Job Update

I promised earlier this week that I would tell you all about my new job.

Obviously, out of respect and privacy of my employer, I'm going to keep the in-depth discussion to a minimum, but I will give you an update.

I LOVE LOVE LOVE my job.

 I've already been to court, drafted legal documents, and helped clients through their questions. I've learned so much in two short weeks and I'm constantly feeling stimulated and challenged.  

I really like the people I work with. The attorneys are fun and more than willing to teach me the job. The owner and his wife (our office manager) have been nothing short of pure  encouragement and brutal honesty. I am still trying to build a relationship with the paralegals, but so far things are good there too.

The hours are long. I'm usually in by 7:30-8a.m. and out the door around 6p.m. I still coach the late class two night per week, so I'm pulling 55-hour weeks. This week was harder as far as getting enough sleep without totally neglecting my husband, the dog, and stuff around the house. I think another week or so and I'll find that balance.

Ultimately, I'm tired, happy, and incredibly fulfilled.

I know the "honeymoon phase" will die out eventually, but hopefully, when it does, I'm left with a great job, people I enjoy working with, and a solid career base to start from!

About that time I interview in sweats...and got the job!

I have been sitting on some wonderful news for a couple of days now because I couldn't share it publicly until I had a firm offer and had resigned from my previous job. Now that all the formalities are taken care of, I can share with you: 

I got a new job! 

I was hired as an attorney at a law firm here in Colorado. It is such an amazing opportunity and right in line with where I see my career going, so I'm sure you can imagine how thrilled I am. 

Before I give too many details, I want to back up and tell you the story. 

For a couple months, I had sent out resumes to jobs that appeared to fit with my goals. There weren't too many, but I wanted to throw my hat in just in case an amazing opportunity arose. So, when an advertisement for a Paralegal appeared in Craigslist, I sent off my resume. I figured that even though I didn't want to be a paralegal for too long, I could show them what a kick-ass attorney I could be for their firm.
Still, it was a long shot that they'd call. 

They did. The next day. And I threw on my best suit, printed out my references list, and interviewed with their newest attorney would desperately needed a paralegal. We quickly determined that even though I was over-qualified for that position, there might be another fit for me. As I left, I overheard him ask the receptionist to "put this resume on Nate's desk for immediate review." 

The next afternoon, they called again. This time, the owner of the firm wanted to meet with me: "Can you come over here right now? You don't need to be dressed up or prepare, just come over so we can meet you." I was already sitting in the parking lot of the gym where I coach, wearing sweats and flip flops, so I told her I couldn't.  After comparing calendars for a few minutes, she replied "look, he wants to meet with you right away, so I don't even want to look past tomorrow for times."

I told her I was about to coach a gymnastics class, but I could come to the office afterwards. I informed her that not only was I dressed casually, I was wearing sweats. She assured me that was perfectly fine, so after my class I headed over the the law firm and met with the head attorney. 

We talked for almost 2 hours, both about professional things and just getting to know each other. I quickly forgot how I was dressed and instead found myself very comfortable. His wife, the office manager, joined us for the meeting and I left feeling welcomed and confident I would receive a job offer. But I had the weekend to wait.

Monday rolled around and I received a text late in the evening offering me the job and by Wednesday I was sitting in the office (more appropriately dressed this time) working out the details of my employment. 

It's crazy to think that I applied for a paralegal job, on a whim that they might need an attorney, attended my second interview in sweats from the gym, and was still offered the job. It goes against everything you're taught in law school - about attire and professionalism - but I can't begin to tell you how right it all was. 

And ultimately, if you really want to get to know someone and learn if they are a right fit for your company, all the suit and formality does is get in the way. This week, I was offered a dream job and a new crop of friends all in one fell swoop. And I did it in sweat pants!

The Upside of Fear

I had the pleasure of attending a business luncheon this week where the keynote speaker was a man named Weldon Long. He shared his journey from being a 9th-grad dropout and felon to becoming a wealthy, successful entrepreneur (Inc. 5000 company in less than 5 years.) 

He writes about how fear and the thoughts you have in your head can completely alter your ability to succeed and overcome obstacles. So, in order to be successful, you must rewire your brain and start putting in thoughts of success and accomplishment, rather than negativity and fear. 

Specifically, he discusses the concept that thoughts are the beginning of everything and they need to be adjusted in order to change your actions. 

Thoughts ---> Emotions ---> Actions ---> Results

If you think fearful, negative, and defeating thoughts, your emotions and actions will following, results in a negative or less-than-stellar outcome. Likewise, if you change your thoughts to ones of success and confidence, you will feel successful and your actions will reflect that. 

