Jobs: When it’s time to move on to something new

NOTE: We took a week off last week because of Hurricane Ida. The goal is to keep putting out a new episode every Sunday. 

On to this week’s topic… JOBS!

Our jobs impact our daily lives so much, but oftentimes it can be difficult to figure out when it’s become a source of unhappiness to the point that it’s impacting other areas of our lives. In this episode, I talk about my recent decision to end my 20-year career in media and Mika talks about his decision to move 3,000 miles away from his wife to seek out a better way of working. 

Yeah, two pretty dramatic moments and both stories have a similar undercurrent.

In my case, I decide to end my career in “traditional” media because of a variety of reasons. Let me say that the place where I worked was a great place, but I am in a different place in life and have realized I need to take on a new challenge. 

Although I was already considering a change before the pandemic, it was returning back to the office that really fully impressed upon me the need to change. What I didn’t explain during the podcast is that I spent a lot of time in self-reflection. I went to a therapist for several weeks and tried to isolate my feelings to determine whether or not changing my job would make any real difference. 

It’s funny, I’m currently reading a book called “Betting on You” by Laurie Ruettimann. I found Laurie through her podcast Punk Rock HR, which is FAB-U-LOUS! I have been listening to it for about a month now. 

I was introduced to the podcast via a company for which I am doing some contract work. It’s called Rep Cap, and they are a content marketing firm that utilizes a remote workforce. The whole idea is the brainchild of CEO Mary Ellen Slayter - a legit badass. 

Funny enough, Mika is familiar with Mary Ellen because she’s a fellow board member of the Mid City Gras, a new parade that launched a few years back in Baton Rouge. 

Anywho, Mika shared his dramatic story regarding work and it all boils down to the fact that his job in Baton Rouge was great, until his boss moved and he got a new boss. Then, the situation changed and he stopped enjoying going to work. 

Once he stopped enjoying going to work, he stopped enjoying a lot of other things in his life. It eventually started to impact his relationship with his better half. It might be hard for some people to understand, but moving away from his wife was actually a step to retain his relationship. 

It makes sense when he explains it, so go listen to the episode. 

Okay, so I’m going to keep this summary short, but I do encourage you to check out the book Mika references in this episode. It’s called Happy City by Charles Montgomery.