austin texas

Sixth Last Day: The Secret Realm

Recap Time. My last night in Austin was a late one. “Last nights” are always filled with weird emotions. You have to be focused because there are always a lot of little things that need to be taken care of before departure – packing, laundering, ticket-buying, calling, etc. And you're kind of sad because you're going to be leaving, maybe you don't want to leave, and you want to make sure you're using your last hours up well, soaking it all up. So you want to hang out with as many people as possible. But doing chores and hanging out with people makes the time pass quicker. So does sleeping. So your best option is just sitting somewhere by yourself, alone, reflecting. But that can get depressing, and you can't get depressed, because you need to gear yourself up for the new place you're going to, because that place is probably going to be just as awesome as the one you're about to leave.

Last nights” are a little rough.

I stayed up late after Beth, David, and Matthew went to bed. I did some laundry, wrote a lot, and ate a lot of Beth's chocolate chip cookies with craisins.

When I woke up the next morning, I showered and packed hurriedly. Cookies were in the kitchen again. Beth not only let me sleep in, but she packed some extra cookies for me to take on the road! I made sure David didn't see me tear up. Every morning I shared with the Brookses came with a tasty breakfast taco and a cup of coffee, both of which were made by David. This Friday morning, David switched it up. Toasted French bread, eggs with shredded cheese, turkey bacon, and orange juice. The breakfast of association professionals. :)

David and I loaded the car up with my luggage, and dropped Matthew off at driver's ed. That was to be my last time to see Matthew, so we said our groggy goodbyes. After that, David and I went to Wells Fargo so I could get some bills. I brought my luggage to work since I had to leave early. I took a picture with David, thanked him for everything, and said goodbye to him as well. It was a little after 9am when I got to the office, and everyone had read my first blog post for the week. That made me feel really good. It showed that TSAE actually cared about my thoughts, and that was encouraging. I was sad to be leaving soon.

Sonnia Montemayor and I had some overdue one-on-one time together. Well, Emmitt Smith was there too. As the Education and Knowledge Resources Director, she oversees anything that has to do with association education presented during conferences, webinars, seminars, and tradeshows. Sonnia works closely with Christine (Chris) Napierkowski, TSAE Meeting Coordinator, who deals with the logistics of all the TSAE programs. This includes finding venues, booking meeting rooms, and making sure all the necessary equipment is provided in all of the rooms. Sonnia previously worked with the National Automobile Dealers Association in Virginia. She discovered the association world while working for an auto dealership.

After getting to know Sonnia's role, she gave me the responsibility of designing and sending an electronic invitation for the Certified Association Executive (CAE) breakfast to be held at the Annual Conference in September. According to the American Society of Association Executives (ASAE) website, the CAE program is “designed to elevate professional standards, enhance individual performance, and designate association professionals who demonstrate the knowledge essential to the practice of association management.” In short, the CAE credential in the association industry would be comparable to the M.D. credential in the medical industry. It takes a serious amount of time and study. One has to meet eligibility requirements, submit an application, pass an exam, and fulfill renewal requirements every three years. The program is not for everyone. You can still be a significant part of an association without becoming a CAE.

My fourth big task of the week was to order lunch. We all got Lu Ann platters from Luby's and had lunch in the office eating area. It was good to have most everyone together in one room, eating and talking. The rest of my last day was really quiet and peaceful. Nita Saunders, TSAE's accountant, and Josh left early so I gave them hugs and goodbyes. Around 4pm, Beth and I packed up and left so she could take me to the Greyhound station. At the station, Beth reminded me that the invitation to the Annual Conference in September was genuine and still there for me to take. I told her I would love to go, and would do all I could to attend. I experienced one last Austin hug and parting of ways, followed by another Greyhound adventure.

Question Time.

What did you dislike about the job?

The only thing I didn't like was that I was having so much fun and feeling so productive that I had too little energy or time to write about the fun I was having at the times that I wanted to. Long sentence, but that's what it is.