While serving the last 7 of his 13-year sentence, he wrote out a list of positive thoughts and goals ("I am a man of honor and integrity" and "I have a beautiful home in the mountains.") and simply recited them to himself every single day. By the time he got out of prison, he had rewired his brain to equip himself with the tools necessary to become a successful person. 

He started a business and turned it into a multi-million dollar venture in less than 5 years. He got custody of his son, and became an amazing father. He bought a house in the mountains and another in Maui. He wrote a book, followed by another one. And he became the man of integrity he wanted to be. He accomplished all of these things at 45 years old, after spending much of his life imprisoned or homeless, with no belongings and no education. He is remarkable. 

And he doesn't stand there and tell you some canned answer or sell you a line of crap about "if he can do it, so can you." He backs it up with psychology and science. He backs it up with his story and similar journeys of many others. And he knows that not everyone has the same goals. Some would like to run a marathon; some would like to be a great husband and father; others want to be successful entrepreneurs. 

Whatever your goals may be, you can use his technique to rewire your thoughts and better accomplish them!

After leaving the luncheon, I went home and wrote out my list of affirmations. I wrote out my goals and the thoughts I want to put into my head to change my personal course. I taped them to my mirror and read them aloud again this morning. I might share them with you another time, but for now, I encourage you to listen to one of the short videos on Weldon Long's website and see if you are as inspired by his story as I was. 

{Disclaimer: These thoughts are 100% my own. I was in no way compensated or otherwise induced to write this review. I am sharing a story that inspired me and doing so without compulsion or inducement.}

Saturday Share: Great Business and Networking Resources

A couple weeks ago, I had coffee with a military spouse who also happens to be a licensed Psychologist. Smart, driven, and completely lost on how to build a business in a brand new state. She asked if she could pick my brain about networking and building contacts when you're starting from scratch. 

I didn't know going into our coffee date, what I would tell her. I honestly wasn't sure if I was a great networker or just got lucky when I moved to Colorado. A few minutes in, I started spouting off the resources I used to find groups, certain personality skills I developed to help with the face-to-face interactions, and how I track my networking contacts. She looked at me, wide-eyed, and said: "so you're basically a networking genius." 

I smiled and responded that it was mostly luck and high-level organization that made my method a success. I also reminded her that it might not work for everyone in every field. But it had worked for me and, yes, I was pretty good at it.

So, today, I put together some resources to help build networking skills. Whether you're a budding photog trying to get your portfolio out there or a licensed psychologist trying to build a practice, there will be something here to help you with that endeavor. As always, email me if you have any questions!

In General

How to Make a Good First Impression - via Money Crashers

In-Person Networking, Like a Boss - via Successful Military Wife

The Power of Personal Networks - via Get Rich Slowly

How to Build a Personal Network (Genuinely) - via Lifehacker

The specifics

How to Professionally Promote your Friends - via Corporette

How to Network at a Conference - via Corporette

Tips for Staying in Touch with your Network - via The Levo League

Hello, strangers.

This has been a very hectic week and, in all honest, this blog has been the last thing on my mind. Sometimes, the tediousness of sitting down to write a post is trumped by getting to bed a little early or enjoying a glass of wine with a friend. Today, however, I wanted to stop in and provide a quick update. 

I am precisely one week from my Vegas trip and crazy-excited! I can't even tell you how much I need a vacation right now. And even though it's going to be a whirlwind weekend filled with more fun than I can probably handle, I get to see some of my favorite people which makes it all worth it. 

We also have a major work event before I leave, two major events after I return, and our battalion ball in three weeks. Hence, the complete chaos that is my life right now. 

If I'm being honest, I love every second of it. I love that I am getting involved in my community, growing my business, and starting to find a fit within the Army (although that last one feels like it is "too little, too late.") I like getting up and putting on a suit and heading out the door. I like having that purpose again.

It is kicking my butt, though. My allergies are going hay-wire and the meds are making things worse before making them better. I am also still adjusting to pulling our birth control. But I am working out multiple times per week and eating as well as possible. I am also staying on top of the meds and my multi-vitamin. I hope that once this transition part is over, my body will start to get healthy again. And, more importantly, I'll start to feel good again. 

Back to the Ball. I am excited to finally attend a formal Army ball. I missed out on many of the previous balls because I was in Minnesota. And since this is likely our last opportunity, I am happy to attend. Al hasn't put up much a fuss about going, although I know he's doing so begrudgingly. 

Well, that's about all the time I have today. Time to blow my nose (again) and make some lunch before another busy afternoon. Have a great weekend!

