For Love or Money?

Lately, in my quest for my dream job, I have been struggling with the familiar internal conflict of a job I love, or a job that will make me rich. Which is more important - money or happiness?

I have always been a firm believer that happiness is more important than money. I have further been a believer that doing something I love will eventually bring the money. Call me a dreamer, call me ignorant or just call me plain crazy, but ever since I was young, I always thought I'd be rich and famous for something. When I was really young, I wanted to be a marine biologist, mostly because I thought dolphins, sea lions and whales were really cute. That dream died when I found out that being a "marine biologist" wasn't just swimming with dolphins every day, and oh yeah, I was really bad at science...

When I got a little older I realized that I was a born writer. I started writing a Nancy Drew type novel when I was in elementary school called "The Adventures of Jillian Rhonda." The yet to be published mystery was tragically accidently erased from our old computer and was never recovered...

When I was in high school I decided that I would be an investigative reporter or a war correspondent. It was then that the alias "Allie Waters" was born. I was sure I would be on CNN with bombs exploding behind my head or writing for the NY Times.

When I got to college I found my niche to be more of a feature writer. I wrote for our college newspaper for a couple semesters as a news editor but longed for more interesting assignments beyond campus construction and the played out "dry campus" controversy. It was then that I developed an interest in public relations and marketing. I had a great professor, Gail Alofsin, who runs the Newport Yachting Center in Newport, RI who taught me about the wonderful world of PR and event planning. I even interned there in the summer and helped promote music festivals, food festivals and boat shows. It was a learning experience and sparked a new interest for me beyond journalism.

After college I took some time to find myself, taking various jobs from marketing at a hotel, to waitressing at a slew of hot spots on the water in RI. In my spare time I was a freelance writer for The Newport Mercury which was the closest thing to my dream job I've had to date. Only problem was that it paid barely a 100 dollars a week. It was more of a hobby than a career but brought me more inspiration and pride than I had felt in years. Having people read and praise my quirky articles about bars and restaurants in town was an amazing feeling.

So flash forward to the present. I had a good run working at a boutique PR firm, excelling at the creativity and social media aspects of the job. I found a new love for blogging, social networking and technology.

So now, as I try to determine what the perfect job for me will be, the job that will make me rich AND famous (and by famous, I mean well-known and respected in my field and invited to fun events and parties, not like "Paris Hilton famous") I continue to wonder, If I stick to what I love and what I know I'm good at, will success inevitably follow? Is it really that simple, or will I have to at some point, give up on my dreams to make the big bucks? For now, however naive it may sound, I am sticking to my guns and holding out for a job that will allow me to do what I love...and from there...I know the money will come! Until then, you can find me tucked away in a coffee shop writing on my laptop by day, and maybe waiting tables at a local hot spot near you by night...

One Day at a Time...

Sometimes inspiration can come from the most unlikely places...

My quest for a new job has been pretty encouraging so far, and it's only been a few weeks. I have gone on several interviews, connected with amazing contacts, both old and new, and learned a lot about myself and my goals in the process.

This week, I had a few days where I started to feel sorry for myself, and considered stay in bed all day long. But someone wise told me to take advantage of this free time and to use it wisely. I have been forcing myself to get up, get dressed and go out and experience the world, if only to keep my sanity. As I sit here in my absolute new favorite place, Subtle Tea in Murray Hill (shout out--love the chai lattes, potato bacon soup and friendly employees), I realize that my journey is just beginning and my dream job awaits me. This place is filled with people trying to live their dreams and they don't seem to be deterred by unemployment, the economy or anything else. I've heard people say that if you are passionate about something and love what you do, you will be successful. I think that greatness awaits me, and one day (hopefully soon!) I will be writing or publicizing for a living, mingling with fabulous and creative minds, and working at an amazing place in NYC doing what I love. Until then...I am enjoying the free time to catch up on my reading, surfing of the interwebs and soul searching...

Until I'm invited, I'm boycotting the Oscars!

