Best Job Ever
Katrina told me, “People won’t understand that now that you’re working your dream job, you’ll be even busier than before. They’ll think your dream job is somehow easier.”
I married this woman because she’s brilliant.
I am passionate and in love with my job. My job is so difficult to explain to people who aren’t in the new media space. I’ve had several dozen conversations with coworkers from my old job, all of which go something like this:
Coworker: So what’s the new job like?
Me: It’s crazy. I am developing parts of this conference, while growing a network, and reaching out to the community.
Coworker: What time do you have to be at work?
Me: >blink blink< Uh, well, I show up between 8:30 and 9 when I'm in the office. I travel a lot, too.
Coworker: Cool! How much vacation do you get?
Me: I have no idea. I didn't ask.
Coworker: >blink blink<
Me: But it's cool. I'm building a small movie studio. I've got these plans for a show in March. I get to do PodCamp as part of my day job!
Coworker: Wow, are they hiring?
Me: Not really. Sales, maybe.
Coworker: No, doing what you do.
Me: Hey look! Sasquatch!
My job isn’t exactly spelled out for me. For the most part, I run with things. Today, I talked on a conference call with people responsible for developing the speakers at the big conference. My role is kind of to massage the sessions, to mention some pertinent people from my community, to give some spin from the grassroots side to counter all the business/industry side heavy stuff. When I got off that call, I did an interview with a legend/blogger talking about Network2. There was no shift. I hung up from one call, dialed the second.
I’ve got a duty to build a small pre-conference before the big show in March, and I’ve turned to Christopher S. Penn to help with that, as we’ve been good partners since the summer on such experiences. But Chris is doing it for love of new media, and because it’s cool to do. I’m doing it because it’s another facet of my job. So’s PodCamp, for that matter.
Tomorrow, I get on a plane at 7:15AM and fly to New York City to meet with the legendary Jeff Jarvis, along with the boys from Network2. From there, in the afternoon, David Kowarsky and I will head back to JFK, meet up with Justin, and we’ll fly out to Los Angeles to attend the Halloween Vlogfest. In the morning, business (kinda sorta). In the evening, the night before a big party.
It’s all this incredible experience, seeding an ecosystem, or as David said, populating a new planet. I love it.
During my job interview, which was with the founder of the company and also the incredibly talented CEO, I asked the question: “So, what will I be measured upon.” They looked at each other, shared a chuckle, and I moved on to my next silly question.
(The answer, for the record, is that my role is to keep every ball juggling, and to occasionally make an amazing trick.)
It’s nothing like the last job. I love the people at the last company, and I appreciate with all my soul the complete and utter lack of politics and bullshit at my old company, but boy, this is really home. I am working my damned head off. I’m going crazy with the possibilities, and I’m threading together all kinds of aspects of my personality, my creativity, and my talents, into a wonderful experience that I hope to make into revenue and other value for my new boss.
And that’s another thing: it’s really damned cool to really enjoy hanging out with your boss. I’ve never sang impromptu karaoke at the old gig, but I think I’ve belted out tunes three or four times now with Jeff. It’s been really rockstar, this experience, and I can’t wait for everything that comes next.
Okay, I’ve gotta pack for New York and then L.A. Talk about opposites. : )
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I hear ya…
But you lost me here…
>>for my new boss
Must just be a personality thing…