She bought a ticket to ride

I'm a worker. I've been working consistently from the age of 12 years old when I was on a babysitting rotation for the families who went to the local temple or played on the local tennis court (my parents independent religious studies). In high school I worked in the stock room of a local retail behemoth - the first store in Napa with an escalator was a big deal. In college I worked two jobs on top of my studies; in school data entry (the most tedious shitty job possible so be nice when people call you for surveys or money) and a coffee barista at a So Cal chain (became addicted to caffeine but repulsed by the smell of sour milk).

My first real job was as the Assistant Program Director for a college program angled towards high school students - a sleep away camp not just for the entitled but for those who really wanted to sew some wild oats before they became adults and where better than an art school in Los Angeles.

The job that launched my career was ten years at The Roxy Theatre handling marketing, brand development and special programs and partnerships. It was a huge developmental milestone for me professionally and also a ton of fun (don't get it twisted, though, it was a ton of work). When that ended I didn't know what to do with myself. My identity was linked to the brand and I had zero independence from it.

So for a few years I flitted about from job to job until I realized that I don't care about any of this. I don't want to be killing myself to put the almighty dollar in someone else's pocket. And for that matter I don't believe the dollar is all that mighty. Because when people truly care for each other that is far more rewarding than any amount a man-made system can put on it. In realizing that I am launching a business. I am launching a business as a professional catalyst who will help people who are stuck in the muck and blinded by historical voices but desperately need and want to make changes because life should be more rewarding than what they are literally selling you on TV. 

With preaching comes practice though and I would not be able to properly help or guide anyone if I didn't take action on my own shit. That said, I have some historical voices haunting me in crippling fear and anxiety. My current top three are: Karaoke, Solo Road Trips to Unknown Places, and Riding a Bike. As luck would have it by the time that this blog post is going up I've conquered my first fear having performed Karaoke at a small venue in Portland - and I crushed. With having a cast on one or the other of my arms for most of my formative years the bike riding is a more daunting undertaking than road trips... I fear death and dismemberment more than roadside assistance. 

So next week, in an effort to practice and not just preach I am playing a catalyst for myself and taking action. I am heading out on the road in a less than lonely road trip with myself. The only plans that are solidified are the first location and a few stops along the way but outside of that I am playing it by ear. I'll be posting on this blog as I go. I invite you to watch and give me recommendations. There is no real time limit and there are no real restraints that I am putting on myself.