I'm a big fan of marketing and advertising: I will purchase a bottle of wine for how the label looks, not what it says...as long as it's not a Chardonnay! I love new things, yet relish the old....just look around my house. I love history, but want to create new traditions for my children to pass along with the old. I guess that's why I always seem to have more on my plate than I intend: And I'm always looking for something new to try...even though I like the old, and I'm not finished with what I've already started!
Where does the advertising fit in to my story? Well, I majored in journalism and marketing, and I've always had an affinity for how people spin ideas. A Superbowl commercial from 2000 by EDS is my all-time favorite. Herding Cats: If you saw it, I'm sure you remember it. It's hard to forget the rough and tumble cowboys tell stories of driving their herds on the plains: They don't herd cattle, though, they herd cats...hundreds and hundreds of them. They drive the fur balls across streams (who knew cats could swim!), rescue them from trees, and rein them in when they stampede. One cat poke rolls a ball of yarn, another shows off his scratches, a third takes a lint brush to his coat...all proud of a hard day's work. A voice-over at the end says that managing data in the ever-changing world of information technology is like trying to herd cats. EDS claims they're experienced wranglers.
Well, I'm going to go as far as to say that managing life in our ever-changing, techno-driven world -- with 100's of TV channels (many filled with USEFUL information), books and music you can download onto your mobile device (from outer space!), and kids' sports and play dates for everyday of the week -- is just as challenging. But, the rewards are worth it!
Before the Twinkies, I was a full time, traveling sales rep for a manufacturer. I had an AWESOME boss, who, upon learning I was pregnant with twins, offered to let me stay on part-time, keep the benefits and the company car, and adjust to mommahood. What a great deal...to stay home, home on the range!
Well, the Twinkies were born 5 weeks early! Three months into motherdom, I was overwhelmed by all I was trying to juggle, and I could sense all the balls were about to drop. It was no coincidence when my husband broke his ankle, right when I was at the end of my rope. Next thing I know, I was taking the Twinkies to the sitter at 5:30 am to make 8am appointments in the city. Obviously, something had to give: Since double-pumping on the LIE (Long Island Expressway to those of you from outside the tri-state NYC area) alongside semi-trucks during rush hour wasn't my cup of tea, I chose to let go of the sales job and really focus on my new family (that took years to achieve and tons of technology, btw!)
Maybe it's because I'm a Gemini, or because I'm a lefty, or because I'm a farm girl from Wisconsin, or simply because I'm curious. Either way, when I'd decided to focus on my family and simply sell jewelry in my 'free time', I was pretty proud of myself! Well, you might guess what came next: I thought I had enough time to start working for my husband's family business, too! Just 2 days a week wouldn't be that much, and I loved marketing!
While I'd like to think that I'm becoming an experienced wrangler, I continually have my share of scratches to show for it. The steep hills, the hairballs, the muddy valleys, the chuck wagon meals, the flooded river crossings, and, of course, the stampedes of my life...They are no coincidence in my life: They are part of God's plan....and I'll be ready to saddle up tomorrow, to meet them head on.
