Brazen Careerist

Greetings friends!

I hope the memorial weekend treated everyone well. I meant to be back here last Friday to pen some additional ground breaking material, but I ventured out to the beach on Thursday morning and ended up staying a couple days. Phenomenal couple of days. However the ocean is very cold these days, but not cold enough to keep Utley out...

As for today, I will share with you a little story, perhaps solidifying my credibility as a blogger, perhaps not...

So last week, or maybe the week before, I was reading a daily blog I visit, barstoolsports.com. For those unfamiliar, its a Boston based blog touching on anything from sports to pop culture, to grading the latest sex scandal teacher. Diverse cross section of material. On this particular day, El Pres (the owner, head writer, whatever) posts of how his site was just complimented by a reputable blogger source. He posted a link to this website, Brazen Careerist, (http://blog.penelopetrunk.com) written by a woman named Penelope Trunk. Apparently her careers column has been published in the NY Times, Boston Globe, Time, all sorts of big time stuff. Her careers blog has over 35,000 subscribers. I found myself perusing the site, thinking to myself that this is right up my alley. She also runs some type of career advice company. Hmmm.

I found a link that said "email Penelope" and immediatley thought about emailing her. After all, I must be a targeted reader; having taking a sabbatical from the working world back in February. And started writing a blog. On my career. Or lack there of. But she must get tons of email from bloggers looking for money or what have you. I put the plan on the back burner.

But last week, endorphins cranking fresh off of a workout, I decided to f it and I emailed her. Correspodence went something like this. Or exactly like this:


On Wed, May 20, 2009 at 10:13 AM, Mr. Utley wrote:
Penelope,

Not sure why I am emailing, but figured why not. I came across your blog/website last week (via a link from Barstool Sports...hope that didn't turn out too bad for you). Anyway, I think your blog/website is right up my alley.

After almost 7 years in various sales positions, back in January I decided I wasn't happy with the direction things were going, so I resigned, with no new job. Didn't want to continue to job hop, on the company's dime, when I didn't really know what I wanted to do anyway. And I started writing a blog. Not to make money. To keep my brain working and hopefully keep my thoughts moving in the right direction. But I like writing

http://onsabbaticalnh.blogspot.com

As I said, not sure why I email, just one of those things I felt like doing, as these days I regularly contemplate just what it is I've been put here to do...

So, I've been enjoying your site; perhaps I may even learn something here.

Cheers,

Mr. Utley

Shortly after I sent the email, as I was preparing to tee off on the first hole, the blackberry started buzzing:

Ah ha! I love Barstool Sports, so it's fun to see which readers would cross over from that blog to mine -- takes a special person, I think :)

Anyway, you are a good writer, and it's fun to read what you're thinking -- like when you are thinking it's good that you're sounding like you're selling something when you talk about the beach. That's insightful and funny.

Blogging has gotten me through so many tough times. Really. Cliche, but true. So it seems great that you're blogging now. Good luck!

Penelope

And yes, I did email with my real name. In case you didn't know, Mr. Utley is not my real name. Wasn't sure about the direction of this blog at first, so I went with a pen name. And if you also didn't know, Mr. Utley, or Mike Utley is the keyboardest for Jimmy Buffet & The Coral Reefer Band. And Jimmy and the gang have been a heavy influence on my life, since I was just a wee lad. But I digress.

So, even though short and sweet, this email from Penelope made me feel good. First, that my writing/blogging was actually OK. But second, and most important, it gave me validation that I am not alone in this journey, that what I'm doing is OK, that now is the time to do it, and that there will be light at the end of the tunnel.

So I am now rubbing elbows with internet celebrities. Somewhat. Or not so somewhat.

Oh and yes I did reply to Penelope's above email:

Thank you Penelope

I am flattered to receive an email from a "famous" person...