I just got back from the Social Media Marketing World 2018 Conference in San Diego on Saturday.  During the flight home, I kept thinking of how I was going to find a way to break out on my own doing what I love.  Well, that choice was made for me on Monday afternoon when I found out I lost my job.

Social Media Marketing World 2018

The conference was a gift to me.  I was approached to volunteer at the conference after reaching out to Michael Stelzner.  I didn’t know that being a volunteer was an option.  What an AMAZING gift!!!  The experience was life-changing.  That’s not just an expression.  I really felt that way.  I met such great people, the volunteers are reaching out to me to help me collaborate and come up with a strategy for my business, and I also made some wonderful friendships in such a short amount of time.

I had the chance to meet some of the biggest names in the Social Medial business world:

• Michael Stelzner, founder and CEO of Social Media Examiner
• Phil Mershon
• Connie Albers
• Pat Flynn
• Carlos Gil
• Tyler Anderson
• Erik Fisher
• Jeff Sieh
• Heidi Cohen
• Mark Schaefer
• Viveka von Rosen
• Joel Comm
• Chris Brogan
• Leslie Samuel
• Syed Balkhi
• Darren Rowse
• Steve Dotto
• Steve Chou
• Monica Pruett
• Marcus Drenth
• Shaun Ayala
• And I got to see my fellow Disney lover, Lou Mongello.  I also got to meet singer, Peter Hollens!

I didn’t realize how many amazing people I met until I actually listed them all out.  I listen to these people in my car, on my long training runs, or when I am working.  I feel like I already know them!  To actually meet them in person made me feel like I was meeting celebrities at a red carpet event!  But they were all so approachable, down-to-earth, friendly, and eager to help!

On the last night of the event when everyone left; those of us who were traveling home the next day all met up at the Hyatt for dinner and drinks.  I got to meet several more great people from the volunteer team as well as the conference attendees.  While there I was on a mission to have my “Scout” mascot signed by all of the members of Social Media Examiner, along with the guest speakers that were there.  I was blown away by the excitement everyone had about my idea.  This is a treasured item that I have in my office now as a reminder of how and when my life had changed.

My Life Just Took A Rapid Shift

Life can throw curve balls at us.  It’s a matter of what we do when we get those unexpected curve balls.  I wanted this.  I wanted it really bad.  I didn’t want it to happen the way it did, but it was a gift.  I wasn’t happy to hear the news that I was no longer going to be working in sales at Slalom.  It was a surprise coming on the day that it came, but this field wasn’t the right fit for me.  To be honest, no matter how I tried, it was never good enough.

I went to Seattle in January to get trained in Sales, but didn’t have much of a chance to implement what I learned in my training.  There were aggressive goals set for me and I wasn’t meeting those goals.  Not for the lack of trying.  Sales is a difficult field to be in.  I have many qualities that make me successful in this field, such as my ability to network and create and foster relationships.  I will still use those traits in my future endeavors.

What’s Next After Losing My Job?

I am not afraid.  I went through several emotions since Monday afternoon, but sadness didn’t linger for very long at all.  If anything, I was angry and disappointed.  I am relieved and happy right now.  I feel like I have a weight lifted from me.  I am no longer living in fear of not being good enough or losing my job.

During the last hour of the conference, Pat Flynn was the closing keynote.  I felt like every word he spoke during that presentation was aimed at me directly.  At the time I didn’t know I was going to go through the same thing Pat went through, but when he was working in the architecture industry he lost his job just a few months before his wedding.  He said it could have been a terrible time in his life, but it wasn’t.  That was because he built a website and used that website to create a study guide for an architectural exam and that became a stream of income for him.  I spoke to him after the conference was over and told him I felt like he was speaking directly to me.  I saw the emotion in his eyes and I was getting emotional as well.

This is why I am not afraid.  I also have dreams and goals and have been working on my blog over the past year to grow it as well as my social media following.  Now is my time to really focus on that growth.  I can be home for my children, I can set my own schedule and I can be my own boss!  I am happy.  I feel like I have a clean calendar and now is my time to find all the things that bring me joy.  When God closes one door, he opens another.  I truly have always believed this.

I feel like my old self is coming back.  A weight has been lifted.  The fear is gone.  I made it a point to take some time to myself on Tuesday, I had lunch with my husband, went for a run, and took some time to breathe.  Now it’s time to plan for my future!  I hope you’ll stick around and follow me and support me on this journey as new and great things will come my way!