In the decade I’ve worked here, my positions have ranged from IT Manager to Project Manager to Content Manager (and a few others thrown in there), but I’ve always had the same common goal, making a difference.  I spent the largest span of my time with USA WEEKEND (~6 years)  and each year created new workflows, implemented new policies, rolled out new applications and systems (some custom-built by me) and changed the game there.   The multiple shiny glass trophies and awards on my shelf remind me every day that I did that.  But I remember the simple emails saying ‘thank you for your help today, you were a life saver’ meant more to me than anything else.

In my time at USA TODAY I worked as a telecommuter out of my new home office in Las Vegas.  I had a few projects to keep me busy, but my main goal was to help seamlessly move some of USA WEEKEND’s systems and processes over to USA TODAY’s for consolidation and more importantly an improved support  structure.  The thank you emails were fewer and farther between, but came occasionally.  This job was more about helping people without them realizing they were being helped.  That’s a bit trickier.  Promising that uprooting their day-to-day workflow would eventually lead to a more streamlined process and that, in the end, that’d be happier and more productive… well, not everyone believes you.  I think the folks at USA TODAY were glad for me being there, if for nothing else, they didn’t want to have to learn all of USA WEEKEND’s nuances to be able to figure out where synergies existed.  That job was not as personally rewarding, but incredibly necessary and I was glad to be able to make a difference.

Currently I am with Gannett’s new ContentOne initiative.  My main focus is in social media.  I have other content related projects, but my passion really lies in helping Gannett’s 80+ newspapers and 20+ TV stations navigate the social media waters.  I have talked about this before here on this blog and on my ‘Jodi is Social‘ blog, so I don’t need to go into the nitty-gritty.  Times are different, and the shiny glass trophies are a thing of the past, and that is ok.  I received an email yesterday that I have printed and placed on the shelf next to my 2001 President’s Award.  The email was from someone at one of our newspapers and simply said:

“I just wanted to say thanks for being so enthusiastic and encouraging all the time. You have a knack for bringing the right people together at the right time, and it doesn’t go unnoticed out here in the local markets. I hope people tell you that often.”

Receiving that, on the week of my 10 year anniversary- well- who needs an anniversary gold watch anyway!

I realized I like the idea of committing to a change rather than making a resolution which seems somewhat abstract.

I have some big life altering commitments I intend to make on New Year’s Eve.  I also have some rather simple changes I will promise myself to make.

Life Altering Changes

Ok, that sounds very big.  I have been doing some deep introspection lately (a vacation visiting the folks will do that to ya).  I think 2009 was crappy.  Seriously.  So I am trying to evaluate why it was so crappy and how much of that crappiness I had a say in, meaning, of the crap, what could I or did I control. Once I determine that (which I am not quite done doing), I then will need to reconcile why I didn’t control 2009 better and how I can prevent repeating the negative (or in some cases stop being passive) in 2010.  So far it does seem like about 50-60% of what was crap I could have affected in some way. 

• Most important and at the top of my list- I need to forgive myself for things that already happened.  I need to stop dwelling on why or how I allowed certain things to happen and instead begin healing and moving on.  If I can commit to at least trying to do that, that’ll be a HUGE step forward.
• I need to re-focus myself on my friends and family.  ’nuff said.
  

Simple Changes

There are some habits I have that I do not like, but should be relatively easy to alter.  These aren’t life changing, but I think they are important.  In no particular order:

• No more bottled water- use stainless steel Klean Kanteen bottle
  I know how important it is to drink water, but I have issues with taste.  To me, water only tastes good when it is very cold and bottled and preferably Dasani or some other ‘enhanced’ brand.  But buying 24 packs of bottled water every couple weeks is $$ and bad for the environment.  I have a Klean Kanteen and the few times I tried to use it with filtered water at work, it tasted like metal… but I commit to trying again. *Disclosure- neither Klean Kanteen nor Dasani sponsored this post
• For my morning coffee – mix 50% decaf with 50% regular.  No more mochas/lattes…
  Besides the expense of the morning mocha, and the totally unneccessary calories, I used to drink only decaf… and felt better when I did.  I think I need a little caffeine in my morning, so I commit to having half caf coffee in the morning.
• Brush/rinse fully at night
  I used to brush my teeth after every meal in addition to morning and night.  Somewhere in this past year I got lazy about my evening brushing.  I would do a quickie rinse with mouth wash and hit the sack.  But teeth are really important and I need to respect them.  I commit to brushing purposefully every morning and evening.
• I AM GIVING UP FRENCH FRIES
  at least for 2010.  do-able.  right?

I know it seems like these are ‘all about me’, but if I make these changes (especially the life changing ones), I will be a better friend, co-worker, relative, and so on.

Happy new year.  I sincerely wish you all the best.  If we’ve met (in person or virtually) I am grateful for it, and if we haven’t yet, I can’t wait til we do!!

Cheers!

So- starting in December, I will start posting to my new social media blog here: jodi is social and make it a place to collect many of the thoughts I usually share only internally.  Hope it works out and I hope you enjoy it!

