Be Ambitious

I went to the Jay-Z concert last night at the Frank Erwin Center here in Austin, TX, and just to say it was TOTALLY AWESOME is not enough. It was beyond awesome. Jay-Z has always been one of the few rappers I can tolerate, because for one, I can understand every lyric he says when he sings. Not only that, the words he sings are truly meaningful. I know a lot of people say that about their favorite artist, and more power to them, but Jay-Z comes from a hard background and shows it. He talks about it in interviews, and has put himself through a lot, through struggle after struggle to get to where he wants to be. And the CEO and Owner of Def Jam Records is not a bad spot to be in. ;)

Last night he said, "Don't late haters get in the way of your dreams - be ambitious, follow your dreams - FOREVER YOUNG." I really find that my generation is becoming more and more ambitious and dedicated to aspiring to be what they want to be. It's sexy, and to see that drive in people of all races, ages, etc., really is beautiful. I don't like routine, and am always looking for that next step or goal to move me forward, and that's what Jay-Z does. He took the time at the end of his concert to point out individual people in each section of the concert, and it was really cool. He let everyone know he takes nothing for granted, you never know when everything can be taken away from you. It's about working hard, being ambitious, and being forever young. Someone, maybe everyone who attended his concert last night may change our world in one small way or in a huge way, and hearing great messages like his will inspire them.

Scooping the Poop!

Lately I've been reading a lot on Scoop the Poop Austin's Facebook Fan Page about how unsafe dog poop can be in our water. Check out this link by the Clean Water Education Partnership, where they talk about how pet waste can make our water unsafe for drinking, fishing, swimming, and other types of outdoor activities we love to do. If dog owners do not dispose of their dogs poop, pet waste can be carried by stormwater runoff to storm drains that empty untreated into our streams, creeks, and rivers.
Pet waste contains a lot of bacteria and viruses that can contaminate waterways and make living things unhealthy. Check out the link above for more info! You can also find ways to sign up to volunteer in your local parks to help clean up the waste to keep our parks and water cleaner and safer!
I always make sure to bring a bag with me when I walk my dog Cappy to pick up after him. That's why he was chosen as one of the dogs showcased on Scoop the Poop's website!

I'm Becoming The Change I Want To See!

Wow it has been almost a month since I have written a blog post! This is absurd! Haha ;) Things have been going great! I am getting a new car tomorrow, which is probably the biggest news to share. I am getting a 2009 black Honda Fit Sport. Other than that, work is going great! I am bringing in new patients by going out to meet doctor referrals and PA's. There has been a lot to learn, but a lot to gain. I went to Dallas two weekends ago with the doctors I work with for a Marketing Summit, and was asked to speak on a panel about social media and marketing. I feel that my purpose has finally come through full force, and I know one day (in the next few years that is) I want to manage my own social media and marketing company. I already have a name picked out for it, but I will not be sharing that here ;)

Yoga Bear is rockin' in the ATX as well! Our volunteers and I are researching and writing new info sheets for yoga studios to be used across the nation. The purpose for these is to provide detailed information about cancer, and being able to work with a survivor more one-on-one than they have been. It's our goal to update our info sheets with as much info as we can, and make sure the statistics are current. On another note, the founder of YB, Halle Tecco was recently chosen as one of L'oreal's Women of Worth, so I just want to say how proud I am to see the great work she has done and dedication she brings to the table day in and day out for our team! ;)

I have a lot of blog ideas in mind coming up. I'm working with Sundara Yoga to do a series of Yoga and foot pain articles with the doctors I work with, and I want to continue working with Scoop the Poop Austin. Cappy, my handsome mini weiner dog, was chosen as a dog who scoops his poop, (or I should say I do) and his picture was placed on their Facebook fan page! They do a lot of cool stuff around Austin to help keep our grass and water clean. I would hate to see more cool parks such as Bull Creek shut down due to contaminated water. Well, that's all for now, but tomorrow is the big car buying day, and then off to Dogtoberfest!!! Yea!!!! TTFN!

Growing & Growing

I have some great news for our Austin Yoga Bear Chapter! We now have 5 new volunteers! Yesterday I met with one of the volunteers who is a UT grad student, and recently got a grant from the professor she does research for, so she has a paid job for the next 2 years! Our other volunteers are also UT grad students in an Oncology program, and I will be meeting with them next week to see how they can help our chapter.

I also found out yesterday that I signed a great yoga studio here in town that we were tyring to get on board all summer. I'm very happy to see our yoga community giving back. ;) My number one goal for our chapter in Austin is to grow studio participation. We have had great success with spreading the YB word, and I want to ensure we relate the importance of YB, and what we do.

Our Share-A-Mat Campaign for studios provides cancer survivors with a social outlet and a relaxing place to engage in healthy physical activity. Yoga can be a key component in one's path to healing and recovery; but because of the high cost of health care, most cancer survivors don't have access to this wellness opportunity. Yoga studios who participate in the program benefit by giving back to the community, changing lives at little or no cost to their studio, acknowledgment on our website, and by attending Yoga Bear networking events with other studios and participants. It is a great foundation to be apart of! ;)

Big Lights Will Inspire You

If you click on the link to my blog title it takes you to the lyrics to "Empire State of Mind." I know the song has been out for a while, but I think the lyrics are really cool. I'm going to the Jay-Z concert with my best guy friend in November, and saw his performance on the VMA awards last week with Alicia Keys - AMAZING! I like how he says he's the new Sinatra. Do you think he just dreams about this stuff, or is sitting in traffic and is like 'yea - I think I am!' And you know what? I really don't think too many people would question him on this. He is a musical God. He has been "retired" for a few years now, and has produced 4 new albums snce then. Again...AMAZING. It just shows dedication. A person who has the passion behind what they do, no matter what it is, is sexy.

I have been at my new job for almost 3 weeks now, and it feels like I am doing the work of the entire team I was on at QuickArrow. But you know, I kinda feel like Jay-Z. I have that dedication to put my all into what I am doing. I feel pretty blessed to have found a job where the people I work with are nice, the environment is great, and the job itself is what I want to be doing. In today's economy not a lot of people can actually say they are doing what they want to be doing. A lot of people end up settling on a career path, which makes you fall into patterns and routines that you don't really like. Begin making choices that you want to make - I always have, and that's what makes me happy. Happiness is everything.

First Week Down...

I have completed my first week of work at my new job, and so far things have been great! I have begun to re-structure their website, set-up events for the fall to attend and sponsor, and look for opportunities for partnerships. There is a lot to be done on my end to grow the company where we want it to go, but I am ready for the challenge. I have a lot of training to get done over the next 2 weeks with the database, learning the medical industry, and getting the basics completed so that I can meet new clients and prospects. New beginnings are so exciting! Besides work, I'm loving the cooler weather, the rain we have seen in the Austin area, and the weekends where I get to spend time with friends and watch football. What a great start to a new season it has been!

Looking ahead...

I am starting my new job tomorrow as the Director of Marketing for the Foot Associates of Central Texas! I feel like it's the first day of school. I did a little Labor Day weekend shopping over the past few days, and bought myself a little gift for getting a job in a timely manner - an iphone. Totally loving it! ;) Next steps are to dive into my new job with full force, and have a fantastic week. We had our Yoga Bear event today, with little turnout, but will be having cancer survivor classes at Sundara every Saturday morning at 9am. I'm happy to see a balance of Yoga Bear, and being able to work within the medical industry. I have already been spreading the word about the company I will be working for, and networking to partner with yoga studios, shoe companies, etc for races, happy hours, and other ventures. I am very much looking forward to what the fall has in stored for me!