Newness

Traveling in to the new job – officially week three, but chronologically week 4 (I took last week off to attend Boule). Most common question I’ve gotten is “How do you like it there?”. Well…

I enjoy what I do in thi atmosphere in which I do it. I like design in the air of music. That’s the #1 reason I was at Emmis for so long. It excites me to feel the new nusic and be amongst the minds that create it. Then, to take that feeling and translate it into visual art. I definitely love being “needed” again. Sitting across from my former boss upon their first opportunity to give us (the interactve dept) a raise and title change, he explained that we would diverge the three sites between the two of us and this would maximize on our individual strengths. So he gestured to Jeff and said “So, that means, Jeff you’ll head up design and Victoria, you… (insert stumbling here)… Well (gesturing back at Jeff) Jeff, you’ll handle design and you two can work out the rest.”. It was really that moment that made me see that they couldn’t put a finger on what value I brought to them as an individual. Maybe they had become creatures of habit too… They were just used to having me around that they never questionned it. And in the process, I stopped growing. Just kind of stuck in that wheel with no real promise of breaking the mold. Unless I left. Which is what I ultimately had to do. Someone said to me – after a while at a company, you’ll never make what you think your worth. You have to leave in order to do that. May not be a formula for everyone, but it was true in my case and I’m glad I still had the courage to leap. It was REALLY scary and I didn’t know what would become of the 9 years I gave in loyal service. But the transition has been almost instantaneous. I haven’t accidentally gotten on the 1 train and taken it to Houston. I don’t sit at my desk and pine away for anything but the comraderie I shared with the team. I do admit that I’ve answered the phone once saying “Emmis Digital”. But luckily it was someone internal who was forgiving.

I’m really really happy – with my feet on the ground and knowing that this is a honeymoon phase and there’s plenty work ahead. But somehow, realizing that makes it even sweeter.

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