Warm and fuzzy

Well, here I am ensconced in new job world. Having worked in entertainment retail for 3 and a half years (my god, really that long??) I took the plunge earlier this year and went for a new job, which I started on Monday. Plenty of reasons, probably not too diplomatic to go into them all here... but 2 pretty important ones were work/life balance and the dreaded 'c' word*; and a desire to stretch myself a bit more, take myself out of the e-commerce comfort zone (those of you who know anything about my time at Virgin will know that it was rarely 'comfortable' but you know what I mean) and specialise a bit.

The new company ticks all those boxes and then some. Being in Maidenhead, I can leave the office at 5.30pm and amazingly be home just a scant hour later. Today, I was on a Leadership Development Course which was over by 4pm - and if the bloody trains and A34 had been running smoothly, I could have been home by 5pm. As it was I got into Didcot just as the heavens opened with a downpour of Biblical proportions, at about 5ish. Then the drive home was so sluggish, that the rain followed me all the way home. Grr. Anyway, I'm meant to be posting about how great my journey home is now!

Everyone at the office has been outstandingly welcoming and helpful - most have said how great it is that I have joined the team - and I get the overriding impression that most people love the company, believe in what they are doing, and believe that the company has their best interests at heart. On the course I've been on over the last few days, the volume of moaning has been minimal and the desire to grow and develop and inspire our teams as great leaders has been palpable. Add to this a spanking new laptop with actual wi-fi that works, a job that is challenging, interesting, moves me away from my comfort zone and where I am learning loads already , and it makes such a difference.

Oh, and did I mention the work trip to NYC next week - 4 whole days in Manhattan, staying on Madison Avenue, and the dollar is at $1.99 to the pound. Oooooohhhhhh. The only sad thing is that Ali won't be with me, as our first ever holiday together was a romantic break to the Big Apple. But I will be going with a list for B&H Photo Video so he will be there in spirit ;)


*commute, in case you're wondering