Do you have a “real” job?

Have you ever felt like you weren’t doing what you were put on this Earth to do? I know I know, that question is kinda dramatic. But really?!

Here’s some backstory on that heavy question I just asked. I’ve always fancied myself a creative person, so when you’re 17 years old and you’re repeatedly being asked “what do you want to be when you grow up?” or “what are you going to college for?”, you feel like you need an answer. Which honestly wasn’t much of a problem for me. After being a yearbook editor in High School I realized I could see myself doing that long term. “That” being working creatively through the computer, aka Graphic Design. I was excited! This seemed like the only option for me in life that made sense and could be a way to make money without being a starving artist.

So off I went to college, and believe it or not, I never changed my major. I TRULY felt I was where I belonged. This was me. This was what I enjoyed doing. This was how I was going to make a living.

Shortly after graduating with my Bachelor’s Degree in Design and Visual Communications from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, I got a call from my recruiter saying that Harley-Davidson Motor Company® wanted to interview me. WHAT?! I was shocked that I was getting the opportunity to interview at such a massive company. About a week after the interview I got the call offering me the job. So I took it and learned A LOT about something I had zero knowledge of…MOTORCYCLES.

I still remember coming home at night after my first couple weeks there feeling drained, lost, confused, pathetic, left out, and quite honestly like a poser. Let’s just say I CRIED, every night. I kept telling my husband (boyfriend at the time), that this just wasn’t the right fit for me. I mean what the heck did I get myself into accepting this job? For starters, I DID NOT “look the part” of a motorcycle gal. Not trying to stereotype here, but c’mon, it’s pretty obvious that I fall near the girlier end of the spectrum. I didn’t fit in with my coworkers at the time, I felt unqualified for the job, and I fell into an unhappy version of myself just existing each day…

I don’t want to say all these negative feelings went away, but they definitely got better over time and so did my skills, experiences, connections with coworkers, and excitement to come to work each day. I am very grateful for the connections and friendships I made at this job.

I worked on/participated in things I NEVER IN A MILLION YEARS thought I would. I mean I learned how to ride a motorcycle!! A Harley-Fricken-Davidson Motorcycle, and now I have that on my license, how neat is that! #funfact

This quite honestly ended up being the best first “real” job out of college experience I could have asked for. I was making my family proud, making more money than any design agency in Milwaukee probably would have paid me, meeting new people, understanding how corporate companies worked, and getting the opportunity to travel to Daytona, FL to see all my design work printed and up at the 2020 Bike Week.

Ahhh yes 2020, you may wonder how I was able to travel during this lovely year? Well, when I went to Daytona it was the first week of March, it was before Wisconsin lockdowns had begun. But once my coworker and I got back to the office the next week, the safer-at-home order was put into action. From that moment on, you all know the drill, we worked from home.

So I, along with most of the world, was working from home feeling thankful I had a job. That was until July of 2020 when I had the lovely video call with my Boss + HR informing me that I was included in the 700+ person layoff that H-D® was doing as part of their restructuring. BLINDSIDED is an understatement for how I felt for many different reasons. I was so confused and saddened by this. I had just spent the last 2 years at this company building my portfolio and skills.

I obviously went through the normal “grieving” process of losing a job unexpectedly, especially during a year like this. But instead of letting it absolutely cripple me, I used this experience as fuel to work on myself. To prove to whoever needed to see it that I don’t need to be at a company that didn’t care about me. I needed to find what I was put on this Earth to do. I always thought my place was at a company that made me feel good when I said I worked for them. In reality, my place was where I could unapologetically be myself. Where I could decide where I wanted my future to go. Where I could try doing things I dreamed about but never let myself put energy into trying out.

Which lead me here. Where is “here” you may ask? Read about it in my next blog post.