There are certain TV events that as an informed citizen who likes to keep up on current events, I feel it is my duty to watch. Obviously the Oscars (along with the Grammy's, the Superbowl and the season finale of American Idol) is one of them.

So last night, I settled in for a night of red carpet delight. If I'm being brutally honest here, I found it dull. Boring, dull and just not worth my time. Sorry Hollywood. Sure I liked watching the red carpet interviews along with the mandatory and oh so stimulating "reporting" that consisted of the same two questions over and over. "Who are you wearing?!" and "Whose your date?" Umm, can't you think of anything else??

The awards ceremony started and I did enjoy Hugh Jackman's opening skit, it was creative and funny and I thought it might be a good show after all. But no, it was boring and not worth all the hype in my opinion. I could have just as easily found out the winners via Twitter, which I did towards the end of the show when my boyfriend couldn't handle it anymore and switched to ESPN. At least on Twitter, each award and presenter was described with snarky commentary and made it much more interesting!

Also, I saw all these news stories prior to the Oscars about how celebs were going to "tone it down" and not flash their diamonds and pearls to all the unemployed, homeless people who were watching the Oscars on their rabbit ear TV's and eating Ramen Noodles. Maybe I missed something but no one seemed too dressed down to me. I especially thought Angelina Jolie's Emeralds said "these are tough times."

Sure, if I was sipping on some Moet and watching the Oscars from some fabulous Hollywood soiree, it may have been entertaining, but until someone personally invites me to the awards, or at least a really good party, I think I'll make it a Blockbuster night next year.

Good Karma

Since my last post, I have received a lot of love and support from friends, friends of friends, colleagues, and even people I have only met a few times or haven't talked to in years...so first off, thanks for reading!

I am completely convinced that I am on the track to greatness and have had a lot of good things happen already since "the lay-off." I have several leads already, have been meeting with people and finding that there is definitely opportunities out there, you just need to set yourself apart from your competition by being smart, sassy and persistent! I'd like to think I am all three :)

I feel a sense of freedom and a new beginning because to be honest, I was ready for a new challenge anyway. I can't wait for my next adventure to begin. I am ready to work hard and conquer the world, somewhere great where I can write, be myself and be associated with people who are revered in their industry, whether it's writing, blogging, online or in PR. I want to be part of the social networking extraordinaire and be encouraged to utilize my sites to further my influence and grow my community.

So today, even though it is Friday the 13th, I am feeling optimistic and once again telling myself that everything happens for a reason. This time, I think I already know what that reason is :)

On two final notes, I just wanted to say a quick prayer for the victims of the Buffalo plane crash and the community of Buffalo. My boyfriend is from the area and it's sad that this week's plane story didn't turn out as good as the last one :(

Also, I promised a friend I would mention the devastating disease that is affecting her close friend's 16 month old daughter. Spinal Muscular Atrophy(SMA) is a really horrible disease that she will eventually die from. The life expectancy is usually 2 years old, it is really heart wrenching... There is a petition which will enable non-profit and research organizations to help find a cure Check out these links if you want to help!
http://www.petitiontocuresma.com/
http://www.gwendolynstrong.com/

The Official Anouncement

So it's been almost a week now and I am finally in a mostly non-bitter, non-angry, minimally bummed place where I can let the world know of my current employment situation and not write anything I will later regret out of anger or shock. Yes, as of last Tuesday, I became another victim of "these economic times" and got laid off from my job of two plus years as New Media Director at a boutique PR firm. Since getting the news, I took some time to reflect on my life and evaluate what to do next.

Ironically, I sensed the end was near. Through what I believe was no fault of my own, my place of work was simply not doing well, and although I'd like to believe that I was indispensable, a part of me knew my days were numbered and that I would be the next victim.

I now plan on concentrating my efforts on finding the kind of work that will motivate me day in and day out, that will challenge me to be better, smarter and more creative than I ever thought I could be, and that will provide me with opportunities to meet new people, learn new things, build new communities, touch people's lives with the written word (or at least make them laugh) and rise above the glass ceiling. My first real job in the industry taught me a great deal, gave me a good basic knowledge of the PR industry and the corporate world in general, taught me what I do want to do and what I don't, showed me my strengths and weaknesses, and showed me that I am capable of being a lot more than just a waitress with a passion for writing.

