24 posts tagged “gsc”

The start up environment and I just mesh super well together.  I am so glad to be back.  So so glad.  GSC was killing me slowly.  They said they wanted someone with my experience and expertise but really, they wanted a politician.  It was also a boy's club where tenure at the company meant everything.  It was as if as soon as I entered the doors of GSC, none of my experience meant dick.  I had to justify everything with data to people who have no clue on how to build Websites, no experience on building/creating Websites, and no interest in using the type of Websites that we were trying to build.  How ridiculous is that?  It was a super well paying job but man, it was killing me inside. My happiness meter has totally recharged back up to top since I left GSC. :)

The new job has about 50 people in the entire company.  Provides free snacks of all sorts (chips, cookies, bananas, etc.), free drinks + beerz.  Plus, the type of work that I do is challenging and super fun.  I no longer manage people, which is really great cuz I now can focus on becoming a true leader in the high tech industry. Yay!

GSC announced its layoff plans this morning starting with 1,400 today and 5,000 over the next 18 months.  I'm ok and safe for now and want to send good wishes out to those have lost their jobs :(  I hope the economy gets a moving again towards a positive direction soon!

Monday thru Thursday of last week, I was at a management excellence training where all the attendees will sleep, eat and train in a hotel (I live only 12 miles away) and we are learning from 7am thru 10pm every day.  They call this type of training "Immersion" training.  I really got to learn about my strengths, weaknesses, and what I need to do to become a better leader.  It's a very awesome training and I am impressed the amount of time and $$ that GSC is willing to invest into its people. 

4-5 of my friends are now on P90X.  I've sick a lot the last two months and have not worked out since right before Thanksgiving.  I am mustering up motivation to start working out again as a part of my daily nutrious requirement.  I want to incorporate 2 nights of my own dance practice into my weekly workout so I am at least having fun and getting better at pole dancing.

My dogs have been little destructors.  I now need to add an extra minute of preparing before I leave the house.  Putting away all items that can be chewed up or remove them from the reach of small dogs.  [As I was typing this, Chewie just humped Solo's head.  Haha]  Oh, Chewie is going in Thursday to get spayed.  Hopefully the humping will go away too.

I'm really touched because my manager genuinely wants to help me become a creative director.  He sees potential in me and wants to help me become successful.  I had been a little bit scared to approach him as I haven't had a good mentor/manager/creative director that's been a good example for me.  I've been protecting myself.  But today's 1 on 1 with him really helped me open up my eyes and I really do believe that his intentions and plans for me are excellent.  I will now also have an open heart when I approach my career growth.  Yay! :)

I've been really trying to spend less time mindlessly wondering around and get more focused as I realized that it has become such a huge distraction for me.

I am still online but at least I'm doing productive things (like paying bills, emailing, researching). 

On the nation front:
Here's a shout out to everyone that is over 18 and voted.  THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU.  Regardless who you voted for, it is absolutely awesome that you took the time and exercised your right to vote.

In Seattle, everyone is super stoked about our newly elected President Obama.  We cannot wait to see the positive changes that are coming.  Yay!

On the work front:
I feel like I'm on track to get back to where I was at 100% 3 years ago.  I'm happy with my team, and especially happy with my new manager.  For the first time in my life, I feel like I really have a great mentor/manager that does care about my growth.  Today, he said that from the last month of observation, he sees that I have the most potential, but also have lots "whirlwind" happening around me.  He said that is unusual and we talked about some stuff and he made suggestions on how we can start tackling those whirlwinds and really help me grow.  He even suggested 3 books for me to read.  I am so thankful that I finally have a manager that is an excellent leader and really cares about his people.

On the life front:
Me and @sabrigley decided to have a FB marriage after attending our friend's wedding last weekend in LA (in which I was the ordained minister).  We had our first "staff meating" yesterday evening - our code word for eat some beef and pole dance! Hahaha!  I am very iron deficient so my doctor told me that I have to eat more red meat. @sabrigley started taking pole dance class after I invited her to an open house.  In support of both endeavors, we came up with the idea of weekly "Staff Meating".  :)  @sabrigley is such an awesome person.

On the dog front:
Solo is no longer allowed to sleep on the bed with me.  She is disobedient even after the expensive bootcamp because she thinks she is the alpha.  Well, no more. :)  Chewie at this point still sleeps on the bed with me because surprisingly (and probalby due to breed), she wants to please me and always come to me when I call her.  She is now learning to sit and down.

That's all for now.  I'm gonna drive my ass home so I can do my new workout - the Ten Minute Trainer (which kicked my ass yesterday).  It's made by the same trainer that did p90x - the system that I used to get very fit in the first place.

For the Giving campaign at work, 3 co-workers and myself formed a Rockband rock band called "System Failure."  We made it into the final 13 bands that get to perform and try to win prizes tomorrow.  Since the competition is tomorrow at 3-530pm, I'm going to dress up in my rocker goth girl attire for the entire day to further promote the event.  Everyone gets 2 vote vouchers by showing up.  If the person has donated either time or money to the campaign, s/he gets 10 more extra voting vouchers.  It is super important that we get people to come.  :D

I wonder if I will get any new nerdy secret admirers tomorrow after the show.  Haha :D

First prize = everyone in the band wins a Rock band system. I can haz??!  We've practiced twice already and will practice one more time today.  I wanna win (for a good cause)!

One of my designers is going on paternity leave in about a week+ (how cool is that) and the other one is going on vacation.  The team is working really well together but I am swamped as ever, and even more so this week.  I am advocating and working on getting another head opened for my team and trying to fill an existing spot.  Things are good, I'm liking my job, and I'm really enjoying my team.  My "director" / "red" personality is coming out more (it's not my first nature personality) but I have to use it in my role as a lead / manager.  I think I'm getting better at it but it is still not something that comes easily.  Then after I use that personality, my natural "friendly" / "yellow" comes out and freaks out silently and question whether I was too mean.  It's funny how I'm starting to become more aware of my different personality social styles and when I need to use 'em to get things done at work.

Oh I found out yesterday that one of the program manager is working remotely from Toronto because his girlfriend lives there.  Hmmm.  Maybe I can work remotely once in a while, especially during slower times.  Idears, idears. :)

I fell asleep TWICE last night when I was suppose to be pulling yet another all nighter.
I'm gonna stay up and get shit done this evening no matter what. 

No falling asleep before I'm done this evening.  I would disappoint a lot of people if I don't get this work done, including myself.

Work is hectic these last couple of weeks.  Man oh man.  Probably why I am still not back to full health yet and keep getting all sorts of infections.  Meh.

Boring post.

Inspite of being super exhausted, I was able to turn up my super sonic human speed today.  Probably the most productive I've been in like a year at work.  I miss doing visual design + UI design combo.  It's so fun.  Sometimes being a manager sucks for the lack of hands on fun work.  But that's another post.

Still have about 1/2 way to go to get the demo completed.  My boss really liked what she's seen so far :)  Go me!  Monday's presentation is in front of 200+ peeps and it is pretty rare that a woman is up at the podium.  I'm very thankful for this opportunity and not as nervous as I thought I'd be.

Another thing I have to do before I leave work premise today is to pack up my office. My team is moving down to the 2nd floor.  But I am so exhausted that I am going to lie my ass down on the floor and take a small nap first.