --the competition ends Friday, June 15. That's THIS Friday!
To re-cap, Switchfoot, Jeeps, and Community Involvement. That's who I am. Oh and I don't mind getting dirty when the job description calls for it. I may be a girl, but don't play with a girl who can play the game better if you don't know what you're doing. ;)
This is me, these are my thoughts and your opinions are always welcome. Any questions you have about me? I'm an open book, within reason. It's always a pleasure being able to write what's on my mind and you learning from me and me being able to learn from you!
What I'm good at:
Time-management, SWOT, staying audience-focused, developing relevant pitches, communicating and writing my thoughts out and I'm a confident social media professional. I know Microsoft Word, Microsoft Excel, Power Point very well. I get Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn --some people STILL don't understand Twitter. Oh, I'm also organized and in-depth researcher. For me, these go hand-in hand.
My dream jobs in social media consist of:
1) Doing contract work for Switchfoot. <-- I don't just listen to the lyrics they write, I de-code them. Ask anyone who knows me well enough. I'm not obsessed (I don't know their DOB's) and just recently learned all of the guys, except Jonathon Foreman, has kids. I pay attention to the music. The rest if I'm lucky enough, I will learn in time...as in when I get the opportunity to meet them.
I'm not the kind of person who snoops for information about people, unless it's for a job interview and that's a different story. I have a life, the clock is ticking and I'm passionate about this band so the day I get to personally meet them and hang out with them is the day my life will change...forever.
2) Working for Jeep. <-- I'm pretty much obsessed (it's a healthy obsession, so no worries) with Jeep Wranglers, specifically manuals, but love all the models. If I could, I'd blog and tweet about the experiences their customers have and get paid for it. ;) I have other things I want to do with Jeeps and it has absolutely nothing to do with Jeep.com either. My idea is still just an idea, but will eventually become a work in progress. ;)
I'll just say, we're a nation of builders and crafters and I'm very creative.
3) This isn't exactly a "dream job" but doing "contracting" work. I'm currently working with Sarah Hoffman and Robert Stanke. I'm on fire with these two and I'm looking forward to seeing what we can come up with as a team.
4) Being involved with the community I live in. This is done for me in two different ways.
First, if you volunteer your time somewhere or you have a project you're working on and you feel you have newsworthy information about what you're doing and you want the public to know about it (rememeber, to the rest of the world it's just "Tuesday"), you can use a platform I'm building. For more information about this, you may personally contact me: rachel.ryan09@gmail.com
Second, I like to help people find work (or perhaps even an internship) through connections I have and I'm not just talking about "Oh yeah?! Well I know this awesome celebrity who I tweet back and forth with --sorta kinda-- and I bet I can get you a job!" That's not how the world turns.
I'm willing to help people who are dedicated and passionate about what they do. My most recent encounter has been with Mr. Andrew Miller who you can also learn more about him here and here. I have never met the guy, but I feel we've become great friends already from 2,000 miles away. He's trying to land an internship with Fast Horse Inc. Vote for him --the competition ends Friday, June 15. That's THIS Friday!
To re-cap, Switchfoot, Jeeps, and Community Involvement. That's who I am. Oh and I don't mind getting dirty when the job description calls for it. I may be a girl, but don't play with a girl who can play the game better if you don't know what you're doing. ;)
This is me, these are my thoughts and your opinions are always welcome. Any questions you have about me? I'm an open book, within reason. It's always a pleasure being able to write what's on my mind and you learning from me and me being able to learn from you!
Tuesday, June 15, 2010
Stardust
I get so very easily distracted when there is no one else in the room and I'm in front of my computer. When I don't have motivation, life becomes stardust; but there's so much of it sparkling in every direction I get pulled because I'm not being pulled in one specific direction because there's no time line and then I'm trying to do so many things at once but don't get anything done as a result because of everything I want to do and then I'm not happy. And I get crabby.
And I'm not a morning person, but boy and I am a night-owl, however that is not the lifestyle I want to live when I get my "Monday thru Friday 9-5" job. I'd love to get up, take a shower right away (this wakes me up) which is the equivalent of you probably drinking your coffee right after waking up, get dressed, come upstairs and read the paper, enjoy my breakfast and hopefully the night before I was sly enough to make myself a lunch because I'm not a fan of packing my lunch the day of. And I get to watch the sunrise. Beautiful.
In fact, when I worked for a convenient store and I worked a 6-2 shift, I was up at 4:45 a.m. and I LOVED it because I was able to have the planet to myself for an hour or so.
