"What are you doing now that you're retired?"

I recently attended a couple of functions out in the community and was constantly asked, "What are you doing now that you are retired?". This question stops me dead in my tracks every time and I find myself fumbling around to find an appropriate answer. While I look at leaving my career of more than 30 years in the car business as a retirement from that career, I never intended it to be a retirement from working. I totally get why people ask me that question, but I need to come up with an answer that makes sense and explains what this next phase of life looks like for me. The reality is that I left my automotive career to pursue other passions that I've had for a long time and just never had the time to pursue. The timing was right for me to give someone else the opportunity to come in and have a fabulous career in that industry, and for me to pursue some other passions.

I'm one of those people who has always had more interests than time...I think the buzzword they use to explain this today is multi-passionate. Call it what you will, but I've often described myself as a "Jill of all trades". I've always been a learner, and when my reignited passion for photography in the mid-2000's spawned my own small business, I found myself absorbing as much information as I could about starting and operating a small business in the online space. That led me to an even greater passion for small business and new found skills in the digital marketing world. When I combine those small business skills with my operations and leadership experience in the car business, I find myself with a unique set of skills and a deep desire to help other small business owners take their businesses to the next level.

So, how do I explain what I am doing, now that I've "retired"? Well, I'm working...a lot, and loving it! I'm a photographer/small business consultant/behind the scenes "Jill of all trades"! How do you put THAT on a business card? 🤣 I love working one on one with people so when I can find an opportunity to match my skills to their needs, that's my happy place. The photography thing is pretty straightforward - I create pretty amazing photos for high school seniors and small business owners. Beyond that things get a little murky because of the "Jill of all trades" thing...

Going forward, I'll do my best to paint a clearer picture of exactly what I'm doing on the business side of things, but for now, if you or someone you know could use a "Jill of all trades" to jump in and help take your business to the next level, please get in touch. A quick conversation is all it will take to find out if I am the right fit, or can recommend someone else who is. Click here to schedule a call.

Oh, and if you have any advice on what to put on my business card, I'd love to hear it! 😉