“Distance lends enchantment to the view.” ~ Mark Twain
Month: June 2016
Quiet Audacity: A Conversation with Eileen Fisher & Susan Cain
For people who are most beloved by the masses, one of the things that people most often say about them after they die is that they were always themselves. They were authentic.
Somehow during their lifetime, they found the courage to be true to themselves and showed it to the world. However, like most things in life, it’s easier said than done.
After the Memorial Service for Muhammad Ali yesterday, many of us have had the chance to reflect on his life. The choices that he made and what we most respect about those choices. He risked and lost everything in order to be true to his beliefs. He had moral integrity.
As we reflect on our own lives, it’s easier for some of us to take a stand in public than others. For those who are naturally extroverted, it may not be quite as difficult. For the introverts among us, myself included, it’s a bigger stretch to speak out in public. Many of us are natural writers and work well behind the scenes.
I just watched a video showing a conversation about introversion between Eileen Fisher, famous clothes designer, and Susan Cain, who started a Quiet Revolution and has made it her life mission to show the value of introverts. One of her most recent projects is Quiet Schools Network, so that introverted students are not overlooked in school.
This video is inspiring to watch. It’s a bit long, just over an hour. But it’s well worth the time. I had not known much about Eileen Fisher, except for her beautiful clothes that I wish I could afford.
After watching, I learned that even though she built her widely successful business from the ground up, she was painfully shy and introverted. Which is probably why most of us have not known much about the woman behind the brand. She did not want a public life.
With Fisher’s recently launched Learning Lab, she is pushing her boundaries and working on this new project that means so much to her. It’s very much in the beginning phases, so she is bringing us along on the journey to see what it will become.
The actual lab is located in an historic building overlooking the Hudson River. She has events and workshops that you can attend in person, then she makes them available online for us to watch for free.
I love the idea of this experiment, because that’s all that life really is. We’re all just trying to figure it out and experiment with what could be.
So that we all can try to live a life as well-lived, remembered and cherished as Muhammad Ali.
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Screenshot: Eileen Fisher Learning Lab
*Updated 3/4/2023* Unfortunately the video is no longer available and there were several broken links that were removed from this post.
Lunch: Dragon Roll & Grill Food Truck
Yesterday I didn’t have time to make my lunch and I needed something quick.
Being a food blogger, if I’m going to buy food, I prefer that it be bloggable. Luckily, just steps away from my office, I spotted a new to me food truck — Dragon Roll & Grill.
I got a chicken and shrimp teriyaki bowl with rice noodles. It was really good. Although, I only planned to eat half, I ate the whole thing! The portion is quite large and you get a lot of chicken and shrimp for your money. It’s not mostly noodles.
There could have been a little bit more sauce, but that’s just my preference. I definitely recommend them, so catch them when you can!
Startup Institute Hosts Career Confessional in Boston
One day last week, I exited South Station and started walking across Dewey Square to go to my office. Someone came up to me and asked if I was interested in trying out Startup Institute‘s Career Confessional.
The person speaking to me said that since it was such a nice day, they decided to take their office outside, so they could talk to people and see what they were looking for in their careers. I was curious and figured it seemed like a fun blog post at the very least. So I went in.
I met VP and Boston Program Director Allan Telio. He said that what they do is help people find work in the local tech sector. I told him that I was on my way to my attorney day job, but that I’m also a freelance writer and blogger.
Telio said that he speaks with many attorneys who want to leave the legal field and try something new. We’ve probably all seen people who describe themselves as “recovering lawyers” who are now doing something different.
Although I don’t particularly like the term, because lawyering isn’t a sickness. I believe that lawyers have a pretty interesting set of skills that can be used in many ways.
It seems that Telio recognizes that and said that lawyers are natural content creators and often turn to writing. Preaching to the choir! It seems to me that a career is something that spans a lifetime. A career grows and changes as we do. It’s not just one job. It’s more vast than that.
Since I started blogging, I’ve been constantly in pursuit of ways to combine my naturally curious nature and love of research and writing. In different parts of my work life over the years, I’ve found ways to do it. But I’m looking for the next level. Which I am learning is a lifelong lesson and process.
