I have a 45 minute commute to work each day, which I really enjoy. I listen to NPR. At first it was to avoid the incessant political ads on the other radio stations, but I have since fallen in love with the stories and the way they present the news. Today there was a story of how Oprah Winfrey has invested in Weight Watchers. She was talking about why she decided to do this and one quote caught my attention. She said that her brand is that she ‘leads with her heart’. That was really awesome. It also made me think about what my ‘brand’ is.
I think my brand is my passion to help others find their passion. Seriously. At work, I am all about helping students, former students, whomever, find what makes them excited about waking up each morning. I love being a coach, a cheerleader, a teacher, a mentor, and a friend. I love that I have a big tool bag of resources that will help them locate the areas of their life that they want to work in.
My brand is also my goofiness. Thus, the name Career Geek. I knew, as soon as I began looking into the field of career development, that I had found an occupation that I would just “geek out” over. I got excited, and really really happy. And since I believe that a person should never take themselves too seriously, I labeled myself a Career Geek. Being really fired up about my area of study is part of my passion. So it all fits. And it’s all me.
Each year of being a career counselor has brought new and exciting challenges. And this year has been the biggest. I wrote a book. I’m president of WIPCCC (I’ll explain that in another blog) Created an online class. It’s been crazy, but it’s been the best year so far to express my passion. Who knows what’s going to happen next year. But I am ‘all in’ on this ride!
Career Geek 