To those who think I'm not a morning person, I'm not, but when I have a reason to get up at the crack of dawn, whether it's for work, vacation or ice fishing, I'm totally game. You could even wake me up at 3:30 a.m. for ice fishing and I have no complaints and long as I've got all I need out on the lake!
Well, getting back to my point, I'm beyond frustrated today because of the stardust.
I want to do absolutely nothing but relax and enjoy the night now, but I also wanted to do about five different things before I go to bed.
I feel like I can't focus. I have a couple of friends who are awesome at time management. I'm great with it when I'm under pressure and have no choice but to focus. Because I'm getting paid for it... :)
When it comes to my own personal life and have projects I want to take on, I put such big goals in front of my own face and then sometimes I get stuck and I'm not sure when the right time is to speak up because I don't want to be telling everyone what I'm doing and then by the time everyone knows about it, I feel like I'm one of "those" people who gets yielded by a bump in the road, but then I don't know which way to go or who to ask for help from and then the people I told about the project ask me how it's coming, but I have no news because I need more sources to keep my project going. Wow...was that a run-on sentence??? Sheesh! I don't want to ask for help because I don't want people thinking I'm nagging, but I don't want to not "walk the walk" because I do! A few years ago, it was a different story. But you grow up and you realize how fast the clock does tick and how fast life DOES pass you by.
I do my best to never take a single day for grantide. A great friend of mine reminds me of this time and time again and you know who you are.
I am working on a big, big, big project right now and it's something I've never done before. I'm at the point where I feel like I need more resources, but the "big dogs" are busy, yet that doesn't mean I SHOULDN'T ask for help. It's like a game of pull and tug.
This project could take me up to a year to complete. Little by little, I plan on tackling it.
If my stardust wasn't thrown in the air all at once, that would help me. But that is what I do. I want to be like the Peter Shankman of the east coast and the Sarah Evans of the midwest and I want to not only be the change I want to see in the world, I want to help my peers out along the way who aren't just looking for something to fall into their lap.
To the people I've met in real life that I've been following on Twitter and to the few who I'm huge fans of (again, you all know who you are), you are a HUGE inspiration which is why I talk to you as much as I can without over doing it because we all have so many things we want to try and touch and turn to gold while we still have time.
Stardust isn't always a bad thing, but sometimes, social media can be the biggest devil in the world. Don't get me wrong, I absolutely LOVE social media. Why do you think I'm on LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter (2 accounts for cryin outloud!) and I blog?!
Anywho, stardust makes me happy and it also can make me VERY frustrated. What is a girl to do? Comments and opinions are always welcome! :)
And I'm not a morning person, but boy and I am a night-owl, however that is not the lifestyle I want to live when I get my "Monday thru Friday 9-5" job. I'd love to get up, take a shower right away (this wakes me up) which is the equivalent of you probably drinking your coffee right after waking up, get dressed, come upstairs and read the paper, enjoy my breakfast and hopefully the night before I was sly enough to make myself a lunch because I'm not a fan of packing my lunch the day of. And I get to watch the sunrise. Beautiful.
In fact, when I worked for a convenient store and I worked a 6-2 shift, I was up at 4:45 a.m. and I LOVED it because I was able to have the planet to myself for an hour or so.
To those who think I'm not a morning person, I'm not, but when I have a reason to get up at the crack of dawn, whether it's for work, vacation or ice fishing, I'm totally game. You could even wake me up at 3:30 a.m. for ice fishing and I have no complaints and long as I've got all I need out on the lake!
Well, getting back to my point, I'm beyond frustrated today because of the stardust.
I want to do absolutely nothing but relax and enjoy the night now, but I also wanted to do about five different things before I go to bed.
I feel like I can't focus. I have a couple of friends who are awesome at time management. I'm great with it when I'm under pressure and have no choice but to focus. Because I'm getting paid for it... :)
When it comes to my own personal life and have projects I want to take on, I put such big goals in front of my own face and then sometimes I get stuck and I'm not sure when the right time is to speak up because I don't want to be telling everyone what I'm doing and then by the time everyone knows about it, I feel like I'm one of "those" people who gets yielded by a bump in the road, but then I don't know which way to go or who to ask for help from and then the people I told about the project ask me how it's coming, but I have no news because I need more sources to keep my project going. Wow...was that a run-on sentence??? Sheesh! I don't want to ask for help because I don't want people thinking I'm nagging, but I don't want to not "walk the walk" because I do! A few years ago, it was a different story. But you grow up and you realize how fast the clock does tick and how fast life DOES pass you by.
I do my best to never take a single day for grantide. A great friend of mine reminds me of this time and time again and you know who you are.
