January 20, 2013 with my BFF, and yes, we did the same ride again on 1/20 this year! I hope I can say the same a year from now.
I’m naming this post in honor of an email I received this afternoon. I have been friends with Mr. D for many years. We shared laughs and tears on the loading dock at the company I where I worked for sixteen years and he was one of the few people who stayed in touch when I left. Â His support in the early days of unemployment meant a lot to me. His wisdom and kindness when I was in the final days of leaving that life were what got me through many tough hours. It was a miserable corporation; heartless and degrading. I watched good people’s lives crumble in the wake of the power-hungry moves management made to trim costs.
We haven’t spoken or seen each other in several months so it was rewarding to see he is still out there following my misadventures from afar. I hope he doesn’t mind that his words meant so much to me I wanted to share them here.
It’s about time. You don’t hear from me very often because I don’t have the best command of the written English language. Â After reading 200 plus of your blogs and your book I see a trend. It’s taken you a year to regress back to what you love to do and are good at. There is not very much difference between photo stock and olive oil if you love what you’re doing. You are a marketing person and there is no way you can get away from it.
For the past year you have been selling to anybody that would listen, everything but yourself. From schwedenfakels, bees, sleigh rides, recipes and locations for a good time. Your even admitting that you may need to refresh the closet to present a professional image when your selling.
You have gone full circle. I see a future as a low-key consultant helping people with everything marketing related from advertising, press releases, business plans to web design. Tell me you don’t love it. I can see it in you writing. Speaking of writing, my compliments your real good at it and everybody that reads your blog can see it.
So much for the rambling on. I’m impressed. Now I’m going to have to come up to Peterborough for some balsamic vinegar and maybe catch up with an old friend.
This email was on the heels of a really good day in my little world. The local paper carried two stories that I had birthed; a quick recap of my press release about the opening of The Mondadnock Oil  & Vinegar Company, and an article prompted by my post about fellow blogger Laura’s cooking once a year, with my photos credited.
Yes, Mr. D, I am happiest marketing and working on ideas and products I love; be they bees, photos, hospice or olive oil. I still search the job listings and send out a résumé now and then, but basically I’ve come full circle in life to doing what I love.
Therapeutic Misadventures 
How nice….. I kinda like the idea of “Full Circle Marketing”…..nice tagline don’t you think?
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I love Steph’s idea “Full Circle Marketing” is perfect! Thanks for the mention and for pushing me to do the interview. Your friend Mr. D. is quite correct, your happiness really shines through when you are doing what you love!
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Most people can’t earn a living doing what they love, so it’s pretty special when it happens. I’ve been lucky enough to have it happen twice, so I know how you feel.
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I guess the next question is “what’s a living?” and I haven’t gotten to that delicate balance yet. I feel this is the path to take, the direction the compass is pointing…now to reconcile the lifestyle to the “living” and find that happy balance.
Doing what you love is such a gift.
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The making money is the tricky bit isn’t it? In a perfect world we would all be able to do what we loved and get paid for it. Seems to me the world would be a happier, more productive place of we could all work at what we loved but, sadly, the blasted bean counters get in the way of that. Whatever you do I hope you succeed and, more importantly, you’re happy 🙂
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Thanks Marie, I know you are paddling the same boat up this river. Hoping you find something that will make you smile every day.
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Sooner or later but I’m trying hard to smile now
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