What did you like about the job?

As the TSAE boss, Beth impressed me greatly (if you haven't noticed already). Though she was very busy, she was always available to answer my questions, and was constantly making sure I was never bored and always a part of anything going on. Because of this, I always felt useful and the time passed quickly. In my observations, I also noticed that Beth took random times to quickly check in with her staff members on a personal level. I think it is for this reason that the staff felt comfortable talking with her about anything. I felt as if Beth was the one calling the shots, but that each staff member had complete control over their respective roles. Beth respects, trusts, and believes in her staff members, so I think they find it easy to return the favor.

There is heavy work that goes on in the TSAE office, but there are also special moments of hanging out and laughter. Even when I was in business professional clothing, I never felt as if I couldn't be myself, and that was new for me. Come to think of it, I don't think I've ever been more confident in heels than I was during this week. And those heels were dusty from being in a suitcase for five weeks. Clothes were lint-y too. I still felt confident, happy. I may have actually been more hyper than usual, and I think that's because throughout the week, I felt more and more comfortable working with TSAE. That speaks wonders of the people I was surrounded by.

Meeting new people every day was thrilling. Sometimes it was overwhelming having to hear and explain one-week job to each person, but the fact that I got to hear about the person and their role in TSAE in return was worth it. The camouflaged nature of associations intrigued me as well. Associations are all around us and do so much for us, but few of us know about them. Being a part of an association, learning about an association, and getting the power to spread the news about associations is a little empowering.

Week #6 also gave me a more well-rounded view of Austin. Who knew that it was more than a music-hipster-indie-taco-getaway? I loved Austin before, and I love it even more now.

The last thing I liked about being an association professional was that I got to experience the effect of working at a nonprofit organization. I'll say it again: something about doing good for the good of all before anything else makes life richer.

What lessons did you learn from being an association professional / Week 6?

  1. If you're going to a new country and a native offers you specialty food, make sure they know that you're not very hungry. This will spare you a terrible stomachache. [DIPLOMACY] The Brookses travel a lot, so they know what it's like to be forced to eat foods that you would never choose yourself. They told me some horror stories. Because of this, they were constantly making sure I liked the food they offered me. It was sweet.
  2. Know and be vocal about your preferred work schedule. A few staff members implement what is called flextime, where they adjust their work schedule to a format that suits them best. They started to use this method after a flextime article was printed in the TSAE magazine that is released every other month. Everyone figured that they should practice what they advertise, so they decided to experiment. Sonnia likes to work from home on Monday so she can ease into the week. Josh likes to come early and stay late Monday through Thursday, so he can have a half-day on Friday and start his weekend early. Alaina likes the traditional 8 hour-day. So far, it seems that everyone is satisfied. I think more businesses should try the variable work schedule too, for the potential benefit of the entire company.
  3. Reply to touchy/tricky subjects in an email with care. [DIPLOMACY] Or don't reply. Or if you have to, get someone else to edit it first. And if it's more than two paragraphs, you might as well pick up a phone. Advice from Beth to AAEVT during Monday's training session.
  4. Praise someone when they're doing well, and kindly let someone know when they're not doing well. As a customer, you have a voice. Speak up. You'll improve something. Like an employee who is having a bad day, or the moods of other customers who would never speak up otherwise. Advice from David.
  5. Separate your work life and home life. When Beth was done with the official workday, she was done with work. I thought that was awesome.
  6. Make time for You every day. I mentioned in another post that Beth was a seasoned swimmer. Each day after work, she went to the pool alone and took a good swim. When she came back, it was obvious that that time alone was sort of a calming restoration for her. In making this conclusion, I would think of all the people I know who work just as hard as her, and have given up their ability to take time out for themselves. This is a shame.
  7. Spontaneity can be riveting, but routines can be too. The One-Week Job Program has been the biggest dose of unpredictability that I've ever had in my entire life, and it's been great. While this week contributed to that theme still, it also brought a lot of serious routine too. I had breakfast, lunch, and dinner every day around the same time. I think my health actually got better because of this. Every night I played the Wii with Matthew, or at least watched him play it with David. Beth swam every day after work. There were occurrences that I became used to very quickly, and just like the variety of my days at work, they brought extra spark to my life. This balance of opposite forces was a comfortable, inspiring mix.
  8. Travel is the key to understanding, and therefore to world peace.” During my first in-person conversation with Beth, she told me that one of her priorities in raising Matthew was making sure he got to travel and see the world as much as possible. When she said this, it reminded me of the quote you see at the beginning. As I got to know the Brookses throughout the week, their wisdom was hard to ignore. And I would notice things about Matthew that spoke to a maturity that many 16-year-old boys probably do not have yet. All three of them gave off a combination of patience, understanding, and caring that could only characterize people who have been exposed to many different environments, many different people. After having a difficult ride to Austin, living with the Brookses told me that regardless of any tough times I was experiencing, I was on the right track. My journey is and will continue to be a fruitful one.
  9. Experience first, judge later. I never cease to be humbled. Never. See Reflection Time section.

