Tracking Progress
Networking has been on my mind a lot lately. It’s important to build new networks, but it’s also valuable to keep connections from various life points alive. Sometimes those connections can really come in handy.
Last month when I drove to Las Vegas and back, I was able to couch surf the whole trip. This was fabulous! It not only helped me to save money, but it gave me something to look forward to at the end of a long grueling day on the road. It was also a fun bonus to eat everybody’s favorite cereal (have you tried Cracklin' Oat Bran lately?) or sit down for dinner together. It was a life saver for that trip overall (yet have I mentioned that I won’t undertake that type of drive again?).
It was also interesting to capture the snapshots in time of where we all are right now, which gives a good sense of progress. I know sometimes I think I haven’t accomplished much with my jewelry career yet, but that’s because I’m monitoring day-to-day progress which feels like a snails pace! Several of my friends felt the same.
My friend Martha Schindler-Connors, who had the good fortune of hosting me to and from Vegas :), has pushed her freelance writing career to a new level (she’s in the midst of writing a book). It was also great to get some running pointers from her… she is my “just do it” running idol.
In Vegas I visited with Ramsey Hong, a college buddy who I hadn’t seen in probably 9 years. I always remember him doing fun illustrations and working on the comics section at the newspaper, and now he’s had his illustrations published on a new game: Walk the Plank.
I didn’t get a chance to play it yet but am eager to track it down for some of my nephews. It was also fun being reminded that I had lost a lot of weight since he saw me last (60 lbs.!)… which helped me take some pressure off myself to lose 10 more pounds to be at the weight my doctor wants me to maintain.
While on the road I also sent a newsletter to my friends, contacts, and customers announcing the launch of my new website (you can sign up for my newsletter here). It was wonderful to receive a response from my friend and former colleague Pat Rosenzweig (a fantastic knitter... find her work at Artisans 21 in Chicago) with the simple question, “Is it true that just 5 years ago you were selling jewelry out of your loft?” Indeed it was true, and suddenly I realized that not only do friends and contacts ground us, but they can also lift us up when we need it.
Last month when I drove to Las Vegas and back, I was able to couch surf the whole trip. This was fabulous! It not only helped me to save money, but it gave me something to look forward to at the end of a long grueling day on the road. It was also a fun bonus to eat everybody’s favorite cereal (have you tried Cracklin' Oat Bran lately?) or sit down for dinner together. It was a life saver for that trip overall (yet have I mentioned that I won’t undertake that type of drive again?).
It was also interesting to capture the snapshots in time of where we all are right now, which gives a good sense of progress. I know sometimes I think I haven’t accomplished much with my jewelry career yet, but that’s because I’m monitoring day-to-day progress which feels like a snails pace! Several of my friends felt the same.
My friend Martha Schindler-Connors, who had the good fortune of hosting me to and from Vegas :), has pushed her freelance writing career to a new level (she’s in the midst of writing a book). It was also great to get some running pointers from her… she is my “just do it” running idol.
In Vegas I visited with Ramsey Hong, a college buddy who I hadn’t seen in probably 9 years. I always remember him doing fun illustrations and working on the comics section at the newspaper, and now he’s had his illustrations published on a new game: Walk the Plank.
I didn’t get a chance to play it yet but am eager to track it down for some of my nephews. It was also fun being reminded that I had lost a lot of weight since he saw me last (60 lbs.!)… which helped me take some pressure off myself to lose 10 more pounds to be at the weight my doctor wants me to maintain.
While on the road I also sent a newsletter to my friends, contacts, and customers announcing the launch of my new website (you can sign up for my newsletter here). It was wonderful to receive a response from my friend and former colleague Pat Rosenzweig (a fantastic knitter... find her work at Artisans 21 in Chicago) with the simple question, “Is it true that just 5 years ago you were selling jewelry out of your loft?” Indeed it was true, and suddenly I realized that not only do friends and contacts ground us, but they can also lift us up when we need it.