I am working on a big, big, big project right now and it's something I've never done before. I'm at the point where I feel like I need more resources, but the "big dogs" are busy, yet that doesn't mean I SHOULDN'T ask for help. It's like a game of pull and tug.
This project could take me up to a year to complete. Little by little, I plan on tackling it.
If my stardust wasn't thrown in the air all at once, that would help me. But that is what I do. I want to be like the Peter Shankman of the east coast and the Sarah Evans of the midwest and I want to not only be the change I want to see in the world, I want to help my peers out along the way who aren't just looking for something to fall into their lap.
To the people I've met in real life that I've been following on Twitter and to the few who I'm huge fans of (again, you all know who you are), you are a HUGE inspiration which is why I talk to you as much as I can without over doing it because we all have so many things we want to try and touch and turn to gold while we still have time.
Stardust isn't always a bad thing, but sometimes, social media can be the biggest devil in the world. Don't get me wrong, I absolutely LOVE social media. Why do you think I'm on LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter (2 accounts for cryin outloud!) and I blog?!
Anywho, stardust makes me happy and it also can make me VERY frustrated. What is a girl to do? Comments and opinions are always welcome! :)
Respecting yourself and others
Dear Readers -
I am not proud of my latest post, which no longer exists on my blog. I have it saved as a word document.
I'm not proud of appearing to scream at the top of my lungs in posts. It actually would turn me off from a post if I saw it.
I wanted to apologize to my readers. Anyone who knows me somewhat well, knows that I need time to process moments after my buttons have been pushed so I can logically think and talk the situation through with someone who I trust. If that's the step I so choose to take.
Seeing and hearing views points helps me to shake it off and come back with a more calm opinion. I didn't do that after a post written by Bob Stanke where a guy at Cub Foods clearly needed to rethink what respect is all about. As a result, I probably painted a picture in your head that I can't take back.
We live in a very, very chaotic world. It's full of gray areas, not "rules", as I spoke about. We all need reality checks, some of us more often than others. But, that is life.
In the words of The Little River Band, it's time for another cool change.
Again, I apologize if I turned you off. Hopefully, it won't happen again.
I am not proud of my latest post, which no longer exists on my blog. I have it saved as a word document.
I'm not proud of appearing to scream at the top of my lungs in posts. It actually would turn me off from a post if I saw it.
I wanted to apologize to my readers. Anyone who knows me somewhat well, knows that I need time to process moments after my buttons have been pushed so I can logically think and talk the situation through with someone who I trust. If that's the step I so choose to take.
Seeing and hearing views points helps me to shake it off and come back with a more calm opinion. I didn't do that after a post written by Bob Stanke where a guy at Cub Foods clearly needed to rethink what respect is all about. As a result, I probably painted a picture in your head that I can't take back.
We live in a very, very chaotic world. It's full of gray areas, not "rules", as I spoke about. We all need reality checks, some of us more often than others. But, that is life.
In the words of The Little River Band, it's time for another cool change.
Again, I apologize if I turned you off. Hopefully, it won't happen again.
Tuesday, June 1, 2010
Pre-professional advice . . . from the professionals :)
@PRSarahEvans asks a lot of questions, daily on Facebook. This is the first time I've written a blog post on it.
Here's her recent question and the answers she received. There will probably be more comments, but this is all I'm posting.
"What's one thing you wish you would have known about the professional world before entering it?"
"I wish I had understood the difference between working harder and working smarter, sooner. I worked very long hard hours in the early years, sometimes to my advantage (promotions, raises, etc) but also sometimes to my detriment (salary + working 60 hours a week = less than minimum wage)."
"Not to fly by the seat of your pants."
"To be your own best advocate. No one else is going to care about your career more than you do."
"There is no such thing as a secure job - no matter how hard you work."
"That being good at your job doesn't necessarily translate into promotions and/or more money. It's all about who you know, not what you know."
"Take time off. You may never have the chance again."
"Get the $$$$ going into the position...it will be harder afterward. Also TAKE YOUR EARNED TIME OFF!!!! If you don't take it when it's earned; then you'll never take it.
Result = Burnout & poor health ahead! Or even something more serious!"
"When you're passionate about what you're doing keep going...when you've lost the passion don't let the easy paycheck keep you - it kills the spirit!"
"That sometimes it's necessary to "toot your own horn" even when it doesn't come naturally...because more than likely nobody else is going to do it for you."
"That hard work and knowing what you are doing counts for nothing unless you make sure others who count (that is, those who can promote you) see and appreciate your value."