Back in 1992, I wrote a poem, which turned into a song.  It was the year a good friend of mine was raped.

I titled it “The Children’s Rhyme”.   I just happened upon the song, and some of the lyrics really got to me, again…

“Please forgive me when I start to suck my thumb;
I should not have to see this;
And when I pretend that I am deaf and dumb;
I should not have to live this.”

I wrote a lot about my friend during that time, but “The Children’s Rhyme” was more about society and overall innocence lost.  I am glad my friend survived those difficult days.  She is now happily married with 2 kids.

- R.E.M. Half a World Away

I feel like writing poetry, not a blog post, but I haven’t written poems since college, when every little drama meant the end of the world.

I try to keep perspective now, but it actually isn’t really any easier than when I was younger and had only lived half the life I have lived.   I think at any age or stage of life, the things that seem most important are most important, to you anyway.

I may hear someone complain about an increase in their rent.  That is the most important thing.  Someone else moans about an ex-lover’s impending nuptials.  That is the most important thing.  I complain about money, seems to be the most important thing.  You are ill from your chemo, the most important thing.

When I talk about perspective, I almost want to mock myself.  How can you keep perspective, really… You have only lived your own life;  no one else’s. So the obstacles others face are completely abstract to you.  And in our minds it isn’t any easier for us, for them, for you.  When you were 14 and the kids picked on you, was that any easier than being laid off from a job at 32?

This blog post changed direction somewhere.  Oh well.

I want to be empathetic, but tend to just end up pathetic.  I want to be selfless and end up being self-serving.  I want to be so much more, but, so easily overwhelmed, end up being barely enough.  I keep thinking it will change, but it doesn’t.  And the problem is there.  I think it will change.  I think some force will intervene and change the course.  But you know that isn’t true.  The course changes when I turn the steering wheel.  I just need to get past the learner’s permit stage, right?

I’m looking for an interruption,
Can you believe?
Some medicine for my headache
Hooray hooray hip hip hooray
I’m pitching for a new direction
Pinch me when I wake
Don’t tell me my dreams are fake
You leave me to lay, you touch me deep,
I don’t sleep, I dream
I’ll settle for a cup of coffee, but you know what I really need

-R.E.M.  I Don’t Sleep, I Dream

A couple weeks ago we had a huge Content Summit at Gannett.  We have been planning it for months and now it is over, but I realize the work is just beginning…

Gannett is a media company and over the past two weeks, our stock has been rising, which is kinda nice.  There are a few reasons for this, but I joke that the street got wind of our new content strategy and it is showing its confidence in our plan.

My current job focuses on social media, but I have always been passionate about improving and reinforcing any company I have worked for.  I step outside of the box sometimes, and sometimes I even step too far, but I want my company to succeed.  It isn’t really about me, right?  It’s about trying to recognize ways to move Gannett into the future successfully.  This may be via innovation, may be via audience participation, may be via technological changes… never ignoring the basis of what we do best- journalism.

So today I am livestreaming sessions from Izeafest and from the Online News Association conference.  And in a couple weeks I will be attending the 2009 Blogworld and New Media Expo (very excited- if you will be there, let me know).  But my point is I am always trying to learn.  I always seek out the words of the influencers and ‘rockstars’ in the space I occupy or hope to occupy.

I don’t know what the future holds for Gannett, but I am confident we will be able to bring it through the current wave of ‘newspapers are dying’ and get to the next place where people understand and appreciate the importance of quality investigative journalism.  I want to see Gannett be known for being an innovative media company.  I will help get it there.

R.E.M. – Hairshirt

Almost once a week I have a recurring thought. It is the same thought. Exact same thought actually… I think, ‘why not?’. Why not be friendly? Why not be happy? Why not smile at strangers or make conversation?

It is interesting when I reflect on this. When I was younger, I can recall being at the supermarket with my mother and she would make silly conversation with the check out guy, some goofy comment about being on a diet and buying ice cream, or buying a ton of food and joking that it was just for that night’s dinner. Of course I would be mortified that my mother was trying to be funny. She was sooooooooo embarrassing.

But now I catch myself doing the same thing. When I am at work, I am back in a building I worked in for many years. Many of my colleagues are new here, but many people throughout the campus have been here for 5, 10, 15 years. I say hi to people. I ask how people are. I stop by the security desk every morning and chat with Stan, who has been at HQ since we moved in back in 2001. I try to practice my spanish with the women in the coffee shop, and they laugh at me (and with me) every morning when I flub my words.

And why not?

Last week I was in Phoenix and a colleague asked if I was always this out going and social. That made me reflect because I think I am shy and awkward. BUT- I like people. I like to make people smile. I like to hear how people are and why they are so different from one another. Honestly.

In addition though, I DO NOT LIKE lulls in conversation. If I am at a party and there is an obvious break in the conversation and people are awkwardly staring about, I will most definitely be the one to jump in and ask someone about themself, or the city, or sports or anything to get people chatting again.

