Master of none

Some time ago, I was asked for "my story" in an interview. It sounds like a simple question, but it confounded me. As a generalist with raging ADHD, I've often considered myself a jack of all trades, but introducing oneself as a master of none isn't the most inspiring start. It also tugged on a deep-rooted envy of those who had found their calling and secured an identity within it.

In my marketing role, I design multimedia daily, but don’t carry the same title or education of my peers. For a decade, I have been the writer behind routine corporate communications, but rarely see my name in the byline. I love illustration and photography, but decided not to pursue either professionally. Thinly spread across various disciplines, it seems there's always more learning required before I can confidently identify as an expert of anything, leaving me anxious to share my thoughts and work publicly.

A life-long journey

I recently stumbled across the original definition of "authenticity". While today we treat it as a synonym of sincerity, it originally referred to the lifelong pursuit of self-actualization. This definition led to a healthy reflection on where I am today, who I hope to become and the steps required to get there. 

Who am I today?

‍I am a 30-year old woman: a mother, wife, daughter, sister, and granddaughter guided by a devout love of family. I am an MBA candidate and a marketer passionate about the overlaps in design, automation, and business strategy. With a constant flurry of ideas, I can't help but write constantly, often with multiple pieces on the go at once. I find peace in illustration, baking and a good book before bed. Recently, I've begun to enjoy spinning and yoga (but we're still early on this one!). 

What do I hope to accomplish?

‍There’s a lot of unknowns here, but higher confidence and happiness rank highly on the list. I would like to develop a t-shape skillset, where my current generalist capabilities are complimented with a specialization in business strategy. 

I believe I have a strength in composing creative solutions and would like to become more skilled in bringing them to reality. I don’t care to maintain the carefully curated, polished profile of #GirlBoss everywhere online. I’d strongly prefer to embrace my "in progress" self, forge strong relationships with colleagues and work in the trenches alongside my team. 

How will I get there?

1. Obtain specialization in Business Strategy: Complete my Masters with University of Aberdeen in Fall 2023
2. Become more confident with myself both personally and professionally:

• Launch personal website
• Polish and publish the long list of pre-written blogs
• Focussed effort on networking with others in my field

Full truth and nothing but. 

I’ve often struggled with feeling out of place, and this exercise led me to realize why: Whether for fear of rejection or not fitting the professional mold I’ve learned from others, I’m always silencing aspects of who I am. I’ve worried being too transparent with how I’m still “figuring things out” would make me appear too junior, or that infusing my style of humour or discussing personal hobbies would appear less professional. 

I’m discovering the various sides of me are uniquely intertwined and inseparable. I am an artist at work, a marketer at home, and a mother always. Accepting this has left me feeling complete and more confident in each of my various roles.

A fresh beginning…

It is with this acceptance and pursuit of personal growth that I launch my website. Here, I plan to celebrate my progress through professional reflections, personal ramblings, favourite illustrations and recent marketing projects I'm proud of. Putting my name in a byline and publicly sharing my thoughts and work is new to me, but I suppose we all need to start somewhere. :)

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