Welcome to December. Some of us are about the enter the cold of winter while our friends in the southern hemisphere are heading into the warmth of summer. I am thankful to have seen beautiful sighting of leaves changing color this fall on the east coast of the US. I hope wherever you are, you are seeing beauty in nature. It’s also the time of many holidays and the hope of a new year bringing better things. As for me, 2021 brought about a lot of change. In this blog, I’d like to share some of my personal stories to catch you up, keep you informed and let you know about my plans for 2022.
I must begin on a very sad note. I lost a loved sibling to suicide this past summer. While I still consider myself one of six siblings, I know that our family has been irrevocably changed forever. My heart goes out to everyone reading this who has felt the pain of a close one taking their own life. I’m not sharing this fact to garner sympathy or to intentionally create awkward feelings (because I understand that most people don’t know what to say). I’m telling you this because I believe in being transparent. I think that hiding facts like these only continues the stigma of these events and I refuse to do that. For anyone who has experienced the loss of a loved one to suicide, I found a CA based nonprofit website that you might find helpful FriendsForSurvival.org. If you have a loved one who is currently struggling, please let them know how much you love them and offer resources. The US has a national suicide prevention hotline at 1-800-273-8255 and these websites offer additional resources AFSP.org, SPRC.org, and SuicidePreventionLifeline.org.
This past fall, I had another massive change in my life. My husband and I decided to leave Maryland and change our lifestyle dramatically. We bought a recreational vehicle/RV (Winnebago Fuse 23A) and plan to travel around the US for a while. We will focus on the southeast/east coast for some time before we decide where to explore next.
Please know that in 2022 and beyond, I plan to continue running Brand Career Management (BCM) and offering career services. I love being a career coach and can’t imagine a better professional fit. I will be working remotely from various locations for individuals and organizations as needed. I’m enthusiastic about this new phase of my professional and personal life and I appreciate that excitement that many of you have expressed for me.
That said, I do plan to take some time to transition into this new mode of life. I often say to clients that if they can afford to take time off in between jobs that it’s a good idea to do so, especially if you’ve never had much of a break from work in your life. Often these are rare opportunities and I always suggest taking advantage of them when they present themselves. In that spirit, I plan to follow my own advice and close BCM for the holiday season from December 10, 2021 – January 17, 2022. Before and after the break, we will be spending time with family and then officially beginning the RV life as of mid-February.
To give you insight into the year ahead, starting in March, I plan to write a monthly blog about our travels. Many of you have asked to be kept informed and I have collected those e-mails. If you would like to be added to a list for receiving notifications about our travels, please click here. If you prefer to only receive communications about career-related topics, you don’t need to do anything. I will send a career-focused newsletter in April, August, and December.
I want to thank everyone for your interest in BCM and your subscription to my communications over the years. I wouldn’t have a successful business without you! I wish you and your family a healthy and happy holiday season and a hopeful new year.