Can you do it all?
I think I believed that I could… I think I can I think I can.
On January 24 I returned to Syracuse New York for 13 days to testify in a corporate trial. A company I worked for was being sued by the State of NY and I was asked by the State to testify against the company. I agreed as I was mistreated and eventually laid off from the company, I felt that this was my turn to beat Corporate America at their own game. Two weeks before I called and emailed all my riders/sponsors/ race industry that I would be without communication for 13 days. Many prepared , many didn’t.
So I arrived in NY and realized I had not enough clothes to fight the wind chill and realized why I moved at that point. First stop was my local hometown bar to make my appearance. It’s a big deal when you come home.. It’s like you’re a movie star. Think about it 1700 people in a small town in the dead of winter stuck in a bar with the same people from the previous day talking about the same crap. So yes new blood walks thru the door everyone wants your autograph! LOL
So as my days dragged on in Central New York the feeling of being detached from the world soaked in.. No computer.. No email.. Just a cell phone! And of course the local bar’s wonderful Happy Hour!
So I sat down with my Captain and Coke and started reading the magazines at the bar… AMA, Cycle News, Dirt Mag… WOW all racing publications…. Nice read on Kenny Coolbeth so I asked for scissors and started cutting out and posting him all throughout the bar, while I was doing this I called him and let him know.. He laughed and then I said.. Do you miss me? He said.. Of course and I followed up with what can I do for you.. He needed some emails to go out. Having no access.. I walked him thru it.. Start to finish and gave him the verbage.. It was a success… Does this mean I have been replaced? YIKES
Next call was to Hacker.. Asked what I could do.. He needed some PR done and some orders… so I walked him thru the orders part and some sponsorship stuff and boom.. Done… oh dear.. What have I done???
Depression soaked in and so did the 5th Captain and coke… Did I detach from the world of racing? Did no one need me? Can everything be done effectively without me…. I called Mike again and played the card…. Have I been fired? Clearly that was the Captain talking.. Eventually I did make it out of the bar that night and came back to my hotel and sat to think.
I feel great knowing that my work has made a difference not to the sport but to the riders. That now they know the importance of marketing and why it needs to be done. They know that Press Releases are crucial for building hype and that their sponsors are the ones that love to see their name in print. They have also learned and now can email orders, requests and confirmations without feeling like a dope.
I can now feel comfortable to an extent that if I need a week off for anything that my own racing world will still be there upon my return. I have also learned that I should never answer my cell phone after several rum and cokes in a bar.. Sorry Bill Werner and Bret Milan…
Can you do it all? Sure you can but make sure that you share information along the way so that someone can pick up where you left off. Life is a journey, getting to the top is rewarding standing at the top is lonely. Bringing everyone up with you is a party. You are only successful if you share the wealth of information and that what you do builds hype to all that follow.
Is there life without the internet? Well I survived 13 days without it…
Be well.. Daytona will be here soon… let the party begin!
Jennifer