Chapter 10 | Downtown Girl

If I hadn't married Mr. Fleece after graduation, I probably would have stayed in Austin, roomed with some girls, and done my best to secure a full time job at a local events venue. Strange to think how different life would have been! Instead, I gladly followed my newfound husband across the United States and started my job search from scratch, with no network or contacts. Upon the recommendation of a friend, I applied to a local temp agency in order to start meeting people and get some money in the bank. This was a great tip and one I would recommend to anyone caught in the coils of unemployment. I was skilled enough to secure a receptionist position and fortunate enough that it was located in downtown Seattle, only a 10-15 minute bus trip from our little duplex.

I staffed the front desk for Tetra Tech, an engineering consulting firm, coordinating packages, answering phone calls, helping organize files, etc. The office as a whole was welcoming and I made acquaintances with the two other females under the age of 30, easy to spot in an office mostly filled with older men. I enjoyed this brief stint and low-stress position but was left constantly wondering "what next?" because mind you, temporary is temporary. 

After helping format and edit one of the lead engineer's meeting notes and agenda, he recommended I look into the consulting firm, EnviroIssues and said he would put in a good word for me. Looking back, it's such a clear marker for me that completing unassuming tasks with excellence can lead to bigger and brighter things. I really do think that excelling in those small requests and my overall cheerful demeanor made a difference and gave me an "in" and a connection that ended up shifting the trajectory of my time in Seattle. More on that in Chapter 11. 

Although I was only in the office for three months, I have fond memories of commuting to the office, glad to have purpose in my day and a mandatory lunch break to wander the nearby fashion district or meet up with a new friend. 

A nice and easy start to adulthood,

SJW

Career Chronicles | Author's Note

We've just wrapped up Part I of my Career Chronicles with a show-and-tell of all the jobs and internships I held in Texas. You can catch up here -

Chapter 1 | The Smell of Waffle Cones

Chapter 2 | Queso & Fish Tacos

Chapter 3 | Those White Ceremony Chairs

Chapter 4 | Let's Get Coffee

Chapter 5 | Clothes Upon Clothes

Chapter 6 | Yeehaw & Country Twang

Chapter 7 | Break a Sweat

Chapter 8 | Cows that Can't Spell

Chapter 9 | Behind the Scenes of Consumerism 

My pre-graduation jobs are sort like the scrambler ride at a theme park - lots of different pieces rotating around each other with general positivity and enjoyment. Post-college, I graduate to a true rollercoaster ride with many emotional highs & lows and some unexpected twists and turns that come along with the stress and pressure of a 40+ hour work week.

So here's to Part II in which I cover the five jobs I've had since moving to Seattle. Proud moments, bellyaching boredom, self-pity, fantastic coworkers, cool projects, and more.

Buckle up,

SJW

Chapter 9 | Behind the Scenes of Consumerism

During my senior year in college, along with this gig and this internship, I had a small cash flow through a marketing internship with Barton Creek Square Mall in Austin, TX. I sat at the front desk in the Mall Management Office - hidden deep in the innards of the building, with no windows or natural light - and served as a liaison between the mall and the individual stores.

People don't often think of it this way, but this mall is actually part of Simon Property Group, a property management company, and each store inside is a tenant. I helped secure paperwork from stores, publish their deals on our website, file their lease payments, and recruit them to participate and donate items for our larger mall-wide events. We hosted a "Mom's Night Out", a "Tim Gunn Fashion Show" (yes, Tim Gunn was actually there!), and of course Jolly Old Saint Nick for our "Breakfast with Santa" event. My biggest accomplishment was assisting with the mall's 30th Anniversary, which was a great success! 

I enjoyed learning the ins and outs and being a part of the details - from stuffing giveaway bags, to putting table tents out in the food court, I walked that mall hundreds of times and learned the secret staff-only shortcuts through the bleak back halls. I went into stores I hadn't been in for years like Build-a-Bear, Spencer's, Claire's, and Pottery Barn Kids and shamelessly enjoyed free teriyaki chicken samples and delicious pretzels from Auntie Anne's. It was definitely a fun atmosphere to go for work. The Security Team and Maintenance Crew were so kind!

It's been almost six years, but I still remember the names and faces of the small team in that back office. Like a little family, we would all watch The View in the Conference Room on our lunch break together which still makes me smile. The Marketing Manager and I were on a local TV segment featuring fashion trends at Dillard's. I think one time we modeled New Year's Eve dresses and another time we selected shoes and handbags for the segment. Those are just some of the highlights :)

I can't tell you the last time I was in a shopping mall, and honestly, it does make me cringe a little, thinking about all the clothing that is constantly being produced and marketed to our society. Nevertheless, this 9-month position gave me some helpful experience and I appreciated the inside look at what all goes into managing a mall with 150+ stores within 1.4 million square feet.

Bottom line, if you are ever in Austin, and it's raining or you're looking for a new outfit, this is the place to go...after all, it's where I first met the glories of LOFT.