So onward I go, to the next chapter of my life. As I may have mentioned before, I am a strong believer in the "Everything happens for a reason" mentality and am confident that this little "bump in the road" will lead me to a better place (Manhattan address) and a better job (six figures). A year from now, I hope to look back at this post and say, "yup, you were right!"

All that being said, friends, foes and random readers, please feel free to contact me at allie.herzog@yahoo.com if you know of a job I may be a good fit for! I can write, set-up blogs, set-up social networking sites, build online communities, do publicity, marketing and more. And if you're willing to pay me to do something I may not have mentioned, well just ask, because I'm a quick learner :)

To suit up or not to suit up?

My first suit ever was bought for me by my older and wiser brother the summer after I graduated college. I opened the box excited for what is usually my best gift and there it was. A horrible looking pinstriped suit. My reaction could not be concealed. I think I laughed, said thanks and tossed the box aside. That suit sat in my closet, tags on, pants too long, for nearly two years before it saw the light of day. It became my "interview suit" and landed me my first "real job" in PR. I'd like to think my sparkling personality and my resume landed me the job, but I guess the professional looking suit helped...

Since then, my suit collection has grown significantly and includes some slightly trendier suits, some suit separates (what me and my favorite coworker like to call "fake suits") and some classic pin stripe numbers for when I meet with those "important people."

Lately though, I've been noticing less and less women wearing suits, especially in my line of work and on the streets of Manhattan. Even at meetings or events, I tend to see the PR gals of the city sporting trendy ensembles that look professional and put together but not in that "I'm a banker" sort of way. All the women in my office wear suits or at least blazers whenever they meet with clients or go to any kind of event and for the most part so do I, although I usually find myself trying to spice it up with funky jewelry, bright colored shoes, etc.

I've posed this question to friends before and have gotten mixed responses. I think men in the city tend to wear suits to work everyday because they are easy and professional looking. Especially those Wall Street types, they are never spotted without the classic suit and tie. In my opinion though, women in certain fields may need to wear a suit to be taken seriously and fit in with the men, like for instance, bankers, lawyers or accountants. I think that for the most part though, people that work in creative professions can get away with dressing nice, but don't necessarily have to go pinstripes? My boss once told me that wearing a suit makes me look older and will make people take me more seriously, especially men. I do totally agree with this point so I guess there are pros and cons. I'd love to know what others out there working in a creative field in a city or suburban area have to say on this matter!

Twitter this!

I originally wrote this article for my company blog...

Since I started using Twitter almost a year ago, I have seen lots of new and creative ways to use it. I have seen companies branding themselves, media seeking sources, strangers with similar interests planning “tweet-ups” and even seen breaking news like earthquakes and terrorist attacks being reported live via this ingenious networking tool. But one thing that was a first to me, was reading “tweets” (what Twitter calls the short messages people post) about a couple getting engaged on Twitter!

After further investigation and immediately adding both parties to my followers, I found out that @Grobertson (Grant Roberston of Download Squad) did indeed ask @film_girl (Christina Warren) to marry him via a twitter post. She was attending the MacWorld convention and he just couldn’t wait to ask her. The tweet read this: “@film_girl i just can't wait one minute longer to ask you this. Will you marry me? i want to share the rest of our lives together.”

She said yes (obviously) and the rest is history. Although this allegedly wasn’t the first proposal on Twitter, it was the most publicized one by far. The story was “retweeted” (or reposted by different users) and was also written up by dozens of bloggers, tagged on the social bookmarking site Digg and even written up here by the Examiners marriage columnist.

The reactions by the blogging community was mixed. Some thought it was romantic, some cheesy, some just plain geeky. Have we become so dependent on internet communication that the notion of getting down on one knee will soon be a thing of the past, or was this just a creative way for two techies to get engaged in a non-traditional way? Personally, I think it’s kind of cute and after reading up on them both it seems like it suits who they are. What do YOU think?