Is this always a good thing? That is arguable. I don’t know. Sometimes it is exhausting. But I really do like to chat with people. Strangers or not.

So back to the recurring thought… why not? There are a few people I see, regularly in fact, that never smile. Sometimes don’t even acknowledge people they know as they walk past. They snort out a grumble or shoot down an idea and seem so incredibly unhappy.

It doesn’t cost anything to be happy, to make honest and interested conversation. It’s a corny saying, but smiles are actually contagious. This goes for bad days too. Even on a bad day- go chat with someone unrelated to your bad day. See what is new with them, talk about something random. It should take you out of your funk. It does for me anyway… why not…?

I was out in DC last night, partaking in a tradition I had long ceased, but relished in re-experiencing. I went to a Washington Capitals hockey game.

When I lived in the DC area years ago, I was a bit of a hockey fanatic. Ok, that may be an understatement. I was a season ticket holder for about 8 years, and even attended every single regular season home game a couple years, plus traveled for away games. I own multiple Caps sweaters (jerseys) and have met, taken pictures with and stalked several players.

But then came the lockout. I didn’t give up, but the players I long obsessed over were gone and the new team was barely of age and barely played NHL level hockey. My interest waned. And then I moved away… to a city who’s only regular hockey presence was an ECHL team. I didn’t want to pay for NHL center ice b/c not being there live, but watching on TV, depressed me and made me wish for times passed.

So I stopped watching hockey.

3 years later I move back to the DC area for a job opportunity. While I was away, apparently the Caps became, well, good. I knew they had acquired one of the best players in the NHL before I left, but things were not connecting for them in the early Ovechkin years. Sometime between then and now, they connected. They are #1 in the southeast division, #2 in eastern division and #4 overall. What?? All those years and thousands of dollars and all I got was a mediocre team at best. Now that I am broke, can’t afford season tickets, the team is a contender for the Cup.

wow.

It was strange being back in My arena, where I spent many many nights cheering on my team. Walking around this now sold out venue, seeing all these faces that are no longer familiar. New jerseys, new logo, new colors. New and revitalized town. Last night was surreal. Oh and the Caps won 7-4. What a difference 3 years makes.

Starting a new job can be very exciting, but can also be unsettling. I have worked for the same company for almost 9 years, and in those 9 years have changed positions only 3 times, although all 3 were in the past 3 years.

Last week I started a new position within Gannett; Content Manager at Gannett Digital. This is very new for me and very exciting. Most of the people in my group come from a content background. Not me, I come from an IT background, kind of. I was an IT manager, webmaster, project manager, application developer. Content? Not so much. But when I was told the position was Content Manager specializing in Social Media, now that is something I can get my head around.

I had a blog. It wasn’t called a blog. It was a Geocities website, that I would enter diary-like entries on, and post to the world wide web. That was centuries ago. Ok, maybe not centuries, but definitely before the term Blog existed.

When social networking sites hit the scene, I helped beta test one (multiply.com) back before MySpace was the darling of the web. I got in on the ground level and had opinions heard and access to what the future might look like.

I gave up my Geocities site (although recently moved parts of it to godaddy) and moved all my content (photos, journals [read: blog], videos, music, etc) to Multiply.com. I totally understood it. My family joined and I was sharing content with them. My biggest issue? Most of my friends wouldn’t join. Those that did only checked my updates from time to time and didn’t post their own. They would still send emails with 36 attached photos of their kids, and clog up all their friends inboxes, rather than posting to Multiply, where their friends would be notified there were photos to see.

So what fun is a social network when none of your good friends are on it…? I still love Multiply and share content on there regularly. If for no other reason, I still feel it is the best network out there for sharing your multimedia life/digital content… but I have since joined Facebook and LinkedIn and Twitter and… the list goes on. I am fascinated by every new product and application that is created. I install toolbars (reluctantly) and air apps and post here and there and everywhere. I love sitting and reading the posts of the social media thinkers (like Chris Brogan) and contemplating the many different possible uses for social media in business and in life.

So getting back to my job, do I have a background in content? Guess it depends on how you define content. Am I positive I can contribute to my new team? Absolutely. Am I excited about the future of a media company that has a reputation of being old media (while other like companies are declaring bankruptcy)? Yes.

Bring. It. On.

I dunno.

Actually I do know. I started with a discussion about an exciting position within my corporate parent company. That led to more discussions and then meetings and then interviews and then… an offer.

The new position however was contingent on moving back to the Washington DC area, where I started out 3 years ago, before becoming a telecommuter and moving to Las Vegas.

I really love Las Vegas. I love the weather and the scenic views and the hiking and golfing and action. But having a fulfilling job is actually worth leaving the excitement and beauty of Vegas.

So here I am, planning my move, purging parts of an old life, determined to start a new and purposeful life.

I am Jodi Gersh, the new Content Manager / Social Media for Gannett Digital and I will be back in the DC area by mid December. In time for a cold winter and an eventful inuaguration.

Here I go………..