24 Years...

I turned 24 yesterday, which when asked how old I was today for a focus group questionnaire, I had to sound like a moron because I said 23, paused, said twenty-umm, I'm 24. Doesn't sound like a hard question normally.

This year's birthday was ten times better than last year's birthday due to 1. Not having to work (well, I had a training for the Auto Show, but that doesn't count) 2. Getting a massage 3. I was not in Iowa 4. Got to go out drinking with friends. Now, the plan for my birthday was to go ice skating then out to the bars, but yesterday was the biggest snow of the season, so a lot of people couldn't make it out and we had to skip the skating. Still, it overall was a good day. I appreciate all the birthday wishes. Last year on my birthday I was working alone in Iowa, so really, anything that happened this year, even a blizzard and earthquake, totally beats it.

24 sounds like a better age than 23, so I think it'll be a good year. I'm working at the Chicago Auto Show until the 21st, so if you go, come visit me!

Happy February!

It's February 1st, and for some reason today, I decided to get my butt in gear. I'm going to start watching what I eat again, exercise regularly, and work a decent amount of hours every day. Also, I'm going to buy some books on different aspects of marketing to get some learning in while I have the chance. Yes, these resolutions should have came a month ago. I'm a little late.

I ran for the first time since August (or somewhere around August) and I think, 3 hours later, I am finally done coughing and wheezing. I've never gone running outside in the winter before, and I think I'll have to alter it a bit so I don't feel like death for hours after. The mix of being terribly out of shape and the 30 degree weather did not agree with me one bit. I succeeded in a 1.5 mile run some, walk some, run some, etc with hopes of major improvement. The other problem is running makes me hungry, and it's hard not to snack when I'm so hungry.

Does anyone have any recommendations on good books about business/marketing/etc that are informational and interesting? I want something that is actually readable.

Exciting things coming up are my birthday next week and working the Chicago Auto Show for 10 days. I'm excited to work outside of the house for awhile as well as keep doing Uloop. Still job searching, but I'm confident when it's time for the right job, we will find each other.

Good luck with your February resolutions if you decide to have any. Hopefully the ground hog will give us some hope of early spring tomorrow.

Not much is new

I really did not mean to make this a once a month blog. I really do need to get better with updating. Unfortunately, not a whole lot has happened in January. I've been on a few interviews, but no job offers. No promotional jobs. Luckily Uloop has been here to keep me occupied during the days.

Working from home is an interesting thing. I seem to wake up at 10:10am every morning, without setting an alarm. I wake up, watch Price is Right while reading/responding to emails, job searching, then do Uloop work from 11am-4 or 5pm every day. I watch almost the same tv shows every day. I usually don't get out of my pajamas until 1 or 2pm. This doesn't sound that great, but there definitely are some perks. Hours are flexible, dress code is extremely flexible, and I can watch whatever lame sitcoms I want while I work. Of course, I miss working with people, but I'm sure that I will be on a permanent schedule with no flexibility soon enough. I've also begun having a routine of night activities, which has made the weeks more enjoyable.

So, I keep on job searching. I keep on interviewing. I keep on doing what I can to get by. Things on the horizon are working the Chicago Auto Show February 12-21st, possibly Vegas the first week of March, then Cancun the end of March. It would almost be easier not to get a full time job till April, but of course I can't hope for that. If someone offers be a full time job tomorrow in a salary range I can live on, I'll have to take it.

There's a lot of thinking of, well, how would life be if I were still at Jimmy John's? I'd be going to Vegas this weekend for them. Almost everyone I worked with before is still working for them. It's been four months of semi-unemployment, but I'm still confident I made the right decision. Every time I go to Map Room on a Tuesday, or bowling with co-workers on a Wednesday, I know the decision was the right one. I'm surviving, I'm making money, I have a social life. Instead of feeling like my life is on hold, it's in progress. Of course, a full time job would be nice again, but things are ok. I'll update more. 2010 and my 24th year of life will be better than the last, I'm positive.

Obligatory End of 2009 Post

Yes, in just about 24 hours a new decade begins. The aughts (is that how you spell it?) are over. The year has been pretty turbulent, and I wish it was ending with more of a concrete future for what's ahead, but what fun would that be? I don't think it was necessarily a bad year, but it was quite the transition.

