Shannon Michelle Ritchie

A friend of mine recently asked for networking tips. I suppose I wear my enthusiasm for it on my sleeve. 

In case any others may find it helpful, I’m reposting my email response to her here: 

So, I had a baby. Did I tell you that already, invisible blog readers? Here he is: 

I KNOW. That drool monster is my child. I can hardly stand it. 

He’s now just over 5 months old and well, I’m ready to go back to work. Ready to find a bit more balance in my life and contribute in new ways. It’s tremendously exciting - the networking with adults who have real conversations with me, talking to people who have my dream job (in case you’re wondering - it’s in New York, and it’s taunting me), reading job descriptions and feeling confident that my education prepared me well for the roles. 

Here’s the catch - I don’t want to leave home. I absolutely love working from home. 9-5’er in the cubicle, I am not. I feel most productive and creative with a pot of coffee in the kitchen, a quiet room free of chatter, and sweatpants on. If I need a change of scenery? There are plenty of great coffee shops around here that would love my business. (Side note: I’m not alone - new research shows greater productivity, longer hours, and improved job satisfaction from folks who work at home)

Don’t get me wrong, there’s a time and place for in-person collaboration and connecting but I have grown accustomed to using online tools for this quite well. Google+ easily allows me to have in-person meetings with anyone in the world. I can instantly chat with folks as I run through my inbox. I connect with hundreds of brilliant minds on twitter everyday, sharing content and ideas. 

Not requiring an office environment 9-5 each day gels nicely with the fact that I have this 5 month old, too. Ideally, we’re able to find childcare to keep him at home for a little while longer, allowing me to be close to him and feed him, foregoing the need to be attached to a pump throughout the day. And for the days I need to be gone? No problem… In fact, I’d love to travel some and break up the day-to-day routine. 

This all sounds reasonable, right? Well after my month or so of job searching, I’m starting to believe it’s utopia. 

“We’re not big enough for virtual employees”     “It’s not really good for our culture”     “It takes a lot of trust to have people working from home”     “We like people in the office… it’s the way things have always been done around here” 

Y’all. I can’t find it. I can’t find a job that allows me to do what I love, in an environment that makes me an even better employee, and be close by for my baby when he needs it. If you know of any leads, by all means tell me. (Here’s more about my background and what I’m looking for) 

As a disclaimer, I’m fully aware that I’m beyond fortunate to be where I am and please don’t take this as complaining. Unlike many, I have an overly supportive partner, an advanced degree, my family is in good health… I could go on forever. 

The point of this writing is to ask the question, Why is our country’s workforce still so behind on allowing moms the flexibility they need or want? 

emphasisadded:

food for thought

[via: leekfixer: haygirlhay: joannafreed]

so, so great. i love this. 

thecomposites:

Daisy Buchanan, The Great Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerald

Her face was sad and lovely with bright things in it, bright eyes and a bright passionate mouth…a conscientious expression…Slenderly, languidly…an expression of unthoughtful sadness…her cheeks flushed…she looked at me with an absolute smirk on her lovely face as if she had asserted her membership in a rather distinguished secret society…a bright ecstatic smile…Aching, grieving beauty… For Daisy was young and her artificial world was redolent of orchids and pleasant, cheerful snobbery…Girls were swooning backward playfully into men’s arms, even into groups knowing that some one would arrest their falls—but no one swooned backward on Gatsby and no French bob touched Gatsby’s shoulder. (Multiple suggestions)

Updated image: Reader Tessa Cramphorn points out that “autumn-leaf yellow of her hair” is in reference to Jordan Baker. Further, Tessa provides this line describing Daisy’s hair as “dark shining.”  Composites fact checker Emily Schultz believes there is a contradiction in Fitzgerald’s text regarding Daisy Buchanan’s hair, noting the passage where Daisy compares her own hair to her daughter’s “yellowy hair.”  

voteagainst:

