Episode 15: If He Did it Before, He Will Do It Again
Also, it's my birthdayyyy!
What I’m Thinking About
Hey Peeps!
While it is my birthday today, I wrote this post on a plane a few weeks ago and decided to keep it as is instead of doing a specific birthday post. Just know I feel incredibly blessed coming into this birthday with all my needs met. This year I continuously reminded myself that if God did it before, He’ll do it again. Even when I wanted to give up, I just kept looking for signs that thins will work out, and they did! If you want to make my birthday, be sure to read the Bonus Track for today and click that link!
Anywayyyy, August was a whirlwind personally. I brought in the month by visiting Washington, D.C., where I spent time at an art party at my friends job with my friend, kicked it at a winery for my friend Adam’s birthday, and even got to have brunch with my great aunt and cousin. While trying to remain present in D.C., I knew I had a big decision to make by August 6th - submit my 30 day notice to vacate my townhome in Atlanta and find somewhere else to live, or have faith and stay put. When I left D.C., I decided that I would move and submitted by 30 day notice to vacate. At that time, I wasn’t confident that the contract job I was working would last beyond the 6 months I signed up for. I also wasn’t sure if I would secure a full time job. I was initially excited about lowering my rent and started setting up tours for smaller townhomes in Atlanta because moving into an apartment in Atlanta was out of the question. The reviews are TERRIBLE!
By the second week of August, things began to shift in my favor. I’ll list them in a timeline for brevity sake:
Tuesday, August 6th: property managers email me asking what they could do to get me to stay at their property. My answer - lower the rent.
Thursday, August 8th (4:30p-5:30p): final round case study interview with an Ed Tech company for a 18 month contract, fully remote role paying more than the job I had when I was laid off last year
Thursday, August 8th (5:59p): hiring manager from Ed Tech company calls to offer me the job……what the what?
Monday, August 12th (4pm-ish): I email Local Company I was interviewing with since the beginning of June since I hadn’t heard from them in 3 weeks. I told them I have an offer and that I was still excited about their position and wanted to know if they were still considering me as a candidate
Tuesday, August 13th (9am-ish): hiring manager from Local Company sends me a message asking when I needed to make a decision about the offer I received
….then later that day I received an email saying I advanced to the final round
Thursday, August 15: I finally get the offer letter from the EdTech Company and resign from my contract job. I told my manager that my last day would be Monday, August 19th, but she emailed me back saying I could turn in my laptop on Friday soooo that was my last day which is what I wanted anyway!
Tuesday, August 20 - 22: Onsite interview with Local Company plus to two more virtual calls. I was over these people at this point but I held on
Friday, August 23rd: I get a call from the recruiter at Local Company telling me I got the job!
Monday, August 26th: I call the Ed Tech Company back and let them know I will have to decline the offer after all
At some point after all of this I decided that I wouldn’t move since I would be making enough money to sustain my high Atlanta rent!
Now y’all see why I haven’t posted anything lol life was lifing but in a good way. I’ve spent the last 6ish weeks somewhat free from working. I haven’t rested as much as I should have because I was doing all the things I didn’t have the energy to do over the summer like power wash my patio lol.
I am SO GLAD to FINALLY be off of the job market after 8 months of job searching. I had these 3 sticky notes on my bathroom wall all summer to keep me encouraged.
So where do I work?
I am happy to announce that after working at the fruit stand (Apple) I am back at a big consumer brand: Chick-fil-A! I am realizing that a lot of people do not know that Chick-fil-A was founded here in Atlanta. I’ll be working at their headquarters as a Lead User Researcher for Operator Technology Solutions (basically the technology in the kitchen) and I’m excited about this next step in my career!
While I wasn’t thrilled at the idea of working on my birthday because I am in a 2 week in-person training, I’m actually very grateful to be gainfully employed again and this training is TOP TIER! I won’t promise that I’ll write more on that, but if you follow me on IG, I created a highlight on my profiled called “Chikin Coop” where I’ve shared a few. details about my experience throughout the week, so enjoy!
What I’m Reading
The Thing About Home by Rhonda McKnight
Rating: 5/5
I have to start by saying that Rhonda McKnight is a MASTERFUL storyteller!! I love when I can read a book that can give me all the feels. I also love a book that includes special relationships between elders. Although Casey didn’t meet her grandmother until later in adulthood, their bond was solidified the first day they met.
I enjoyed the way McKnight weaved together the past and the present, making room for history lessons to happen about what our ancestors went through post-slavery. The TENSION between Casey and Nigel almost took me out of here. They clearly liked each other and had a very slow burn - it was worth it in the end.
I highly recommend this novel and look forward to reading more from Rhonda McKnight.
What I’m Watching
Reasonable Doubt on Hulu
I don’t know the last time a show has had me this ENGROSSED!!! I love me some Jax Stewart, ESQ, okay! I re-watched Season 1 because I forgot what happened and I am so glad I did. I’ve even watched episodes of Season 2 multiple times - I just love the show SO MUCH! And this season we get Morris Chestnut with his fine self!
Are y’all watching it? Thoughts? NO JAX SLANDER ALLOWED! lol
What I’m Vibin’ to
BIG LATTO! Lol
I’m not sure what prompted my recent obsession with Latto, but I do rock with her new album, Sugar Honey Ice Tea. My favorite tracks are BIG MAMA, There She Go, H&M, Brokey, and Sunday Service (Deluxe Edition).
Bonus Track: Are You Registered to Vote?
Want to help me celebrate my birthday? Register to vote. Even if you think you’re registered, click here to check again before the deadline. The republicans are doing everything they can to employ tactics to toss this election. If you heard someone say “oh you need XYZ to register/vote in X state” - check for yourselves.
For instance, some might think that you need a Georgia issued ID to register in Georgia. That’s only if you register online. If you do it by mail, no ID is required.
“Did you know that 1 in 4 voters missed their chance to vote in 2020 simply because they weren’t registered? Missing a registration deadline = missing your chance to make your voice heard. Most people assume they’re registered but never check until it’s too late. Let’s change that this year.” @Madison.Utendahl
I’m team VP Harris and Governor Walz and would love to see not only a woman, but a BLACK WOMAN as the President for the first time!
