Excuse me?

What?

You can’t just skip over it all?

It’s my blog – I can do whatever I want with it.

Sure you can. But you won’t.

Fine. You’re right – here’s the recap of what’s been going on in my life during the time that I’ve been absent from this blog.

You really think you’re going to be able to update us on over 14 months in a single post?

No, but I’ve got to start somewhere so let’s go back to my last job, way back in 2006…

I had always needed to do design as part of my job, little stuff from designing advertisement for the Yellow Page classifieds or product logos, brochures, flyers, booklets, web sites, web pages and stuff like that.  I really enjoyed those aspects of the job. It was only a part of what I did, but design was what I liked most.  A time came when BCG Systems decided that they wanted to outsource all aspects of their marketing so that put me in the position of having to find a new job.

Brockman, Coats, Gedelian & Co. and BCG Systems was one of the best places I’ve worked. It is a company that values their employees – for real. It was a phenomenal place to work, from good benefits to little perks like a fridge stocked with pop and lunches for the entire company to welcome new hires.  BCG&Co. knew how to treat employees – even when they were letting them go. I was told that Systems was going to outsource and they gave me 8 weeks to find something new.  I could stay, keep working, earning a paycheck while I searched for something new. 6 weeks later I had found something new.

I started at Coltene Whaledent in March of 2006 and getting this job provided evidence that I actually could design. See, my degree is in Marketing & Sales Management and all my positions at least to that point had been marketing related.  So stepping into a position with the title of Graphic Designer was a big thing for me.  Don’t get me wrong, I knew I had the skill set to design.  I had a portfolio of well executed, well designed pieces. But seeing the words Graphic Designer after my name meant something to me. I spent the next two years honing my skills, learning how to function in a design team.  I learned a lot from my colleagues. Our skill sets complimented each other and we produced some great stuff.  I had the opportunity to learn video production skills, further develop my ability to design pieces that communicated well and challenged myself to keep getting better at what I did.

Having come from BCG Systems, a place where we had to stay on top of the latest innovations, to Coltene Whaledent , where I saw that the company was quite a bit behind the times in terms how we used technology. Being in graphics I was a bit sheltered from having to deal with some of the older technology. We were on Mac’s – they weren’t the newest machines but they worked. About a year into being there our team decided it was time to try and push for new machines.  We made a good argument and got our upgrades. But that was just in the Graphics Department. Around 2 1/2 years ago our CEO retired. He had asked me at one point to put together a brief set of technology recommendations about things we should consider doing to become a bit more agile. Unfortunately I was never able to present it to him in person before he left.

After his retirement I met with the new president & general manager of our location and shared some of my thoughts on the state of our company.  I told him about my brief report and he asked to see it.  I spent a couple days updating some things and gave it to him.  A few days later he asked me if I’d like to be a part of helping make my recommendations a reality. I considered it and knew that it would be quite a task for me, a departure from my duties in graphic design.

I was told that I’d have the opportunity to learn a new skill set, that I would be given time to develop. It sounded like a risk worth taking.  I had enjoyed design and still very much do, but within the context of Coltene Whaledent I had grown bored.  Sure every once in a while we had some exciting projects but this – helping the company do some catch up – sounded like a great idea.  And at first it was.  We covered a lot of ground and in the process, spent a lot of money. Money, that – in my opinion, should have been spent years before.  My first task was to figure out how many old machines we’d need to replace and figure out the costs for doing that.  At the same time I was to begin exploring what it would look like to put in place a full time I.T. team and manage the much needed project of bringing Microsoft Exchange Server into our environment.  This required reviewing a lot of proposals, considering different licensing models and making decisions that cost hundreds of thousands of dollars.  No problem.

I called the people I knew and trusted at BCG Systems.  They helped immensely and in a short amount of time we had made some significant progress.  We had a fully staffed I.T. team – I fit into it somehow.  But then February 19th happened.

I was let go. Downsized.

I worked hard for the last 18 months helping to establish a technology infrastructure, processes and procedures, a team and now I was told that I was no longer a part of it.  It hurt. It still does to some degree. But I’ve learned a lot.

I know that I can manage big projects. I know that I can learn to do things that I’ve never done before when I’m given the opportunity and I’ve learned that sometimes the risks that you take don’t always turn out the way you’d like them to.  I’ve learned that I had friends there that I miss seeing, but won’t stop caring about.  I’ve learned that even though I may not have a job there any more that I did good work and can be proud of what I was able to accomplish.

So now I’m looking for another opportunity.  I’m ready to be a designer again. I’m ready to use the skill set that I already have to do whatever is next. If that’s in marketing – great. If that’s being a designer – great. Whatever it’s supposed to be I’m ready to do it.  I’m waiting for God to show me the next entrance because it’s clear that even if I hadn’t planned it – it was time for an exit. So He’s providing me the opportunity to do something new, somewhere new.

That said, if you hear of any opportunities where I may fit a need, let me know.

Q. So Josh what’s been happening?

A. You couldn’t come up with a better question to start this off than that? Wow, you’re slipping bro.

Q. Sorry, but its been a while. Just answer the question.

A. Right – Well, where should I start. I’ve got a new job – that’s something right?

Q. Yes, you’re at Coltène/Whaledent now – what are you doing?

A. I’m in the graphic design department, working with 2 other really talented designers. It’s nice. I’ve never had the opportunity to work in a creative team like this before and I’m finding it to be quite refreshing. Good to bounce around some ideas, and at bare minimum, I have two other people who empathize with me about having to add “just a little more” copy to an ad or make the logo bigger again.

Q. So it sounds like a great opportunity – tell me again, what is it exactly that Coltène/Whaledent does?

A. We make Whale dentures. You know, for whales. Some are made of baleen.