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It was a busy second week in searching for what’s next.
Since Monday, I’ve …
… talked with 11 people over phone or video.
… applied to one job I think would be a great fit.
… started prepping for a few more.
… had a serendipitous intro made to a football player I covered 27 years ago.
… attended 1871’s Sports Tech Innovation Summit at the Blackhawks Ice Center on Thursday. (The venue was great, but cold.)
… worked on two side projects I’ve been thinking about but never had the time for.
There’s obviously a lot going through my brain about the direction of my career and while I have some time to figure it out, I do not have all the time.
This response to my “Some Personal News” post, however, has really helped me focus on what’s important to me and where I should aim next.
This message honestly did a lot for me. I didn’t know Rishi before he sent this, but hearing he took as much joy from CHGO and ALLCITY as I put into helping build it was extremely validating.
And it’s honestly how I’ve always navigated my career. When presented with a job opportunity or thought from my own brain, my first thought is whether it’s something I would love consuming and if it aligns with my personal values and tastes.
If the answers to both questions are yes, I try to deduce if there’s anyone else out there who would also enjoy it. If the answer to that question is affirmative, I set out to bring it to life.
Some of the resulting audiences have been bigger than others, but I’m happy with my discography to this point: A fun book about the Cubs, one of the most popular baseball blogs on the Internet for 10 years, a bootstrapped Chicago sports newsletter that turned into an opportunity to build a Chicago sports outlet that now goes toe to toe with other outlets I’ve long admired.
They were all products I believe in, all built with people I trusted and have built lasting relationships with. I’ve been lucky in that regard and hope it continues.
But I think it also goes past luck. If you have a love for the products you want to build and believe in what you’re bringing into the world, you’re going to get a great result like the one I got from Rishi.
And if you’d like to chase results like those with me? Just drop me a line.
Things I’m Currently Enjoying
• Geese made their much-anticipated appearance on NPR’s Tiny Desk.
• I’m almost done reading Paul Leonardi’s “Digital Exhaustion”
• I’ve started a rewatch of the Friday Night Lights television series.
• Being in charge of ESPN’s Super Bowl sounds like fun.
Have a great weekend everyone!
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