Tag Archives: passion

Thinking of Boston

15th April 2013

I started running in college. I was in my second year and had just said goodbye to nearly a decade of 6-days a week of cheerleading practices. I started running to stay in shape.

It took a few years, but I kept running because it became my escape. I kept running to not think about deadlines, commitments or what was due.

A few years later, I fell in love with running thanks to the community. I fell in love because there is nothing better than an hour on the trails with a running buddy. I often joke that the conversations that take place during those runs rival what I’d imagine most people talk about at a bar past 2 a.m.

Today, the running community faced a tragedy that I’m certain not a single one of those runners in Boston anticipated as they laced up at the starting line this morning. My heart aches for those runners, but even more so for the community who surrounds them.

Every runner knows as wonderful as the personal time, the endorphins and the medals are, it’s the community that keeps you coming back for more. It’s the moms, the dads, the husbands, the wives and the best friends who will get out of bed at the crack of dawn, carry obnoxious signs for miles and lug all of the extra bags and goodies to the finish line, only to see us trot by for half of a second. It’s their enthusiasm and dedication that make every mile worth the journey, whether that be for three miles or 26.2. While thinking and praying for Boston tonight, I’m certainly hugging all of my personal cheerleaders, and the reasons I run, a little tighter.

“The reason we race isn’t so much to beat each other… but to be with each other.”

– Christopher McDougall, Born to Run

Turning Sparkly Objects into Action

19th August 2011

Today, a coworker of mine encouraged us to take advantage of the sunshine and enjoy lunch outside for a change. Sometimes it’s the smallest actions that can change your day. As hard as stepping away from the chaos for 30 minutes can be sometimes, it’s 200% necessary.

Earlier this year, I had the privilege of attending Chick-fil-A’s annual Leadercast event, combining some of the industry’s brightest speakers, most passionate companies and enough momentum to make you want to go outside and save the world.

Chick-fil-A Leadercast Highlight Reel 2011 from GiANT Impact on Vimeo.

Leadership and momentum sound easy when you’re listening to someone yell about how you can change your life today, but putting the sparkly objects into practice, now that isn’t exactly a walk in the park. It’s the ability to push yourself to do more, break out of the mold, and treat work like something you love.

During my last year at Engauge, I have learned that if I don’t make time for the “fun” stuff or the “non” work stuff, my productivity and the work I produce suffer. Innovation certainly can’t live on an island, so working somewhere where I am surrounded by people who push me to do more, to be uncomfortable and ask why is truly the most rewarding action of all.

Setting a date

12th August 2011

Today I came across the following entry in my weekly planner (yes, at that point I somehow managed to find the time to write in a planner). My second, and what would be final, interview at Engauge a year ago tomorrow.

A year ago, I was working for an amazing brand, with an incredibly talented team, working on really cool projects and starting to discover exactly where my passions lie in the digital space.

I have always told myself I would know when I was ready to move on from a job, even an amazing one. Around this time last year, I started to test the waters for agencies around the Atlanta area, making lists, checking them twice and meeting with contacts. I knew I wanted to work somewhere where the people around me would drive my passions professionally through work and personally through culture.

You hear the stories about agency life: the endless hours, crazy clients, cut throat mentality. My cozy corporate fit sure seemed much safer, but safe wasn’t quite for me anymore. I wanted to work somewhere that would push me to learn more, to step up and speak my mind and have a great time while doing it. I found that at Engauge the first time I walked through the door. (It might have helped that half of my first interview consisted of college cheerleading memories with Carla and Dave).

And guess what, agency life is not really what it’s made out to be. Sure, I’ll never work a perfect 40 hour work week. I juggle multiple clients, projects, teams and meetings. I forget to each lunch sometimes. But I love it.

In the past year, I have learned more than I could have ever imagined, been given opportunities to grow that no 22-year-old should ever feasibly be trusted in tackling and made friends with people that feel like family. Not to mention, I get to have a little a lot of fun while doing it.

Looking back, I know I 150% took the right risk and I can’t wait to see where the next 12 months take me. I’ll probably fill in the gaps in more nostalgia posts over the next few weeks (if you know me, you know I love a good story, so if that’s not quite your thing, my apologies in advance) but until then, thanks Engauge for setting a date with me, taking a chance and teaching me that the ‘grown up’ world isn’t so bad after all.