From Corporate Carol to Non-Profit Neema

Sorry I have been MIA for awhile, friends.  I got caught up...becoming "gainfully employed" (to quote Someera) - woohoo!!!  And I've decided this momentous occasion is my cue to finally talk about the elephant in the room (thank you, Modern Family, for providing the visual - you never fail me).

Now this is a story all about how

My life got flipped turned upside down

And I'd like to take a minute just sit right there

I'll tell you how I became the prince of a town called Bel-Air my new career came to bear

Words have a profound impact on me.  As someone who is naturally drawn to language, I have an endless collection of notes on quotes and eloquently-worded thoughts.  Here is one I kept finding myself coming back to last year:

"Happiness comes from the intersection of what you love, what you're good at, and what the world needs." - Oliver Segovia

I thought long and hard about this one.  I reflected on how I felt plain "stuck" in my corporate job of seven years in an industry I couldn't relate to; how I felt so fulfilled in all aspects of my life except for that big, glaring one; and, how, at the root of it all, I really never felt like I fit in to the culture or was using my most valuable skills.  

I never finished reading Rich Dad, Poor Dad but I kept remembering Rich Dad's proclivity for taking risks and Poor Dad's advice to opt for security and stability.  Well, I was born risk-averse, of that I am quite sure.  Throughout my life, I was always scared to take risks, spending too much time thinking of all the possible consequences instead of just trying and being ok with failing.  (Damn it, it is the sole reason I didn't get in to the gifted program!!)

I am a firm believer that old habits don't have to die hard though.  With an open mind, anyone and anything can change.  I don't know how you get to that "open mind" in the first place, but that's a whole 'nother philosophical discussion I'll save for a future post.  I think I'm pretty open-minded, that's the key point for now.

SO, that was it.  I decided that one day, I wasn't going to tell any of my confidantes ahead of time, I was just going to go in and give my notice.  And I did.  And I have not looked back, not even once.

Predictably, there came a time over the following months when my fruitless job search got to me.  On an evening when I was feeling especially dejected, I went out for a walk with hubby to get some fresh air.  As I vented my frustration and my eyes brimmed with tears, he didn't know how to console me any more.  He felt like he had given me all the advice he could possibly think of.  As a final attempt, he asked me why I hadn't thought about a cause or idea that I felt really strongly about and pursued work in that area, no matter what the "role" was.  I tentatively told him I'd think about it.

Later that evening, it took me almost no time to figure out that education and healthy food was IT - those were my "things."  As I was surfing the net to learn more, I eventually made my way to Good Food Jobs and just that day, FoodFight, an educational non-profit revolutionizing the way we think about food, had posted an internship opportunity.  I slaved away at a cover letter immediately, shipped off my package, and by the next morning I had an e-mail in my inbox to set up an interview.  Soon, the internship started, I worked my butt off - which didn't even feel like work because I was learning so much and the work/culture felt so natural - and a few weeks ago, I received an offer to join full-time.

I feel incredibly lucky to be doing what I love, using my business, writing, people, and creative skills, and being part of a positive social movement to help teachers and students be more informed consumers and make healthier eating choices so they can in turn lead more productive, healthy lives.  

I don't see this as how my story ends.  This is how my story begins!  

Are you willing to share a risk you would take if you could let go of all the worries that come along with it?