Orting – Hometown by Default

I’m never really sure what to say when people ask me where I’m from. The short answer is always, Orting, Washington. This answer used to get a couple of pauses and a brief, “awe, where is it located exactly?” Like I frequently do after receiving a puzzled look, let me give you my Orting pitch to help you understand this little town nestled arguably dangerously close to Mount Rainier.

Orting is a picturesque town in a lot of ways. As it was once described to me it’s an island of sorts which sits between two major rivers – the Puyallup and Carbon. Both flow down from Mount Rainier. On clear days the mountain will take your breath away with its scale and varying colors which change with the sun and weather conditions.

As a former rail stop between a few mining towns further east, Orting has a distinctive “downtown” core which spans a few blocks located near the old station. While no urban metropolis, it offers up a mix of amenities including a local drug store, library (my name is actually engraved on a clock located here), Mexican restaurant, and a few other small shops. The downtown is split in half by the City Park. When I was growing up the park was the place to be during Orting’s few city specific festivals such as Red Hat Day, Summer in the Park, and the yearly Daffodil Festival.

My favorite part of the town is the extensive bike trail which runs all the way from Puyallup to South Prairie. When my older brother and I became farm hands one summer on a local raspberry farm we used the trail to commute. In the early mornings after we were done picking berries my brother and I would race down the trail back home and then eventually to Blockbuster to rent video games.

Past the town parts of Orting the rail reaches back into the woods and runs adjacent to the Puyallup River for miles along an old railroad track. The calming nature of the woods is enough to make even the most stressed person relax.

And I can’t forget about the Lion’s Club field located just on the outskirts of town. It’s not much more than a giant patch of grass with a few lines setup for soccer but it’s an amazing place to be during the Fourth of July. The whole town usually comes out for the event and you start to ask yourself, “is this town really so small?”

While I spent my high school years in Orting it’s not my original home. Throughout childhood my family lived in many places along the Puget Sound including Seattle, Federal Way, and Kent. Orting was our final destination. While I often hate to admit it at times, wishing I was from somewhere “cooler,” more “cosmopolitan,” or “famous,” Orting is where I hang my hat and call home.

It’s the place I became a “track star,” my father achieved his dream of becoming a city councilmen, and my family established a name for itself. Like many things in this world, meaning is derived from context; for me that means where I’m from has varying degrees of complexity but the short of it is, I’m from Orting.

Diving Into The Deep End

After a year of stringing together a series of short term contracts, I’m happy to announce I recently signed a long term project with NetHope. As the organization’s core Marketing and Communications Specialist. I’ll be responsible for helping develop NetHope’s communications strategy, managing its digital properties, and planning the organization’s big member summit in the fall.

Like many of life’s adventures I’m terrified and excited for this new opportunity. It will allow me to work at the intersection of a number of issues I’m interested in and use my complete communicator tool box. All being said, the role will also force me to quickly acquire new skills and operate at my very best all the time. Being a solo communications shop as I’ve discussed with other friends is a double-edged sword in many ways. It presents endless opportunities to explore various projects without worrying about red tape but can quickly devolve into chaos if managed incorrectly.

Accepting this offer was difficult at first because it meant closing the door for now on a traditional and stable career path. Initially I found this idea very unsettling. The common question I frequently ask myself, “what’s next,” had no simple answer. Instead it’s filled with a lot of mystery and vagueness.

So with that I’ve made up my mind. I’m taking a step back from the ledge, jumping high in the air, and doing a cannon ball into the deep end of the independent pool. The best way to learn is by doing. A quote I recently stumbled upon on LinkedIn describes this idea best, “sometimes you have to build the plane on the way down.”

[Photo Courtesy of llstalteri]

JHXXVI – Fresh Start, New Year

“Cut, it’s a wrap!”

Like many good things, my 25th year has come to an end. No big bangs or fireworks but many lessons learned from a challenging year which allowed me to explore my life as an entrepreneur, redefine my personal values, and lay the framework for some important “personal infrastructure projects” which I hope will pay off in the near future.