Would you do this as a more-than-one-week job?

I mean, I'm trying to do all I can to go to the Conference next month. You tell me.

Reflection Time.

I got connected with TSAE before I found the Jed Foundation, so I began the Program thinking I had one more office job than I had intended. After my un-favorite experience with the Foundation, I had stronger office-job judgments than before in regards to TSAE. Part of me expected this week to be full of suits, heavy proprieties, and slow hours, but I have to say, I had it backwards. Completely. When I stepped off the Greyhound bus onto the Austin pavement, I told myself to let any preconceived notions go, and I'm glad I did because they were way off the mark.

"I took the [association] job with the frame of mind that it would be a bit boring, but that it would work until I could find something more exciting. It's funny to think back on it now; I had no clue what my experiences would bring, not just professionally, but personally. The relationships I've built over the last five years have had a profound effect on me."

- BRIAN BIRCH

Every single person I met during this week had similar stories. They began working, unaware of what an association was, fell into a job with an association, fell in love with a job within an association, and ended up staying. Work with an association is far beyond work in an office. It's too worldly to be defined in that way. I'm so very glad that Beth is such a dedicated supporter of Sean and the One-Week Job message, otherwise I never would have discovered what can be described best as a cosmic realm of endless learning, diversity, professionalism, and just plain excitement. To everyone I met during my time in Austin, thank you for helping me find and understand such a treasure.

-M

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Memories of YOU

I forgot to mention that Tuesday's night of “America's Got Talent”-watching came with a couple of Matthew's chocolate-banana milkshakes. It was good, Matthew. By Wednesday morning, I had stepped into the shoes of a Communications Manager and Business Development Manager, was working as a journalist as I finalized three press releases, and had attended two meetings, one as an association management trainee, and one as an association staff member. Not too lazy of me.

To finish off the releases, I had to obtain Beth's input. As the CEO and President of the association giving out the awards, it was imperative that she give a few authentic, positive words on each of the recipients. On the way to work, I took down her words and fit them into the press releases after we arrived at the office around 7:45am.

9am brought the nominators of the award recipients. The plan was to film each nominator speaking about the person they had nominated, and the footage would be used for the presentation at the Annual conference. Josh and Beth let me sit in on the filming, and it was fun to be a part of yet another aspect of the association world. I enjoyed witnessing the different speaking styles of each of the nominators. Some were more conversational and funny, while some were more professional.

I also liked listening to the improvement suggestions by Josh and Bill, the man who actually operated the camera. It was obvious that they knew what they were doing, having certain expectations for time length, the angle of the shooting, and the timing of the sentences that were being said. I know nothing about film editing, so I was happy to learn a few things.

