Whew, this has been a busy fall. Work, speaking at a bunch of conferences, beginning to study for the CAE exam, ASHA’s annual convention, a new kitten with ringworm who wreaked havoc on our house, kid stuff, life stuff….I’m exhausted just thinking about the past few months. And sad, as so much commotion has meant that one of my biggest pleasures in life–writing–has gotten swallowed up in all the chaos. Here I am with this fancy new blog all rolled out…and no time or mental bandwidth to write anything.
Hopefully much of the chaos–especially the ringworm (which is not actually a worm, btw)–is behind me as the ASHA conventionis over, my CAE aspirations have been checked as I’ve written off that idea (anyone want to buy my copies of the Association Law Book and/or the other huge, expensive book I bought and can’t even remember the title of?) and my speaking commitments for 2012 have come to an end. In fact, my association career is also about to come to an end–or at least a temporary end.
Yep, this Friday will be my last day at ASHA and I’ll be venturing outside the association bubble to try something new. I’ve accepted a new position as a digital content manager for a health communications company and start Monday.
I wish I had something profound to say about this change, but I really don’t. I’m proud to have been able to be part of a large association as it went from totally resistant to social media to becoming a case study in success. I’m super proud that the blog that I’ve managed since its launch a few years ago is up for an Edublog award in the best group blog category. I’m humbled and moved by the outpouring of thanks and support ASHA members have shown since they heard I was leaving. Seriously–how many people get to have a job where they not only get paid to Pin stuff, but leave to blog posts titled “Top Ten Reasons We’ll Miss Maggie McGary?” It’s no mystery that I’ve found the social media/community management profession to be stressful and…well, stressful. But between the rockstar-esque feeling of being asked to speak at various events and/or to be quoted in various publications, who am I kidding? It definitely has made me feel super fancy compared to my former business lives which mostly involved me shadowing some “real” professional.
At any rate, it’s possible that all the fanciness has been a little too much for my introverted self, and I’m looking forward to going back to playing a supporting role and being a small part of a team rather than the lone wolf and “social media guru” role I’ve been juggling for almost five years now (ok, well four and a half, but that’s almost like five, right?). And hopefully getting a chance to have blogging and writing go back to being hobbies that feel like fun rather than just more work.
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