I’m (officially) back on the job market.
***UPDATE***: As of Tuesday, March 3, 2015, I’m the new Director of Marketing at Zignal Labs. Pumped.
If you are looking for a relentlessly curious, killer communicator, wickedly creative, super-passionate, (humble – ha!) guy to help take your company to the next level, look no further. I’m that guy.
Actually, if you are serious about hiring me or know someone who may be, I’ve created this “HIRE DJ” landing page – complete with a fun video – that highlights what I’m looking to do next and a bit about my qualifications.
Why Now?
There are a ton of aspects of working for yourself that I love – flexible work schedule, work from home/coffee shop, I can read a few chapters in a good book in the middle of the day. I can catch the 4PM start of the Michigan basketball game. I can drop off and pick up my kiddos from school every day. I can have a homemade, special dinner ready at 5:30 for my family.
On the flip side, there are many challenges of working from home, working for yourself. The biggest one – at least for me – is the lack of human interaction. If you know me at all, you know I am passionate about people. Connecting with other people. Learning from other people. Being around other people. People. People. People. When working for yourself, it’s really hard to have that same interaction with people. Instead, it’s an occasional text or instant message. It’s having “conversations” on Facebook or Twitter. It’s talking to the person next to you at Philz Coffee — even if they don’t really want to talk to you. Ha!
Being back at a company means I can scratch my itch – my need – for proximity to other human beings. But it’s really more than just human to human contact. I really miss being part of something bigger. I miss being part of a team. I miss the water cooler conversations and the sense of accomplishment when working on a big project. I miss the high-fives and the fist-bumps when exceeding goals. I miss the team lunches and the after (during?) work beers.
What I’ve Been Doing (and Learning) The Past 8 Months
If you’ve been following along at home, you know I quit my job in June of 2014. Since then, I have been busy. Very very busy. I don’t do “bored” very well. A few highlights below:
- Went on a personal journey to rediscover my passion.
- Launched and published nearly 50 episodes of Living Your Passion podcast.
- Launched a weekly email – The Waldow Weekly WhazzupDATE (sign up!).
- Started a new business as a career transition coach, aka COACH DJ.
- Made some changes about how I was spending my time – and focus.
- Started a new project, From Podcast to Book.
However, most importantly over the past 8 months, I’ve learned a lot about myself – both personally and professionally.
In no particular order …
I’ve learned that launching a new business is tough.
I’ve learned to be less concerned about how other people view me.
I’ve learned that it’s perfectly okay to live your passion … on the side.
I’ve learned that family is really really really important to me.
I’ve learned that I need to be surrounded by other human beings.
I’ve learned that it’s important for me to feel like I’m making a difference in this world.
I’ve learned that I’m creative and curious and not afraid to try something new.
I’ve learned to persevere through the ups and downs.
I’ve learned that everything sucks some of the time.
I’ve learned the power of a strong network.
I’ve learned the importance of being curious and going all in for something you believe in.
I’ve learned life is full of twists and turns.
I’ve learned there is no such thing as “one way” or “the right” way to navigate through one’s career.
I’ve learned how looking up (from your device) and being more present allows you to see more of the world around you.
In my near 40 years (39 on Feb 23!) on this planet, I’ve never stopped learning.
I have absolutely zero regrets in my life. In a very non-religious, yet slightly spiritual way, I believe strongly that everything happens for a reason.
I was meant to quit my job in June … to rediscover my passion … to launch a new podcast … to start a career transition coaching business … to decide it was time to get back into the corporate world.
Every step on the path of life has taught me something. Every. Single. Step.
What’s Next?
As with many times in my life, the answer to the “what’s next” question is this: I’m not 100% sure. If I could predict the future, I’d be a zillionaire! Ha. However, I do know one thing:
If all goes as planned, I’ll be working at a kick ass company in the next month or so. In fact, I’ve dedicated an entire page – complete with a fun video – to my future employer. I’ll once again be leveraging my curiosity, my creativity, my love for content creation, my craving for making a positive impact in this crazy world of ours.
What About Career Transition Coaching?
COACH DJ, my career transition coaching business is on “temporary hold.” It’s not over. It’s not dead. It’s just … idle.
Speaking of learning, one huge lesson learned from starting a career transition coaching business is this: There are a ton – A TON – of people in the world who are not happy in their current jobs. There are so many people who are not engaged, not motivated, at work. However, I also learned there is a big difference from not loving what you doing and making the jump – committing – to make a change. So many people are afraid of change. And that’s okay. I get it. As someone who has changed jobs and careers and the like over the past ~20 years, I’m still not totally comfortable with change.
As one of my former CEOs used to include in his email signature, ONWARD!
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Oh. One more thing … Reminder: If you are serious about hiring me or know someone who may be, I’ve created this “HIRE DJ” landing page – complete with a fun video – that highlights what I’m looking to do next and a bit about my qualifications.
