I'd Rather Be Reading

The first of October is probably an auspicious day for many people, for a variety of reasons. For me, October 1, 2019, is the day I was unceremoniously dumped from my Dream Job working for the Santa Barbara Downtown Organization. I worked for this organization for more than 6 years, but it was a large part of my life for more than two decades, as a downtown business member (with Borders), as a volunteer, and eventually in 1999, as a member of the Board of Directors. Downtown Santa Barbara as a location was part of my life, living/working/dining/entertainment, since I moved there in 1995. To be “unceremoniously dumped” by this organization was a huge punch in the gut. But since I clearly survived that stunning and life-changing day, I owe a debt of gratitude to so many people. My first call after I left the office that day, Millie in tow, was to Maggie Campbell – she of the clear-headed, no-nonsense advice, and my friend and mentor. My first text, moments later, was to Hattie Husbands...

Before I dive too deep into this blog post, two things:  *   Yes, it really has been nearly 7 years since my last post. Shame on me. *   But oddly, my last post is a nice intro to my next post…because once again, I’ve jumped into a big change. So: Managing Change, Once More with Feeling. I’ve moved. Packed up the condo, sold it, moved to Arizona. And that is the “in a nutshell” version. The full-on version, well, that will take a few more posts to get through the entire story. But let’s start with that last blog post. It was indeed my “dream job,” Marketing & Communications Director of Downtown Santa Barbara.  Working in an office I loved, I was suffused with a sense of pride, of history, and of pure joy, knowing I was working with great small businesses, non-profits, cultural venues and other members of the business improvement district. As the daughter of a small business owner, I appreciate and support small businesses wholehe...