Looking ahead it’s hard to say what the new year has in store but if I learned anything from my 25th year, it’s that you have to put your best foot forward every day and plant all seeds of opportunity. The combination of these two actions will lead to the creation of a stronger and more prosperous future.  

In celebration of this milestone, I’ve created a personal curation project using Tagboard to capture the last few moments of my 25th year. I also drew up a list of personal improvements I hope to achieve in the coming year (listed below for reference).

To another year, *Cheers*


26th Year - Personal Improvement Opportunities 

• Make regular investments in my personal fitness

• Reconnect and maintain connections within my network

• Hit a little harder when it comes to point of view (POV)

• Recover quicker from “life blows”

• Push myself beyond my normal comfort zone

• Take action more frequently and ask myself “what’s the worst that could happen”

• Think more strategically about new opportunities and alliances

• Manage and respect my own time

• Step out of the weeds and look up at the bigger picture

• Don’t be afraid to take the lead occasionally   

• Own good work and learn quickly from missteps

• Strive to be the first to nod, smile, compliment, and forgive

• Draft faster, revise with care, and hit publish more frequently

• Exhibit a high level of emotional control

"Realign your life perspective frequently and often to avoid catastrophic derailments."

Status Update – 9.15.13

With summer coming to a close I thought it would be a good opportunity to use this entry to reflect on the past few months. A mixture of sunshine, personal events, and professional developments helped make this summer one of the best. Below is a list highlighting some of this summer’s big moments.

Back to the regular scheduled programing next week. Thanks for reading!

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Professional

• Secured three new clients –  Marx Foods, Tripcierge, and Seattle Goodwill
• Reconnected with my two mentors – Anne Tillery and J Paul Blake
• Ran “Let It Go” – a social media campaign for Seattle Goodwill
• Helped launch Tripcierge’s new travel app

Personal

• Little sister got married
• My fiancé came to visit
• Rediscovered my will power to go to the gym
• Said Goodbye to one of my good friends (he moved to Portland with his girlfriend)
• Watched a rendition of Hairspray
• Participated in my first Startup Weekend
• Discovered the joys of Colman Pool at Lincoln Park
• Alki beach party 

Growing Up in Coffee Shops

As a Northwesterner raised by a Midwesterner and Southerner, coffee was a foreign substance in my household.  In its place was pop – a drink often rationed by my siblings and I. Coffee didn’t enter my life in a meaningful way until I returned to Seattle in 2007 for college at the University of Washington.

After years of drinking pop out of a fridge or vending machine, the notion of brewing coffee or going to get it from a shop seemed downright foreign, if not absurd. Venturing to shops with friends proved to be an interesting challenge. I’d often get to the menu board and be overwhelmed by the choices. It was a stark change from my standard options at home – Coke or Pop. Dazed and often very confused, I’d frequently leave shops with a mocha, my default/security blanket.

It wasn’t until I graduated from college when I truly started to appreciate coffee. Oddly however it wasn’t the taste which drew me in. No, instead it was the culture around the shops and its powerful distinction as an independent space for interaction, business, and relaxing. I hadn’t experienced anything like it before and was hooked by the notion.

Much of my experience with coffee came as a direct connection to the close of the Great Recession in 2009 – as documented by economists. During this time I found myself constantly hitting the pavement, making cold calls to potential employers, and emailing leads I’d discover through contacts. Responses were mixed. Many people were unresponsive, a few were downright rude, but remarkably I found a majority were actually very warm, friendly, and open to a conversation.

The receptive majority which I began to befriend always had a particular place they’d like to meet - coffee shops. Timid at first, I found myself bouncing from coffee shop to coffee shop meeting a variety of different professionals. During the meetings they’d provide in-depth insight into their lives, careers, and passions. The warmness I felt from those experiences still lingers with me today and is a major factor why I find myself frequenting coffee shops today.

Now at a new stage in my life as a budding freelance communications consultant/unemployed young professional I often find myself calling coffee shops home. It serves as a place to connect and work. In just a few years, this once foreign drink has become part of my natural routine. Happy to say I drink it mostly black with just a bit of sugar these days.