Fashion Friday: Work-wear Inspiration

Now that I'm finally on the daily-grind part of my job (no more studying for a very, very long time!) I have shifted my daily attire away from jeans and onto suits and work-attire. My Pinterest has been very active in helping me find inspiration for dressing conservatively without being boring. Here are some looks I've pinned recently that are easy to re-create, don't require a large budget, and still keep your look from being too dull!

Go here to see more of my pinned looks! And share any inspiration you've found for dressing professionally without feeling boring or stuffy.

My Time at the Academy

A few weeks ago, I was asked to represent my company at a Hiring our Heroes event at the Air Force Academy. {Side note: the Academy campus is gorgeous.  The event was a mentoring event for military spouses searching for work and I was asked to attend as a mentor. My role was to answer any questions the job-seekers had and help them navigate the career fair scheduled for the following day.

The event was Wednesday and it was, without a doubt, one of the coolest experiences I've ever had. First, to be considered knowledgeable enough to be a mentor was a major compliment. Second, it's no secret that I have a huge passion for empowering military spouses to pursue education and careers. Finally, I got to meet tons of wonderful spouses, employers, and significant community members - meaning I made friends and business contacts!

If you have the opportunity to attend, even if you are not a job-seeker, do it! The program, while practically brand new, has done phenomenal things for military spouse careers and they continue to be a leader in the jobs movement for spouses around the nation. Even as a mentor, I learned so much from the event and found myself soaking up the information and mingling the event offered. Here are the upcoming spouse events and they are all located on or near major military installations around the country. 

Seriously, go.

I'm grateful to MSJDN for telling me about the event many months ago, to my company for making the connection with event coordinators, and to my branch manager for believing in me enough to allow me this wonderful experience. I hope to build on these experiences and create meaningful, long-lasting relationships in the military and my community.

Redemption

Do you remember this post? 

Well, yesterday I re-took the exam and I passed! I am so grateful to be over that hurdle so I can start building my business and, more importantly, start making money at it! 

It felt great to go into the exam knowing what to expect, which I guess is an advantage to taking it more than once. But it felt even better to click "calculate results" and see "PASS" in big, black letters. 

On my drive back from the testing center, I blasted the music with the windows down (it was a beautiful 70-degree day, unlike today's 20 degrees and 50 mph winds!) and simply reveled in my accomplishment. This isn't meant to sound like bragging because, believe me, there was not a big margin between failing and my score. And I don't think I can even say I'm proud of the work, mostly relieved and just happy to be done.

The biggest thing I took away from the whole experience is self-teaching something new is really hard. You will at some point hit a wall and want to walk away. Instead, stick with it, find new ways to learn, and don't get discouraged. When you're done, you will not regret pushing yourself to learn something new!

Have you redeemed yourself recently for an earlier mistake? Tell me about it.

Don't lose your mojo when facing a setback

I'm not perfect. I am smart and dedicated. I work hard and I have accomplished many great things. I treat people well and love my husband with everything I've got.

But I still fall short sometimes. We all fall short sometimes.

Recently, I failed one of my license exams. It was tough materials, with a lot of numbers and difficult computations. I regrouped and studied again and passed the second time around. Then, last week, I failed another one. This time, the material was law based and even though there were some difficult concepts, I thought I had it all down. 

I was floored and I spent the next couple hours beating myself up mentally over my mistakes.

On the first test, it was easy to forgive myself because the concepts were so foreign to me. I knew absolutely nothing about mutual funds and stock pricing and how to calculate yields. On the second test, however, I didn't have that excuse. The subjects were analytical, legal and business oriented. These are things I know. Things I went to school. Things I've already proven my knowledge of when I passed the bar exam.

After I had a few hours to get sad, then mad, embarrassed, and finally calm, I pulled out the test results. I realized that I actually knocked the law section out of the park. The topics that I did not excel at were the topics revisited from the first exam. It makes a lot more sense that the concepts I struggled with the first time would give me additional difficulty on the second exam.

Finally, I was able to regroup and decide a new course of action. I sat down and developed a study plan for the next month, biting off small sections of information each day and incorporating an array of learning techniques. I created a plan similar to the bar exam by giving time to each subject individually and readdressing them at the end of each week. 

I also used that time to touch base with my energy and my passion - to hang on to my mojo. I needed to remember why I started this business and what I love about my job. It was (and still is) important to learn from my mistakes when it comes to studying and the material itself but also learn how to control my stress level and change my attitude so I can head off a similar mistake in the future.

