Author: Veronica

You Can Just Call Me The Job Hobo.

So, here I go again.

Packin’ my bags and on my way down another path, although I have no idea what path that is right now.

I feel like a job hobo or a “jobo”, if you will.  Always changing jobs, always with the new ideas, never knowing where they’re going to take me or who I’ll meet along the way.  Sounds invigorating right?  It is, but I find it exhausting to put time into something and then have to walk away from it.

I am currently actively job searching, because you see, the proverbial “poop” is about to hit the fan. It’s really unfortunate, because I really do love what I’m doing, home staging and design.  I love meeting different home owners and the challenge that comes with getting them and potential buyers to fall in love with their homes.  But everything changed REALLY fast when I realized just how unappreciated I was by my boss. My dad always taught me that actions speak louder than words . . . and in this scenario, he couldn’t have been more right. Considering how small the company is, it’s really hard to ignore it and keep moving forward. Since the day I was hired, all I’ve heard is empty promises and plans and ideas and none of it has come into fruition.

Couple that with things like a crappy salary, no vacation or benefits, 10 and 12 hour days AND no room for negotiation and I have to start asking myself what is important and what I want from my career. I’m all about paying my dues, but considering how much I have already been paying, this is a bit much.

On a plus side, I’ve gained tons of experience, I will have some pretty good contacts, I’ve pushed the boundaries of what even I thought I was capable of and I met Carrie. Our office admin/manager/assitant/phone answerer/email responder/fire-putter-outer/complaint-taker/gofer and life organizer is quite possibly one of the most talented people I’ve ever met. I have no idea how she manages to keep everything together for us, but on top of that she has another business with her husband and plans fundraisers and events. That girl is always doing something. She really is an inspiration. I’m pretty sure that the universe’s reason for me taking this job in the first place was for our world’s to cross. So I am trying to channel her energy . . . unfortunately I’m a really messy juggler.

And right about now, I feel as though I’ve got a whole bunch of balls in the air and I have no idea which one I’m going to end up catching. (Which would make me a juggling jobo? 🙂 ) I feel so torn as to which direction I should be moving in. On the one hand, theathomecouple philosophy is still engraved in my brain, and I think it would be awesome to be able to be a freelance designer, working from home, helping people like me with little or no money improve their homes and make them comfortable places to live.   (My philosophy is that interior design does not have to be expensive.)  On the other hand, real life and being a grown up means that I have to be realistic about money and helping to support the life that Eli and I live.

So I’m doing both.  Actively job searching to go work for someone else again and trying to get my own thing going.  I have made some headway though.   I’ve got my design blog going . . . lovefreshdesign.blogspot.com.  All my facebook pages and twitter accounts are up and running to try and get my name out there using social media. My methods are pretty primitive, but I’m learning and teaching myself as I go.  And to be honest, I end up checking back here to see what Eli’s been posting in the hopes that I can apply some of it to what I’m doing.

Another ball that I’ve got up in the air is Etsy, although I haven’t been as active lately in tossing this one.  And this area is  a microcosm of my indecision.  For those of you who don’t know, Etsy is a marketplace for all things handmade and vintage.  For those of you who know me, know this is right up my alley.  So I’ve got an account and a shop, but do you think I can pinpoint what it is I want to sell? Of course not.  I guess I should just put everything out there and see what happens . . .

I guess this is what being all growns up is about.  As Eli thoughtfully posted, I’ve recently turned the big 3-0 (thanks for all the b-day love!) and I’m waiting for my experience and wisdom to kick in.  It seems like so far, it’s all been trial and error, ups and downs and constant change.  The way I look at, this is as good as a time as any to start doing this.  Eli and Bleecker Street Media are successful.  Hell, if he can do it, so can I.

But then again . . . we have bills to pay.

Ugh, who knows.  Maybe by tomorrow I’ll have a job at the Starbuck’s down the street . . . at least there’s free coffee involved, this jobo loves coffee!

Swimming Upstream Is The Hardest Part

Hi All!

Here I am . . .  resurfacing again!

I’ve been working my (now littler) butt off.  I know it’s not over yet, but this year has been especially grueling.  I’ve immersed myself in a career and I’m afraid that I’ve lost sight of my goals.  In fact, I’m in a place right now where they are changing on a daily basis.  I am pulled between what I want and what I have been taught to want.  Teetering between creating my rules and following already set ones.  Don’t get me wrong, I really like my job and I feel extremely fortunate to be working directly in my field, pretty much on the front lines.  And it’s not like the rules I have to follow now are as restrictive as others I’ve encountered.  It’s because of this that I struggle with what to do next.  I feel like decisions are going to be thrown at me in the near future and they are going to be life changing.  You know, the ones that fork the road and require the “what if” reminiscing later on in life.

And then, in a weird twist of life, I came across a manifesto and movement today on one of my favourite blogs, princesslasertron.com.