After the last nominators left, I went back and finally finished the press releases, making sure one last time that Beth was okay with the quotes I took from her. Soon after my first task was completed, Alaina had another for me: counting ribbons. TSAE has a bunch of little ribbons for different achievements, and they keep a running count of how many they have. I'm sure everyone sees counting them as a waste of time, so I was asked to do it. :) I didn't mind! I don't know how many ribbons there were, but there were a lot. It took me awhile to count them, and I hate to say that I got some allergies from the old and dusty ones.  Just another unpredictable part of being an association professional AND a one-week jobber. :D

For lunch, I was important. I'm saying this because the office was teasing me about it, so I'm just going to go ahead and

take the boastful route. I attended two lunches, one with some lovely ladies of the TSAE Board of Directors, and another with some members of the Young Professionals Committee. Beth was kind enough to invite me to the first, and I didn't know what to expect. I was inspired to see a group of older and very successful women take turns sharing what was going on in their lives. It was clear that each woman operated in her own unique way, but it was also clear that there was a lot of respect and love at the table.

Susan, Mary, Gwen, Stacy, Pat, and of course, Beth asked me a lot of questions about my one-week job journey, which led to discussions of lifestyle design, the purpose of formal education, and careerism. However, I took every opportunity that I could to eventually change the subject so I could sit back and observe the lunch atmosphere. It felt like a quick lunch, but I felt encouraged and motivated after it. I secretly hoped that I would be having lunches like these in the years to come.

The lunch with the Young Professionals (YP) was equally satisfying, but different. It was more quiet, maybe “chill” would be an accurate word to describe it. The Board of Directors lunch was more high energy, even before everyone sat down. It felt as if the women were old friends who were seeing each other again after some time.

Josh and Sonnia, another TSAE staff member, were at the lunch. Josh was kind enough to organize the lunch so I could meet people closer to my age, individuals I see as the rising stars of association management. The youngest person (from the ages I was given) was seven years my senior, so if I ever choose to pursue the association life, I'll have a lot of work ahead of me! The YP lunch kind of reminded me of many I've had before. One of those times where you've just been inducted into a society, and you and other new members have been invited to an inductee lunch. The food is good, and you probably know one or two other people, but not many people are talking at the table. Because the environment is new, and/or some of the people are new, constant conversation is a little slow to start.

Since I was the new one at the table and the lunch time was aimed at my direct benefit, I started talking a lot in an effort to take advantage. I think I wore myself out quickly, but I kept going. I answered a few questions I was asked about one-week job, but continued on about my blog, and how I was trying to spread awareness of the “pursuit of passion” mindset through videos of people talking about their personal advice and experiences. After explaining my goals for the lunch in this way, Steven, Megan, Julie, Sarah, (Josh, and Sonnia), came through for the world in perfect form:

We Young Professionals (why not include myself at this point) then walked out of the restaurant and went our separate ways. Sonnia suggested dessert, so Josh and I waited for her to get some ice cream from HEB so we could bring it back to the office. The rest of TSAE staff was happy with this decision. I must say...I've never been in an office that has so much food at any time of the day.

Don't get me wrong - I'm not complaining.

As Alaina left for vacation, I kept counting ribbons until Beth and I left for dinner, death-cheating, the Wii, and chocolate ice cream. There is beauty in a routine, friends.

Thursday: Another day that was quite unlike the others. I woke up at “Beth and David time”, around 6:30am. I decided to wait a few weeks to get a new license, since I knew I was going to be in Texas soon. Beth dropped me off at the Austin DPS, and I collected some good stories, unsurprisingly. With my Greyhound adventures and the DPS visit, I must have a best-selling book in me. I got in line at 7:40am, and left at 8:58am – not bad! Josh and Beth picked me up, and we were off to the Omni Hotel downtown.

