It All Began with a Movie

I love movies. I love everything about them. I love going to the theater, getting snacks -- or if I'm lucky, an adult beverage. I love choosing seats. Up front with my feet up on the bar if I'm alone. (That's right, I actually go to the movies alone. And I L-O-V-E it.) Or if I'm with someone, I love seeing where they like to sit. I even like the previews. A lot of them. Not just because I'm interested in seeing what movies are coming out, but because of the anticipation I feel before the movie even starts.

So it shouldn't really surprise me that my passion for career-related topics all began with a movie. (I'm going to date myself here, but I'll just tell you right now that I'm 44 and proud of every second.) The movie was "Working Girl" -- and what a kick-ass movie it was. I was still in high school when it came out, but it gave me such a burst of inspiration when I saw it.

The story follows Tess, an administrative assistant who is doing everything she can to learn the skills she needs to get a promotion. While her boss is laid up from a skiiing accident, Tess learns that her supervisor stole an idea for a deal that Tess brought to her. Tess takes advantage of her boss being out of the office and takes over the deal-making process in her place. (Admittedly, I don't love the woman vs. woman aspect of the movie, but I managed to overlook it.)

From the opening credits with Carly Simon singing "Let the River Run" to the satisfaction of seeing her hard work pay off in the end, I loved everything about it. LOVED! (Okay, and it never hurts to have Harrison Ford as the lead male.) I wanted to BE Tess McGill (complete with love interest, Harrison Ford).

Since then, I have watched the movie dozens of times, for sure. It was my own personal cleansing ritual, if you will, that I would go through in between jobs. When I left one job for another to make my own way up the ladder, I would watch the movie to be inspired all over again. It still inspires me to this day. And it kick-started a lifelong fascination with all things career-related.

I love talking to people about their careers. I want to know how they chose their career. I want to know why someone stays in a job they don't love, love, LOVE. And I want to know what their dream job is. I want to know what the cool jobs are out there and let people know about them. I love entrepreneurs who have started their own small business to create exactly what they want in life. I even love to see where people work! Not the gray corporate cubicles, but in home offices that reflect their own style and personality. And most of all, I have a burning passion for work-life balance issues and how we can all make our work fit into our lives instead of the other way around.

So my wish for this blog is to share a little bit of all of this with you. And maybe you'll find a little inspiration of your own and create the Sassy Career you deserve.