[Photo courtesy of Flickr user Nicola since 1972]

Returning to the Hunt After a Week of Seattle Sunshine

Unemployment finally caught up with me last week. After a few months of adventures around Seattle and a number of freelance projects, I found myself with a rather empty schedule and inbox. At first I was thrilled by the thought. It seemed almost too perfect. My to-do list had run out of boxes to check just as the sunny spring weather arrived in Seattle.

In honor of the sun I kicked off my shoes, lost my shirt, and planted myself in the yard to catch some rays and finish a few good books. This sense of calm didn’t last long however. With my natural state being mobile and fluid, I quickly became uneasy with this stationary life style. It’s safe to say that I have a hard time relaxing.

Sun kissed and mentally refreshed, I’m returning to the hunting trail reenergized for a new round. Opportunities don’t come knocking after all. It’s more of a hunt. You need to be at the right place at the right time to make things happen.

A bit about what I’m looking for below.

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Digital Strategist and Storyteller Seeking Organization Interested in Digital Media and Collaboration

Smart and versatile communications professional with a passion for cultivating authentic relationships and stories for brands. I’m industrious, eager to learn, and filled with optimism.

I have over three years of experience helping organizations communicate effectively via traditional and new media. I love cuisine, travel, technology, trains, and urban environments. For a complete download about my history visit my resume here

I’m looking to create a long lasting relationship with an organization that has similar values and interests. If interested, please feel free to ping me on twitter at @jholland218.

[Photo Courtesy of waggingtales]

Sitting in on The Last Lecture

Life doesn’t come with a manual but if you look carefully there are plenty of easy to follow lessons left by people who figured out how to do it well. I recently came across such a lesson in my family’s book collection titled, “The Last Lecture.” This real life story focuses on Randy Pausch, a Carnegie Mellon professor diagnosed with cancer who’s determined to leave an enduring legacy for his loved ones. He does this by giving a last lecture – an exercise where professors reflect on what’s important to them and share their last words as if they were dying tomorrow.

Randy uses the first few chapters to outline his life to date and the rationale behind giving a last lecture. At first it seems as if the story will just be a paper copy of his live performance. A few chapters in however the book jumps from its straightforward narrative and shifts focus to important life moments for Randy. Each mini story reveals a lesson the professor learned when encountering life challenges. At this point Randy begins to reveal smaller thoughts regarding daily life that are focused on a grand narrative. Like life the book is filled with many lessons that when combined come together to showcase a complete story.

Ultimately there are many lessons to take away from this book. Below are a few I found meaningful:

• Make opportunity – “…If you can find an opening, you can probably find a way to float through it.”
• Never give-up – “…Don’t believe in the no win scenario.”
• Default to positive – “The park is open until 8 PM.”
• Brick walls aren’t dead ends – “Brick walls are there for a reason. They give us a chance to show how badly we want something.”
• Function is greater than perfection – “Not everything in life needs to be fixed.”
• Create to-do lists – “You can always change your plans, but only if you have one.”
• Learn from failure – “Experience is what you get when you didn’t get what you wanted… Be the first penguin.”

“The Last Lecture” is a quick read with lots to teach. The title is deceptive in the fact that while it’s focused on Professor Pausch’s last lecture, it’s easily a whole quarter worth of knowledge crammed into 200 pages. It’s not required reading but the story is perfect for those looking to get a new perspective on life and its daily challenges.

Status Update - 1.13.13

Life slowly returned to normal this week following Fuzz’s departure the week before. Traditional routines reemerged and I found myself gaining a bit of traction in discovering what's next on the professional front. Thanks to a handful of great conversations about potential new ventures and life advice, my outlook for the year remains positive.

On a more personal level, I’m making progress in achieving some of my goals for this year. A few noteworthy ones include being physically active frequently, building my own Website and reading regularly. I'm very excited to be learning HTML and looking forward to hitting publish on my site next month. I also purchased a few sessions at a boxing/muay thai gym in Belltown that I'm eager to try.

The year is off to a good start so far. And as a former sprinter, I’m well aware of the importance of a good start. Out of the gate, it’s time to make things happen! Hello 2013, you're looking great.

[Photo courtesy of Flickr user bacherfamily]