1. Tell us a little bit about yourself/yourselves.

We are Jason Franasiak and Kaitlin Mercurio. We are recently married (May will mark our one year anniversary) and are enjoying every minute! We moved to NC about two and a half years ago for Jason to attend UNC as an OB/GYN resident. I…

these two are an absolute riot together. 

part 1

part 2 

via Marvelous Kiddo

advocatephotos:

On May 8, North Carolina voters will choose whether or not to ban same-sex marriage in their home state. Raleigh-based photographer Curtis Brown, determined to “defeat discrimination” with the help of a team of dedicated volunteers has begun The Vote Against Project. Similar to Adam Bouska’s NOH8 campaign in California, this photo project captures portraits of people of all shapes, sizes, and backgrounds with one common theme: they oppose the anti-gay marriage amendment. See examples of these portraits, along with a video about the project, after the jump.

To learn more about The Vote Against Project, visit it’s website.

Read More

emphasisadded:

you can, you know. [via:quyenhuynh:oliviarz]

guilty, as charged. 

by: someecards

via: Cup of JO

so heartwarming. read this first. 

me, at parties. 

via: Cup of Jo gift guide. 

i have two places to keep photographs - online and in boxes stored in my attic. truth be told, i’m not that great about printing and/or displaying photos in my home. 

well, what a revelation to find an app called shoebox a few weeks ago. this free app scans photographs and makes it easy to share online and/or store forever - sianora bulky scanners. 

i’m thinking of scanning old letters i got from carl all those years we lived apart - ensuring i never lose his precious words. then i’ll hit up our baby books. 

if this isn’t a convincing reason for our parents and grandparents to get a smartphone, i don’t know what is. 

via good.

we love to cook in the ritchie household but it’s very apparent that neither of us have had any cooking lessons. when a new recipe’s on the counter, it’s fly by the seat of your pants around that kitchen.

so, when i can across a series of “how-to” videos for cooking, i squealed with delight. (silently squealed). 

this is my favorite one - how to peel a head of garlic in less than 10 seconds. more found here on saveur.

via sho and tell. 

a few weeks ago, carl and i watched a 60 minutes piece on alex honnold - a free solo rock climber. our heart raced rapidly for a solid 15 minutes straight. i was amazed, scared and in utter awe. 

when i ran across this trailer for a new documentary, i believe i can fly, that same feeling overwhelmed me. a group of french men have created a new sport that combines tightrope walking, slacklining, and base jumping. i dare you to watch this without losing your breath. 

(via cup of jo)

(also recommend the documentary man on a wire)

quarterlifecoe:

rumor has it / someone like you | glee

via emilyinternet & ohheyitsdk

i am so overwhelmed with emotion after watching this video. these couples courageously applied for marriage licenses at the exact same desk carl and i were easily given one.

it’s not fair. it’s not right. please help me fight for equality in nc and elsewhere.

so… the news is out. we’re having a baby!

we were waiting to tell people (sans our families and a few friends) until it felt “right.” i had no idea when that would come or what it would feel like… but we waited nonetheless. this week, we had an appointment at the birth center and heard our little one’s heartbeat for the first time. that first “hello” was just what i needed to calm my anxiety and i knew, leaving the center, that the time was now “right.” 

well, i have some catching up to do now. we learned i was pregnant the first week of august, right after i finished my summer internship and during a trip to the mountains to celebrate our anniversary. still drunk with happiness, we enjoyed a nice leisurely brunch at the village cafe and then took off for a long and satisfying hike. (if you’re in the boone/blowing rock area, be sure to check out the boone fork trail)

and later that night, enjoyed a perfect meal by sunset (crestwood inn). 

when we returned home, we celebrated our anniversary night by unwrapping gifts and enjoying a nice evening at the carolina inn (thanks to our dear friends lex and pat). carl totally outdid himself this year and i managed to wrap his presents in amazon packing material, fabric and tissue paper. the whole night was absolute perfection. (i promise you, the carolina blue was not entirely intentional) 

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

(only partially to blame for my absence from tumblr lately)