Chris Guillebeau is the author of The Art of Non Conformity. A book for “for unconventional people who want to do remarkable things.” He is living his dream and has made a commitment to visit every country in the world and so far, has been very successful.  In addition to making your passion your work, he emphasizes helping people and giving back.  So simple.  Pretty impressive.

After reading his manifesto, A Brief Guide to World Domination, I feel better.  Even though going against the grain of the mainstream and doing things a little differently is harder and takes longer to reveal success, it is necessary for change.  If you think about it, our entire world consists of products and services that were created by people who had the cahones to do things differently and succeed.   I think this book  is just what I need to re-strategize where I want to take my life, what I want to be doing and how I want to be doing it.

I’ll let you know how it goes.   ü

Cheers,

Veronica

Long Time No See . . .

Hello friends, it’s been a while and I profusely apologize.

Life has grabbed me by the balls (figuratively speaking, of course) and I have once again been pulled in another direction.  For those of you who are wondering, I am once again flailing around in the working world.  A great job appeared as if from nowhere and I took it to avoid passing up an amazing opportunity.  I am working as a designer and home stager for a leading company in Toronto.  Yay!  It’s great experience and I’m meeting tons of people, but unfortunately it has dragged me away from The At Home Couple.

I do apologize for neglecting my responsibilities and as far as I’m concerned, as soon as the housing market slows down a bit, I will be back on the ball.  Most of my goals have changed again, which is frustrating, but getting back in there with Eli is really important to make sure we don’t loose momentum.  It’s crazy how life just randomly chucks curve balls at you and how you react to them can change everything.

Two months ago I was trying to figure out how I was going to break into the staging and real estate industry and make a name for myself, and now that’s exactly what I’m doing.  The downside of course is that it has eaten up ALL of my free time.  I am being bombarded by friends who want to know if I’m still alive.  And of course I’ve been neglecting my duties to Bleecker Street Media and theathomecouple.com.  It has gotten me down a couple of times, especially after a grueling 13 hour day.  I’ve found myself questioning my decision to take the job, and whether or not it is even a benefit.  When it comes down to it though, I love what I’m doing.  Whether it’s on my own or for a company, I am doing a job that I enjoy and that I am good at.  Who knows, maybe this is the kickstart I need to get out there on my own and run my own design and staging business.

So please bear with me and send me good vibes.  Hopefully this is a step in the right direction. 🙂

Cheers,

Veronica

Sweet Valentine’s

Hi all.  I hope you are having a fantastic weekend.  I’m super excited because I’m on my way to the Interior Design Show.  The trade show always inspires me and gets my juices flowing . . . creatively.  Considering all the things I have on the go right now, I need some inspiration!

Anyway, I have been doing my usual Internet crawl this morning and realized two things; 1) Time flies!  I cannot believe it is the end of January already, and 2) Valentine’s Day is quickly approaching.

I’m going to share a little secret with you.

I don’t believe in Valentine’s Day. (Did a cupid somewhere die just now?)

Truthfully, I don’t “celebrate” Valentine’s day.  Don’t get me wrong, as a child I loved giving and receiving cheesy valentine cards, the abundance of chocolate and even the little gifts my parents would give us.  For me it was always an added bonus because my birthday is a couple days away, so it was a pre-cursor to the “big” event.

As I matured, however, Valentine’s day became less and less about showing love and affection and more about guilt, sadness and anger.  Feeling hurt when you’re significant other didn’t do something memorable or angry if the gift was late or forgotten.  Valentine’s Day became more about disappointment then happiness.  As well, as I got older, my Valentine’s gift got looped into my birthday!  People who have birthdays near Christmas can feel my pain . . .

Eventually it got me thinking,  and I realized that I no longer wanted gifts or chocolates or cheesy valentine cards.  Because if someone really loved me, they had 364 other days of the year to show it.  A random bouquet of flowers from Elijah, on a random day, for no other reason then because he wanted to means so much more to me then a little teddy bear holding a heart on February 14th.  Knowing that he bought it because he felt he had to takes all the romance out of receiving it.  I don’t think that love should be isolated to one day.  I understand the celebration part, but for me, everyday is a celebration.

I also understand that being in the internet marketing business means that I have to take advantage of Valentine’s Day and monetize it to bring in money.  The internal conflict is raging!  However, I know that there are men and women out there who look forward to it and who are very good at making the day special, and I am here to help them make that possible.  I guess I’ve just been jaded.

Just food for thought.  You know what would be really specially, springing your gift or surprise on your loved one a day or two before Valentine’s Day.  Not only will it catch them off guard, and seeing that look of surprise on their face will be worth it.

Wishing You All a Happy Holiday Season!

Just wanted to take a moment to wish everyone a Merry Christmas and/or Happy Holiday!

We are so so appreciative of everyone’s support and are so grateful for the people we have in our lives. It is the best gift we could’ve received. Thank you for patiently listening to our ups and downs and rants. Enjoy the food, festivities and fun with friends and family, and be grateful for the time you have together.

Big things are going to happen in 2010, I can feel it in my bones. Until then, eat, drink and be merry!

xoxo
Veronica