In addition to a press release and a video of another distinguished professional speaking well of them, TSAE award recipients get to be filmed on the job themselves. Josh, Beth, and I were at the Omni Hotel to film one of the recipients, Leanne, doing her job as Regional Sales Manager. I don't want to ruin the final presentation video for next month, but it was fun to watch, and this time Josh was behind camera. I should've asked him more questions about how he knew he had filmed for long enough, how he was keeping the camera steady, etc. because I was interested to know, but I was too busy being in some of the videos with Leanne!

Haha yep! I'm an actress too! That was a cool and unexpected exercise. Josh gave me some suggestions too, which I humbly and gladly put to use for the second takes. :)

We left the Omni and headed back to the office. Just like she did on the way to the Omni, Beth pointed out loads of association buildings. Many Texas associations are located in Austin to be close to the Capitol and any sort of legislation, but I'm sure that from now on, my eyes will fall upon any association building in any state after seeing so many this week. Some random association facts for you, courtesy of TSAE:

  • The oldest association, American Philosophical Association, was formed in 1735 by Ben Franklin.
  • 9 out of 10 Americans belong to at least one association; 25% belong to four associations.
  • Associations are the leading industry, contributing 5 billion per year to the economy.
  • The top three states by association - employment are California (2,200 Associations; 15,811 employees), Texas (1,678 Associations; 10,165 employees), and New York (1,314 Associations; 12,018 employees).
  • Washington has the highest concentration of associations in order to keep an eye on Congress. Nonprofits/associations are the 3rd largest industry in the DC area, behind government and tourism.
  • According to the UT Bureau of Business Research, the year 2006 saw 954 associations in Texas.
  • Not one college degree is perfectly suited for work in an association. Many association professionals have masters degrees and advanced degrees in law, public administration, and business.

*Lets out deep breath*

If you haven't gotten the point yet, associations are a big deal.

"Every man owes part of his time to the business or industry to which he is engaged. No man has a moral right to withhold his support from an organization that is striving to improve conditions within his sphere."

-THEODORE ROOSEVELT

Thursday's lunch was yummy, mostly because Beth graciously shared hers with me: Club crackers and hummus. Bing Cherries. Yogurt & granola. Take notes.

After lunch, I joined Beth at a memorial service for one of her friends that she had worked closely with for some time, lobbyist Joseph Lynn Nabers. Beth had asked me earlier in the week if I wanted to attend, and though I was hesitant (I was worried it was out of place), I agreed. During the program, it was clear that Lynn was highly respected. Again, I am poor at estimating, but there had to be at least 800 people in attendance. Several of the people present held prominent positions in the Texas legislature, including past and incumbent governors.

In listening to close friends speak about Lynn's character and their adventures with him, I was moved. The stories described a man of consistent virtue, intelligence, and hard work in all that he did. I didn't know Lynn at all, but I knew that at the very least, he was someone I would've looked up to. After the service, I spoke very little because a lot was going on in my mind. I realized that Beth had given me an opportunity to learn yet another lesson not just in work, but in life. Whatever you choose to spend your time doing, you must do it well, fully, and by honorable methods. People will remember you for the last part more than else. When all else falls away, the good you did, or the lack thereof, will remain. "It" does matter, even when you think it does not, even when you think no one is watching. Because someone most likely is.

The work day was pretty much over when we returned to the office. After another first-rate, David-made dinner with the Brookses, Beth and I went to Zilker Park to watch Matthew play ultimate frisbee. No, I didn't play. But I dressed like I was going to, and that's what counts. Beth and I sat on some lawn chairs in the shade, and had discussions of life and luck. Beth Brooks is an expert on luck, so you'll have to ask her to get the full details. Hm - I've used the name “Beth” a lot in this post. :)

Anyway, it was nice to get out in the fresh air and just look at the grass, and the sky. Just look. It's been a long while since i've done that. As i've gained more knowledge by being more open-minded throughout this trip, i've put some of my old habits on the back burner. And that's okay, because they've gotten my attention for most of my life. But i'll be ready when i get enough time to sit in one place and put it ALL together, old and new.

i'm beginning to wonder what sort of woman i will improve into after all of this ends. i hope it'll be a woman who will continually produce uplifting memories that will last far beyond the moment she takes her last breath.