Here's her recent question and the answers she received. There will probably be more comments, but this is all I'm posting.
"What's one thing you wish you would have known about the professional world before entering it?"
"I wish I had understood the difference between working harder and working smarter, sooner. I worked very long hard hours in the early years, sometimes to my advantage (promotions, raises, etc) but also sometimes to my detriment (salary + working 60 hours a week = less than minimum wage)."
"Not to fly by the seat of your pants."
"To be your own best advocate. No one else is going to care about your career more than you do."
"There is no such thing as a secure job - no matter how hard you work."
"That being good at your job doesn't necessarily translate into promotions and/or more money. It's all about who you know, not what you know."
"Take time off. You may never have the chance again."
"Get the $$$$ going into the position...it will be harder afterward. Also TAKE YOUR EARNED TIME OFF!!!! If you don't take it when it's earned; then you'll never take it.
Result = Burnout & poor health ahead! Or even something more serious!"
"When you're passionate about what you're doing keep going...when you've lost the passion don't let the easy paycheck keep you - it kills the spirit!"
"That sometimes it's necessary to "toot your own horn" even when it doesn't come naturally...because more than likely nobody else is going to do it for you."
"That hard work and knowing what you are doing counts for nothing unless you make sure others who count (that is, those who can promote you) see and appreciate your value."
Personal Growth
I feel that because I know entrepreneurs, such as Sarah Evans, Lorrie Douglas Morgan Ferrero, Sarah Kay Hoffman, Marty Fahncke, Paul Tran and a few others, I've been inspired in a new light. I've been reading about entrepreneurs as well when their story (and passion) lands in my hands literally, because I read the Star Tribune --like this one. I’m more driven to find out what’s going on in the competitive world. I used to have quite a different mind set, but this new thought of mine is coming from a different angle and I want to share my thoughts.
Man, have I been growing . . . a LOT recently.
If we didn’t compete with each other as much as we do, then how do we get better at what it is we’re doing? In other words, be the like... 'The Jetsons' as Deborah Yunger dared to be even if it did take entire decade. I used to look at it as “I only want to work 40 hours a week so I can go on and enjoy other things I’m doing; spend time with family, friends, explore new venues, having time for social networking events, fishing, catching some rays, shop for a new pair of shoes, or just relax with a good book.”
But here’s the other thing, if we weren’t “go getters” then what would ever get accomplished? The telephone, let alone your celluar phone maybe would not have existed. Computers? Bill Gates used to be looked at and called crazy, I'm sure of it! The other thing? If you're not doing what you're passionate about, then you automatically feel like your 40 hours is 'slave-driven' type of work.
So, do yourself a favor if you really want to get something accomplished. Break it down. It takes 21 days to make a consistent habit out of a new routine --according to experts. Who those experts are, I have no idea. But do yourself a favor and decide what areas you want to focus on, otherwise, you're not going to get very far.
I'm going to start my own healthy habits and I have plenty of areas to work on though the routine might take a while to get established because I need to find out how I want to grow and get better at what I'm already really good at doing! That's another thing: focus on your strengths, not your weaknesses. So, what's your next step?
This blog post was inspired by an article on Sarah Kay Hoffman's blog that she wrote.
Man, have I been growing . . . a LOT recently.
If we didn’t compete with each other as much as we do, then how do we get better at what it is we’re doing? In other words, be the like... 'The Jetsons' as Deborah Yunger dared to be even if it did take entire decade. I used to look at it as “I only want to work 40 hours a week so I can go on and enjoy other things I’m doing; spend time with family, friends, explore new venues, having time for social networking events, fishing, catching some rays, shop for a new pair of shoes, or just relax with a good book.”
But here’s the other thing, if we weren’t “go getters” then what would ever get accomplished? The telephone, let alone your celluar phone maybe would not have existed. Computers? Bill Gates used to be looked at and called crazy, I'm sure of it! The other thing? If you're not doing what you're passionate about, then you automatically feel like your 40 hours is 'slave-driven' type of work.
So, do yourself a favor if you really want to get something accomplished. Break it down. It takes 21 days to make a consistent habit out of a new routine --according to experts. Who those experts are, I have no idea. But do yourself a favor and decide what areas you want to focus on, otherwise, you're not going to get very far.
I'm going to start my own healthy habits and I have plenty of areas to work on though the routine might take a while to get established because I need to find out how I want to grow and get better at what I'm already really good at doing! That's another thing: focus on your strengths, not your weaknesses. So, what's your next step?
This blog post was inspired by an article on Sarah Kay Hoffman's blog that she wrote.
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