One year later…

Wow.  Today I realized something.  I’ve been Glass Half Full for a year.  Yes folks it was a year ago today (ok close to this day) that I officially launched Glass Half Full Communications <~~~Seriously check out this link, if anything, the graphics and sounds are fun (Thank you @drchemist!)

Rewind back just a few more months.   I was a newly engaged twenty-something who quit her job (which would be phased out anyways) and moved to Greenville, SC with my significant other.  I was full of optimism for a such an amazing town full of promise.  Greenville, SC has a lot to offer the creative type.  More than I expected as a girl growing up in northern cities.  Don’t get me wrong, I knew I wasn’t living in the middle of nowhere but Greenville never touched my radar screen.  Still I was sure I’d land a full-time gig at one of the local agencies before I knew it.  I was fresh out of grad school and refused to listen to the experts who said we were on the brink of a second depression.

Then.  Nothing happened. Interview after interview I was getting more and more frustrated.  Then I began brainstorming.  I mean hey…a professional goal of mine was to own my full-service agency by the time I was 35-40ish.  Maybe it was this Allstate commercial that got me thinking. Is it true that some of the biggest companies today grew out of recessions:

So I realized that maybe I was ready to go out on my own. Earlier than expected.  I knew I didn’t want to do traditional public relations, I still don’t.  I think traditional public relations is great, when used with other daily marketing activities such as social media.  But I couldn’t find the right agency that understood that and the integrated marketing communications concept. (Well none that were hiring, anyways)

Then I did it.  I went out on my own.  Working at first for “trades”.  Trading services with organizations I assisted. I learned the hard way and very quickly that doesn’t build credibility.  I don’t regret it.  It was interesting work and I learned a lot but I wouldn’t do it again.  I met a lot of people in the industry that weren’t right for me.  We forget that working with a client and or job seeking is like finding that perfect romantic relationship.  You can’t make someone change.  But I learned… maybe even burned some bridges and trudged on.

Now here we are, March 9, 2010.  I’d love to tell you I’ve made millions with my ideas or found the perfect job.  I haven’t. But I went through a year that I would not change for the world.  I dared to do something not many people I know would do at my age or in my predicament.  I faltered and got back up.

I’ve had a blast volunteering on the AAF Greenville board of directors.  Learned a lot with a short stint in an advertising agency.  Branded myself.  Networked with a lot of interesting people. Applied and interviewed to many companies. Been asked to speak at local colleges about social media.  Tweeted like its my job.  And raced a BMW 5-series. (More about that later.)

So as much as someone may look at my situation as less than ideal…I see it as a learning experience.  And I still have an optimistic outlook on the future.  Because no matter what, my glass will always be half full.

Cheers!

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