So What About You?

What memories/impressions/images would You like to leave behind, if any at all? What do You need to change or improve in your life NOW to make sure that happens?

Whatever You do, i hope You do it not because You see it as a means to an end, but because You want to do good for the sake of simply doing good, and only that.

Talk soon? Talk soon.

-M

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“You’re a What.” – Week #6: Association Professional

I'm back in my home state for a little bit, in the city of Austin, Texas! It feels so good to be here. Here's the weekly hour and mileage update: ~769 miles from Denver to Austin by bus.

~5806 miles traveled overall.

~83 hours spent traveling overall.

And here's the trusty weekly map update:

// The Everlater widget requires javascript to work properly. You can view michelle's One-Week Job Program! or get your own free travel blog.

Haha that map is looking a little messy! This week, I'm working with the Texas Society of Association Executives (TSAE) as an Association Professional! I know you probably don't understand that job title because I had issues of my own before actually working with the company. Let me try to help.

Every job is a part of an industry. Every industry has an association for it. Some examples:

Park Ranger --> National Recreation and Park Association

Teacher --> National Education Association

Facility Manager --> International Facility Management  Association

Some industries have state-based associations, country-based associations, international-based associations, or a combination. If you take time to do more research, you'll quickly find out that there is an association for nearly everything. Associations are a wonderful way to network with other professionals in your industry, to spread awareness about your industry, to be kept abreast of the latest developments in your industry, to improve your industry, etc.

Associations have so much power and potential for personal and communal growth. The funny thing is that if you're not in an association aka not an association professional, you may have HEARD of the word, but you most likely have no idea what associations do, much less how influential they are. TSAE is an important association, because it's the "association of associations" in Texas. In other words, it's "industry" is the association industry, so its main goal is to provide education, awareness, networking and many other things for associations. So, if there is an association for nearly everything, the "association of associations" handles anything that has to do with nearly everything. I hope you're less lost by now. In short, I'm working in the big leagues right now. TSAE ain't no joke. Go me.

When I decided to take on this job for a week, I had very limited reasoning in mind. I say this in retrospect. First, I remembered Sean's experience with this job over two years ago, which he described in his book. Then, I noticed TSAE was on the list of OWJ-Friendly Employers that Sean gave us as we were choosing jobs for the program. There was a note next to the TSAE employer listing that said "would be better than last time" - meaning that the proposed experience would be better than when Sean went to visit.

Of course I had to go after reading that.

It wasn't easy getting to Austin though. I had an altercation with a smug bus driver about my luggage, missed my transfer bus because the smug bus driver put us 45 minutes behind schedule, and had to sit through the hollers and whistles of not-my-type-men during a 90-minute layover in Dallas. The last part wasn't surprising. Not because I'm confident, but because I've had a Greyhound layover in Dallas before. And I've live there for 22 years.

I arrived in Austin 100 minutes late, and was met by Beth Brooks, President and CEO of TSAE. What a calming change. I came off the bus feeling beaten, emotionally and physically. When Beth opened her vehicle trunk for me to place my luggage in it, she pointed at a case of beverages:

"You like green, tea right?"

Tired, I laughed and smiled...but in talking with her on the way to her house, it was clear Beth had really done research on me. She referenced several of my blog posts, which prompted some good conversation. At one point, she indicated that she had an extensive background in swimming and offered to give me lessons. I immediately began to relax because it was nice to know that someone had invested time in me before even meeting me in person, the same way in which I would show interest in someone else. We both like to do our research!

