Career Crossroads
Creative Pursuits, Culinary Ventures, and Modern Romance
“Yo idk what this email is but I’m here for it”
Confused, yet confident. Implied eccentricity, yet unconditional support.
“I totally see you as the next Anthony Bourdain, like drinking lamb soup or something by a fire in Iceland.”
Rustic imagery, likened to an iconic iconoclast, a soup-drop. I feel so seen.
Thank you for all the texts, comments, and support. Please, keep them coming!
Recap
I started a newsletter to keep me occupied.
I’m exploring startups alongside a creative pursuit to tell stories.
I ate soup six times over a seven-day period.
The Plan: Expose (12/4 - 12/17)
Since last week, I’ve dedicated my time and energy to exposing myself (and my ideas) to people. I spoke with friends at startups and others who were unemployed (intentionally) and came across the biggest challenge to my own ideas so far:
If my long-term goal is to start my own business, why don’t I explore starting one?
Over the holidays, I plan to revisit this idea in a formal, structured way.
Otherwise, these are the types of jobs I am actively searching to learn more about:
Business Operations and Strategy
Chief of Staff
“RevOps” or Early Sales Employee
Product Management and/or Product Marketing
I also explored my creative interests in film, content creation, and food through conversations with a young filmmaker and a Lifestyle YouTuber.
My conclusion, specifically on the creative, is that it’s time to start doing. Write out a short story from Brazil. Edit together a video of me reading my newsletter over b-roll footage. The sooner I do, the closer I will be to my goal.
Expect something next week.
Overheard on the Street
“Become technically proficient enough to explain how the internet works.”
“It will never get easier to start a business… We need more risk-takers in this family.”
“If you want to create something, it’s probably because you have good taste. Yet, you must overcome that because that taste tells you that your first creation isn’t good.”
Update (From “For Next Time”)
New Contacts to Meet: 13
Adds to Newsletter: 11
Meetings: 5 (+1)
Scheduled Meetings: 5 (+2)
Other Opportunities: Last week’s AstroPay PowerPoint did not happen. But there is potential for a smaller project alongside a Chief of Staff opening in April.
What’s Else is Cooking
Opportunities— I found a job post at Clay for a “founding Account Executive,” or the first Sales Employee. This app was cutting-edge while working at Grapevine. I know an employee and believe the size, 20-30 employees, could be perfect. I worry that I may be jumping at the first opportunity and that it could be more “sales-y” than I want. I’m applying and asking questions. I can’t count my chickens before they hatch.
Foodwise— Speaking of chicken. After being rejected at a club circa 2 am by SNL’s Marcelo Hernandez, I returned home and dejectedly deboned a whole chicken. My boozy butchery left the skin on the bird but removed the drumsticks and wings. Yet, unlike Marcelo, I let the best parts, the thigh and breast, stay connected together. The combined cut resulted in a plateau of shatteringly crisp skin enveloping suspiciously succulent white meat all within fork’s distance of the flavorable thigh. It’s time to end this childish “light meat vs dark meat” debate; This isn’t the force. Por que no los dos?
Ghosting — I crafted and sent this text to a lady last Thursday: “My Vision: we meet when there’s still a bit of light but dusk is rolling in (4pm). We pick up some groceries, maybe do some light window shopping, but most importantly, we find a place to cozy up with hot chocolate. Then we go back to mine and cook the groceries. Friends join for dinner and mulled wine. We play a board game, they make plans to go out, we pretend we’re interested and then we stay in and finish the mulled wine over a classic holiday movie.” >>> Aside from my incorrect usage of “were” over “we’re,” does anything justify not responding to this message until 2pm that VERY SATURDAY? She declined (missed the chicken). It’s Christmas, not Halloween; ghosts are out of season.
“Dream as if you’ll live forever, live as if you’ll die today.” (Full, inspiring quote here)
-WKD