I'm not perfect. I'm not going to win every time and I'm certainly not going to be the best at everything. We all make mistakes, in our personal lives and our professional ones.

Here is the best part: making mistakes is actually a good thing. It is life's way of teaching us valuable lessons and setting us back on a track for success. That is, when we forgive ourselves for those mistakes, keep our mojo, and learn how to do better the next time!

More resources: 

Don't Lose Your Mojo - LifeHealth Pro

3 Steps to Turn Setback into Success - The Daily Muse

My Interview for the Successful Military Wife

Two weeks ago, I had the sheer pleasure of having a Skype date with the ever-so-lovely Kaye Putnam. She is the brain (and personality) behind The Successful Military Wife and she also advises business owners (with special focus on military spouse owners) on marketing their businesses for portability. 

{courtesy of Kaye}

The fact that military spouses need help in business and careers is not new - this is a fight many of our leaders (and us) have been fighting for years. The way Kaye brings the information to the table, however, is quite remarkable. One of the best pieces of advice I've garnered from her site is that you can't just be "good" at business, you have a be a good and likable person too! 

In fact, Kaye recently ran a three-part article discussing ways to be remarkably liked so people flock to your business.

{courtesy of Kaye}

And really, if you think about it, that makes perfect sense. If you are likable, interesting, charming, and even funny, you are going to make more friends, networking easier, and build a stronger base of support around you. Those are the components necessary to successful business. 

When I first ran across her site, I felt compelled to connect with Kaye. I have always had a passion for encouraging spouses to pursue their education and career dreams and I knew I wanted to help her in any way I could. She emailed me back (almost instantly) and asked for an interview. I was thrilled. 

And then I was nervous. What made me an expert in business? Certainly not the fact that I am slowly making my way through starting my own. Nor the fact that I went to law school and focused on business law. Those are just pieces of paper. Nevertheless, the Skype interview went swimingly (it helps when the interviewer is so delightful and puts you at ease immediately!) 

Even after she excitedly sent me the link to the video, followed by "It's live" and a smiley-face emoticon, I was still nervous. How am I going to come off on this video? Will people think I know what the heck I'm talking about? Did I have anything in my teeth? 

Please head over to The Successful Military Wife and let me know what you think. (I don't have anything in my teeth, I already checked!) Also make sure you take the time to check out the other amazing features on her site. Thank you, Kaye, for spear-heading an amazing business and for inviting me to be a part of it!

 I hope that we can help other women to find the balance between pursuing their dreams and supporting their spouse all while navigating this crazy military life!

Busy is Better

I spent Monday and Tuesday in Denver taking the classes required for my life and health insurance licenses. It was two very long and very intense days of material to prepare me for the license exam next Saturday. This is the first big step out of the unpaid associate phase that I am in right now and onto the part where I start my business and start making money. 

I also had an interview at a gymnastics gym for a part-time coaching gig. I actually coached for many years in college and when I decided to get a job to supplement my income, figured that would be a good route to go. It pays well and I really enjoy the sport and working with kids! I have a follow up meeting next Monday and should know then if I will join their coaching staff. 

We had our home inspection yesterday. All the major things - roof, heater, central air, gas fireplace - are all in great shape. As we suspected, the work is merely aesthetic and we are just thrilled about that. We are excited to get through the last few steps (mostly with our lender) and close on the home. If everything goes as planned, that could be as early as THREE WEEKS from now!

After my post last week, about feeling lazy, I am glad I had a full calendar. For some reason I just feel better when I'm busy. I don't see my schedule slowing down anytime soon and that is just fine with me!

What I've been up to (besides blogging)

I really did not intend the week-long break from blogging. In fact, I sat at my computer 4 different times this week to write posts and none of them were ever completed. I think I felt bad every time I sat down to blog when there is so much to do for my job, the house, and the move. 

Today, I am doing a photo dump to show you all the things I've been up to that are not blogging. Maybe then you can forgive me? Please?

1. House Planning: 

Stay tuned Monday for a peek inside my design planning binder!

2. Parade of Homes

Lots of beautiful homes with helpful ideas:

Obsession: mirrored side tables and grey/dark palette

 Great neutrals, center section is built-in medicine cabinet!

More great floor and tile options. My loves: subway tile back splash, travertine floor, big, usable islands!

3. Online shopping

 My new cherry blossom top and gold polish from Julep

(Go here to get your own Julep Maven box!)

New jewelry from InPink - Bought with gift card I won on The Frugalista Diaries

4. Studying for my Insurance License

Looks fun, huh?

I don't normally post on Sundays, but something has been on my mind that I thought I would share with you tomorrow! Have a great weekend!