Beth lives with her husband, David, and her 16-year-old son, Matthew. I feel special because she has let me into her home for an entire week. This is the first time that I’ve lived with a family unit and – have I mentioned how calming and relaxing my time in Austin has been? I think it’s because this week is the closest I’ve come to being with my own family again, being so close to Irving, having a family-related routine, and coming to a house of two parents and a younger child after a full day of work. It reminds me of my own family members. I miss them.

HI MOM! HI DAD! HI RACHEL! :)

When we got to the Brooks' house, David was close to finishing dinner, which is around the same time every night. I've been recording the meals so I can reproduce them later! Good culinary ideas. After a good discussion about travel, food, and diplomacy, we (play the Wii, then) all slept.

The week began strongly. Beth had an important training session to give early Monday morning at 8am. She wanted me to attend, but she let me sleep in first. While I was beginning my sixth one-week job, Matthew was beginning his first day of driver's education! Cute, right? David had to drop him off around 9am, so I rode with them. Dressed in business professional attire, I sat in on the meeting, which lasted until close to noon.

During the meeting, Beth was being a huge help to the American Association of Equine Veterinary Technicians and Assistants (AAEVT). If I remember accurately, they were in the process of building up their association to full status, and were in need of some guidance. Beth knows her stuff. She has been in the association business for a long time, having been with the Texas Dental Association and Texas Pest Control Association before joining TSAE. The meeting was almost four hours long because it takes a lot of work to run a successful association. Many topics were discussed, such as how to prevent a board of directors from failing, how to dissolve situations of interest conflict, and how to choose and develop an effective organization spokesman. I took a copious amount of notes, and even took note of Beth's speaking technique. Can't go wrong with chunking!

After the meeting, I met Josh, Shirley, and Alaina, some of the TSAE staff. Josh is the Communications and Marketing Manager, which means that he oversees and controls all TSAE content, whether that be through the magazine, the website, emails, social media, PR, and any sort of technology. Shirley is the Business Development Manager, so she oversees membership and sponsorship, implementing tons of recruitment and retention methods. Alaina is the Membership Services Coordinator, so she - in her own words - "makes sure members needs are met." Whatever that requires, Alaina gets it done.

By about 2pm, I had received a rude awakening. I thought I knew about associations, but I had no idea. So much goes on in one day! Josh gave me my first task: writing press releases. TSAE has an annual conference, during which they give out awards. My job was to write the press releases for the award recipients! Josh has a strong background in journalism, so this sort of work is very simple to him. In giving me this task, he hoped to help me improve my writing skills, and understand the communications world more. He gave me a college journalism textbook to take some pointers from as well!

I worked on the press releases until about 4:30pm, and then Beth and I left the office. The family and I had dinner and discussion - this time, about sustainability. The night ended with the Wii and dessert.

My Tuesday started early with Beth - an eye-closing 7:25am. I dressed down-er this day, and went back to work on the press releases. I sat in on the weekly staff meeting around 10:30am. I have to admit that I was dozing off because I had no idea what everyone was talking about, but it was impressive to see how prepared everyone was to talk about their responsibilities. With a staff of seven, I suppose it's hard to get away with slacking off!

BETH BOUGHT US ALL TORCHY'S TACO'S FOR LUNCH. If you ever go to Austin, go to Torchy's. Wonderful tacos. Wonderful chips. Wonderful queso. Several of my friends (including me) have gone to Austin SOLELY for the food, and then driven back. Beautiful. THANK YOU, BETH!!!!

After lunch, I finished one of the three press releases. Josh and I went over his comments, and I went back to work. I finished all of them around 3:30pm, and spent the rest of the day organizing my excessive amount of one-week job notes. I then went home with Beth and ate dinner, played Wii, played guitar (Beth got out her classical!), and watched "America's Got Talent" with the family. I can't stand that program. Well, I suppose I can...because we watched it the next night too.

So What About You?

Do you have any questions about the association world ? Let me know, so I can get the answer for you! You never know, it could hold your dream job...

Until next time...

-M

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