Talent Pleases Itself

Dear Blog:

Hello dear friend.  I apologize for my failed attempts to stay in touch over these past several years.  I can't really put my finger on a single cause or reason so suffice to say that I'm really, really, really going to try to do better.  As I logged in to create this entry I was unsure if you'd even remember me, but here we are.

Lots happens.  I realize that's a mouthful but it's nothing new for me but perhaps that's one of the reasons we've drifted apart.  It's not an excuse so much as a simple fact.  However, I'm feeling like we're about to get closer again.  The tides of life come in and go out on a regular basis, and I'm sensing that the tide is rising.  Again.

I also realize that we've got lots of catching up to do.  As I type this I'm in an airplane over northern Ontario, a little more than halfway between London and Dallas (the screen says we're 1,444 miles out and 34,000 feet in the air).  I've been fairly vague about the reasoning for this quick trip, but truth be told it was for an interview.  I've applied for a role at AA that would be based out of London and have progressed to the bonus round.

I typically enjoy job interviews.  I realize that may be uncommon but I've done more of them in my life than I care to remember and I just generally like them.  At AA it's a very formal process, which is fine, and I find that we're both actually interviewing each other.  They just get to ask more questions than I do.  But still - that was the reason for the trip.  Shhhh - it's not public knowledge yet.

Lots would need to happen in order for me to get this role.  Some of which I control (like applying for it, and yesterday's interview) but much of what I don't.  I'll expand more on that if we get to that point but I'm told that decisions will be made after the interviews are wrapped up next week.  All I know is that I feel good about how things went.  The rest will play itself out as it will.

I've worked for American Airlines since the beginning of 2016.  I actually moved back to Phoenix to take a contract there and found it very much to my liking.  After being there 6 months they asked if I'd be interested in coming onboard as an FTE (Full-Time Employee) and I accepted.  I've worked in the same group, in a variety of capacities, since starting there and am feeling a bit restless.  I suspect I'll have more to say on that sometime soon, as well.

As I prepared for my interview yesterday I couldn't help but think back to my first job interview as Donna.  It was early 2000 and I had been approached by Dell to come to Austin to interview.  I remember calling some friends for advice on interviewing - I have never done it as a woman before.  Their advice focused on high heels, short black dresses, and the like.  That wasn't really the kind of advice I was looking for, but figured that all those things couldn't hurt.  I got the job, so I guess they were right.

I've gone to interviews that last an entire day.  Different people from different groups come to grill you about your experience, your background, your approach to different situations - it can be grueling.  Yesterday's experience wasn't nearly that expansive although I thought we covered quite a bit of ground. 

While in London I had to fulfill other obligations as well.  Jamison Green and I had been asked to present a condensed version of our Presentation for the 2018 Out & Equal Workplace Summit so we did that.  I had a 90 minute O&E Board meeting to attend, as well.  And, of course, there was keeping my ahead above water on my day job.  Given the 8 hour time difference, the brevity of the trip, and everything that needed to happen I'm comfortable that it all went well. 

My podcast partner, Diana, says there's a showbiz saying that, "Talent pleases itself."  That is, if you're doing something and you're satisfied with the way it goes then you can't really control anything outside of that.  Over these past few days, I pleased myself.

I won't go into much more at the moment other than to say I expect to be more present, more often, in the coming weeks and months.  I don't plan to share much of what I put here outside of this forum.  If anyone still reads it - that's fine.  If not, that's fine too.  When I started the Blog a long time ago I never expected anyone to check it and was shocked to learn otherwise.  That same mindset still applies.  The goal was, and is - that Talent Please Itself.

It's nice to be back.

Donna