Now Archive: July 2020

  • 1st Jul 2020
    •  • 
  • 5 min read

This is my Now page and here’s what’s up for me these days (as posted on 07/01/2020). For my current Now page, go here.

There are seasonal trends…and then there’s 2020.
There are typical years…and then there’s this one.
All bets are off and everything is on the table now.

I’m making some big, systemic changes this month. I think it’s a good thing!

So I’ve taken a job — like a full-time, employee, real jobby job — for the first time in over 20 years. I wrote about the reasons for taking this opportunity here. I’m excited to start my ideal new role as “Learning Technology & Analytics Manager” for ConvaTec next week!

ConvaTec? Yeah, I’d never heard of them either :)

“ConvaTec is a global medical products and technologies company focused on therapies for the management of chronic conditions, with leading market positions in advanced wound care, ostomy care, continence and critical care, and infusion devices. ConvaTec’s products provide a range of clinical and economic benefits including infection prevention, protection of at-risk skin, improved patient outcomes and reduced total cost of care. ConvaTec has 9,400 employees and does business in more than 100 countries.”

Not too shabby, eh? Though I only worked about a year in the medical field prior to this, it’s actually right up my alley for a number of reasons. It’s a fundamental shift for me in my relationship to work. And to be honest, it really feels like time for that.

As for the other stuff I was doing?

  • Producing virtual events & trainings are out
  • Technical writing is done (well, last deliverables going out this week, then done)
  • Coding is being outsourced, thank goodness
  • Music lessons have gone silent
  • Even providing coaching is something I’m letting go now, for the first time in forever…

I am still the Director of Marketing for Energy Utility Group, an energy broker providing commercial-style pricing of solar & green energy for residential customers in Texas. This month we go live to a critical new market segment that I was brought on to develop, and after that I think a few hours a week of testing & iteration can keep that rolling while the residuals steadily trickle in.

I’m still wrestling with what to do with my business of nearly 15 years, Snap Synapse LLC. As I wrote about recently, it might make sense to close it up. I am still tapped occasionally to provide high-level strategy and direct non-competitive companies to appropriate learning & marketing solutions though. So I’ll likely just put it into “Sleep Mode” for the foreseeable future but not close out completely. I dunno, I haven’t talked to my lawyer or accountant yet. I will do that soon and should have all this stuff figured out by this time next month.

And as for musical performances? Well, as you may have noticed, they don’t really exist these days. When the pandemic hit, I thought I’d start livestreaming concerts and stuff because I do know how. But what I ended up doing was helping other musician friends get themselves setup for this, and then stepping back. I am fortunate enough to have other skills and avenues for money to find its way to me. Most of my performer friends do not. So I’ll leave the performing to them and not crowd the market any more than it already is. I am still making music, but only at home for the pleasure of it.

One of the biggest struggles for me now is to leave space. I’m so accustomed to filling in all the gaps with new enterprises and projects that I have to keep reminding myself that this is a unique opportunity to do things differently, and to find a new balance that serves me and my loved ones better.

So I’m focused on habits & roles instead of outcomes & projects. Things like:

  • writing at least 10min daily, it doesn’t matter what
  • walking around the lake near where I live every day (about 2 miles)
  • getting up early (my new job will be on East Coast time, which means I’ll probably need to be at work by 7am my time)
  • being explicit about ON vs OFF time with work and with screens of all types
  • promptly replying to people who reach out to me

This last one is something that I’ve never been very consistent at, mostly because there’s never been any consistency in my life or schedule. Now there is, and I’m building in time for you. Feel free to reach out and put this to the test!

By the way, how are YOU doing these days? I’d love to know. Hit me up or leave a comment below. Wishing you all the best for this new quarter and new month of July!