Process and reflect. This month, evolve.

When I was 24, I tried desperately to move to Washington, DC. It was 2008, Obama had been elected, and many of my news friends had moved there. I was convinced that I would be a White House producer, having fallen in love with traveling with the press corps for the three short months I did it. I was up for a job I was pretty certain I would get. I had strong references from coworkers and those with internal clout. I was more than qualified. I didn’t get the job. I was devastated. 

I struggled through a few months of uncertainty, trying to simultaneously land a job in DC while still working and looking for a permanent place to land in NYC. In the end, I stayed in New York. I landed a job producing the open of the CBS Evening News. It wasn’t the job I had wanted, but it propelled me to a better place than the job I didn’t get would have -- I worked directly with our anchor and was doing more fast-paced producing. It led me to build a relationship with another correspondent, who in a year and half, I would start producing for. 

Then, just 3 years later, I jumped ship to work on a new show at NBC. Within weeks I was certain I had made the wrong decision. The corporate structure was far different from the one I was used to, and I felt stuck. Instead of field producing immediately, I was back producing the open of the show. I went so far as to figure out if I could politically move back to CBS. In the end, I decided to stay and ride it out. A producer pulled me onto a story she was working on, I left producing the open behind me, and was more than happy with my role for about a year. And then, the show was cancelled, leaving the entire staff struggling to find a place to land. 

When the dust cleared, I was in a project manager job within the education unit at NBC helping to build a website. I had no idea what I was doing, I was certain I was in the wrong job (again) and desperate to try and find something else. I did the job to the best of my ability, while also keeping my eyes open for any other jobs that came up. I volunteered on the weekends at Nightly News, hoping I could learn the system and jump back to the TV side. 

But then, I took a trip for my 30th birthday. A full two weeks off. I went to Southeast Asia with some friends, and while we were in Thailand, a military coup broke out. I thought about calling the newsdesk, saying I was there, that I could contribute to any coverage they might have needed. Instead, I stayed at the beach. I told myself “you don’t work in news anymore.” When I got back, I didn’t volunteer anymore. And with the exception of a few interviews when I was approached for a role, I decided to stay and learn as much as I could about the digital space. 

I ended up staying for 6 years. In that time, I learned everything I could about building and redesigning websites, about social strategy, about partnerships and sponsorships, marketing and business. I was no longer working insane hours, and instead I finally had some time to think about my personal life, too. I got married, and had my first son. 

When I look back at all the moments in my career where I was devastated by not getting a job I wanted, or being in a job I didn’t think I wanted, I can’t help but think I should have been patient.

What I couldn’t see is that these paths I didn’t choose were the ones that got me to today. Only at the time, I couldn’t fathom what today would turn out to be. I was learning, growing, evolving. And maybe had I been more comfortable in the discontent, I would have understood it was exactly what I needed to do all along. As we look ahead to December, I can’t help but think of yet another year ending and how much has changed in such a short amount of time. No matter what we do, time keeps on moving, and we really have no choice but to grow and change. This month, I want you to join me in reflecting on your own discontent. What are you learning? How are you evolving? How can you move forward from there? 

We’ll be bringing this intention to the forefront this month for M.T. Deco as well. Founder and CEO Melissa is undergoing her own evolution and exploring TikTok as a personal platform. She’ll be sharing what she’s learning while being pushed out of her comfort zone. We’ll also take a look at whether brands, like Patagonia, who boycott Facebook and Meta-owned platforms because they don’t align with their values are the next evolution of corporate-social responsibility. And the Power of Influence series is back with a deep dive into our favorite travel-blogger turned accidental influencer and mom who keeps it real, Carolyn Snider of @TheWandering_eye. 

As always, our contributors are bringing their best to help you live your best life. Resident DJ Lissie Jacobson has crafted the perfect Spotify playlist for all your evolving needs, and Megan Collins of The Manicured Shelf is back with her book recommendations that are exactly what we all need to move forward. 

We hope you join us this month in evolving. In allowing yourself to settle in and accept changes, growth. To see how setbacks might change you, or challenge you. Or perhaps to simply reflect on the times you didn’t get what you wanted -- and find the beauty in that. We’ll be exploring all of this right alongside you, and as always, cheering you on.