Things I'm thankful for this year:

-I'm officially out of Champaign and living in Chicago
-I traveled a lot of the country, and know, it's always going to be Sweet Home Chicago
-One full year of no school!
-Lots of really random part-time marketing work that keeps life interesting
-I'm pretty much not allergic to cats anymore

Things I'm glad to leave in 2009:
-Lots of interviewing that led to no where
-Gaining some weight, then dieting and working out a lot to lose it
-A new hotel every week instead of my own bed
-Too many lost weekends due to travel
-Waking up at 6am all the time (see a theme here?)
-Being 23. What a boring age to be.
-Drinking too much in really boring U.S. towns

Goodbye 2009. Hopefully we send you off with a really fun party tomorrow night. Champagne is in the fridge. Bring it on '10.

Things I've Learned from Working in a Mall

I've never worked in retail or in a mall setting before doing these Windows Phones promotions and it's been an interesting experience. I have much more respect for those that work in small stores all day and deal with customers for eight plus hours. I've learned/come to expect some things from malls that would have never crossed my mind before. If you've worked in retail, do these sound familiar?

1. There is a mall sound, a constant buzzing/talking/roar that is always going on.

2. You have no idea what the weather is like outside, or only have a slight idea by what the customers are wearing.

3. You say the same greeting all the time. It's very hard to vary it.

4. Samples are amazing and always available somewhere. Cinnabon, smoothies, ice cream, coffee, sausage, garlic bread, Chinese food, there is always a tray of samples somewhere.

5. I expect a mall discount at the food court. I'm wearing a branded t-shirt, I want my 10% off and will choose food court restaurants based on who gives a better discount.

6. Some customer always want you to explain something or chat about the product while you're closing and trying to leave.

7. The first hour of work is the best because barely anyone is there yet and your fellow employees are all still friendly and not tired.

8. Kids love balloons and lollypops. This isn't solely retail-related, but was reinforced this weekend.

9. You look forward to breaks and what to eat during that break all day.

10. You really wish you had those gel soles for your shoes, but are too lazy to find/buy them for your shift.

11. Not knowing exactly where random stores such as Justice or Build a Bear are will make women shoppers very angry at you.

Don't judge that man trying to straighten your hair at the kiosk. Don't be mean to the woman asking if you'd like to fill out a quick survey. Don't be completely rude to an employee and think you sound cool because of it. Don't tell me you don't need $10,000. Don't let your five year old drink an energy drink. Don't buy your five year old a Smart Phone. Definitely go see the puppies at the puppy store.

Who needs New Years for Resolutions

I've decided I'm going to get into a regular work-out routine again. I've done this by investigating some gyms in the area (although gym memberships are expensive!) and doing a half hour workout off of a workout video today. I've been doing a free pilates class once a week for the last few weeks, but now that that's over, I need to get into the groove I was in on the road. It was so much easier when a high-tech gym was a floor below me in a hotel or when it was nice out and I didn't mind being outside for a run.

I figure if I start doing this now, at least twice a week, I'll be in a good groove once the New Year starts. Eating better is going to be tough with the holidays still here, but I can start working on that again too.

Do you have any resolutions to be started in the next few weeks?

Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Belated Thanksgiving! I hope yours was full of good food, friends, and family. I am thankful I've seen a ton of friends this week. The actual eating two dinners in two hours at two different sides of the family part is not that fun, but the rest of the week has been cool.

I've been a complete blogging slacker, but mostly because nothing is very new and exciting. No huge life changes. No big purchases or trips. But the holidays are here so time to enjoy them.

My five week stint with HTC and AT&T has come to an end, and I'm pretty sick of cell phones. But, since I have no full time work yet, I'm going to do the next stint with Verizon. This one is a lot shorter so hopefully won't be as monotonous.

Working as a full time brand ambassador definitely does have its perks. I haven't woken up at 6am in months, I can take naps, and it's always a nice surprise when I get the mail and there's a check waiting for me. I am sick of the job hunting, but I'm not expecting much until the new year starts. No one out there wants an experienced field marketing specialist?

Off to go be in a taping of a pilates class which will be airing on local television. If you happen to come across it on local Chicago tv, please don't laugh too much.