Shop girl,

SJW

Chapter 8 | Cows that Can't Spell

In my senior year of college, I narrowed my job potential to the field of marketing and landed an unpaid internship with two Chick-fil-A franchises in Austin. The best part about this gig besides the chicken nuggets was the flexibility and getting to know my manager, Sarah and her artsy boyfriend Chad who would help run trivia nights at one of the stores in an effort to secure more traffic from the nearby private university. Besides helping out with events, including prepping and stuffing all these cow prizes with coupons that fell from the ceiling in the Frank Erwin Center (#glamorous) when we sponsored the UT Basketball game, I was managing their social media posts on the reg.

This was the first time I was really exposed to Twitter and learned how to use the social media management tool, Hootsuite. It surprised me that each location had their own Facebook account since the stores do so many different family-centered events. I remember we decorated one of the stores like a castle for a Mother-son date "knight" out, complete with gold chocolate coins & a photo booth. Another special project I helped with was reaching out to mom bloggers when we launched our new kids' menu. We also featured the launch of a new milkshake flavor & other desserts.

At only 5-10 hours a week or so, it was a great internship, exposing me to event coordination, marketing promotions, and social media. Chick-fil-A is a great company and aims to produce quality food and build relationships in the community - I was able to see this firsthand and will forever be a fan!

As for the same-sex marriage controversy, I was no longer in this position when it blew up in the summer of 2012. I didn't follow it too closely then, but just spent some time digging into the core argument. Unfortunately, I think Chick-fil-A got caught in the crossfire and became a symbol in a nation filled with opposing views. Here's some interesting articles I came across:

What did Dan Cathy say?

A fact checking site to help you understand the order of events. 

A story about an unlikely friendship.

This humorous segment.

This thoughtful gesture.

Craving a chicken sandwich, complete with pickles :)

- SJW 

Thoughts on the New Year | 2018

Reflecting on these excerpts & the turning of a new year has me thinking about my life - who I am, what I want, what's important to me, and my desire to grow & change. Overall, I'm hoping 2018 is a deepening year for me. Less surfacey, less spread out - in my time, thoughts, and relationships. I want to deepen my marriage, my relationships with friends, my faith, and my knowledge about the world, history, and decisions around me.

So in the year ahead, I hope to:

1) Press in to some hot topics with Mr. Fleece including faith, children, community, sex, health, our default communication patterns. Oh boy!
2) Establish a few relational rhythms i.e. once a month game night with friends, once a month happy hour with LN, once a week walks with AO, block off Mondays for having people over and Thursdays as a night to stay home. Get to know our new neighbors!
3) Continue reading the Bible and thinking through what I believe and why. I'm currently reading What the Bible Really Teaches about Homosexuality by Kevin Deyoung and considering some of R.C. Sproul's writings as well. Goals here - not to be passive. not to be cynical. not to be lukewarm. not to fall into confirmation bias.
4) Read my daily Skimm news, watch documentaries, listen to NPR, and take several free online courses from Coursera in the topics of women and gender studies, child development, and more!

And like most other middle-class white girls...workout 2-3 times a week (yay for ClassPass!), eat healthy (purchase leafy greens every time I'm at the grocery store and limit my sweets-intake), and travel (ski trip to Whistler, family visit in Duluth, MN, camping throughout Washington, Balloon Fiesta in Albuquerque, and High School Reunion in Texas around Thanksgiving).

Cheers to the year of the dog!

- SJW

Stories Squared | Recent Reflections

I recently finished reading Humans of New York Stories by Brandon Stanton and am reminded once again at how many people there are in our world and how vast their experiences can be from my own. Not always comfortable talking about myself with others, I'm often surprised at how open people can be about the more painful and intimate details of their life. From heartache and guilt, to aspirations and family, this photographic book covers a variety of brief interview topics, stretching the boundaries of emotions and backgrounds.

I enjoy how big cities bring all these people together, whether or not they live and operate in the same social circles or business places, one thing is certain, they cross paths on the same streets and share a connection to a specific place. There are commonalities among us all and I want to expand my empathy toward others, replacing snap-judgement with a listening and inquisitive ear. This applies to those closest to me including Mr. Fleece and family as well as people I walk by that I might not actually speak with.

Up next, some actions I hope to take on these reflections. 

SJW

2018 | A Year of the Classics

Reading is probably my number one hobby, neck and neck with going on walks with my pup. Curling up with a solid story paired with well-penned imagery or a factual account of someone's life or world event has me hooked. The same medium is an entrance to unstoppable learning and memorable entertainment.

This year my favorite reads were Peter Pan by J.M. Barrie, A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith, Tuck Everlasting by Natalie Babbitt, The Importance of Being Earnest by Oscar Wilde, and The Sun and her Flowers by Rupi Kaur. I sense a themed crossover of classic literature and required school reading :)

With that in mind, I'm hoping to make 2018 'a year of the classics' and aim to try the following. I say "try" because I'm becoming a more firm believer in the mantra that if you don't like a book, just put it down and pick out another one.

These are my Nonfiction picks: 

That's one book a month with I'm sure, others sprinkled in between. 

To the library,

SJW