Big Sky Country
Landing my dream role, embracing change, and remembering to enjoy the ride.
Oh, do I have a story for you.
As you already know, I entered the job market looking for a startup role that fit my life in a few ways. I wanted a fast-paced company where I’d work directly with a founder in a brand-new role. It was also important to me that I could continue working with my marketing clients. I’m excited to tell you—I found the job I wanted, and better yet, they wanted me.
Heading West
I was walking Brody when I got the call from Ryan, the CEO and co-founder at Scout Cities. They wanted me to join as the fifth member of the team. My role is in Business Development, meaning my primary task is to book meetings and get prospects to take the first step in working with Scout Cities. I’ll be working directly with each member of the team, including both co-founders. That checks two of my boxes—working with a founder and in a new role.
This is a remote role; however, they flew me out to Montana to meet the team and get onboarded. It was a cool experience that proved their dedication and belief in me. Have you ever caught yourself in a moment that you know will change the course of your life? That was me for the entirety of my trip.
I touched down in Montana and headed straight for the co-working facility in Bozeman—a creative and inspiring location with ski lodge vibes. I met the Scout team and learned more about what it’ll take for me to succeed. I set up my computer, began educating myself on the site selection industry, and then we headed for the mountains for a company retreat.
Getting to meet the team and spend quality time with them in the mountains was the perfect way to start my new job. It helped me understand who I’m working with, the joint mission we’re embarking on, and gave me a reason to care not just about the company’s success but about my coworkers as well.
I’m beyond excited to hit the phones hard and dive into this new role. I’m sure it’ll beat me up at first, but I like to think I’m prepared.
Plans Change
I’ve had an unbelievable summer, and I want to preface that before you read on. If you’ve kept up with my newsletter for a while, you’ve probably noticed the amount of professional news I put in it. This is by design and makes sense for where I’m at in life—but I aspire for much more than professional success.
I don’t see my friends often throughout the year since I live at home and they’re all off at school. That’s why I was so excited to live with them in Israel this summer—I’d finally get to spend time with them and be out of the house for a long stretch. As you know, my plans changed. Although I feel I made the best of the situation I was dealt, it still stings to have missed that.
This summer reminded me of this quote by Morgan Housel:
The most important part of a plan is planning for your plan not to go according to plan.
I’m allowing myself to feel the loss of the summer I would have had, while also living through this exciting new chapter of my life. It’s all about balance, and I need to make sure I give myself time to feel like a kid, visit friends, and not hyper-fixate on work.
I embrace the challenge of becoming a well-rounded human—someone curious, interesting, intelligent, fun, caring, and most importantly, happy. Sometimes I need to remind myself to step back and smile. I know some of you might need that reminder too, so take this as just that. Smile.
Well, that got deep for a second. Thanks for listening.
My Reading
Given my interests, my next book selection shouldn’t surprise you. I started The Personal MBA by Josh Kaufman. I’m not too far in, but I can already tell it’s a vast well of knowledge. Here are a few of my favorite quotes so far:
“Every business relies on two additional factors: people and systems.” – p.15
“Ideas are cheap—what counts is the ability to translate an idea into reality.” – p.68
“When creating a new offering, your primary goal should be to work your way through each iteration cycle as fast as possible.” – p.71
My Podcasts
This week I’ve only got one podcast recommendation:
Rory Sutherland always brings a fun and intelligent conversation to whatever show he is on.
Thanks for keeping up with me. What’s new with you?