Okay, not going to lie, this post is backdated because Thanksgiving week just got away from me. I think it being a holiday week...it was just a lot, which I'll touch on a bit in the Week 3 report. In the meantime, here's what happened in the week since my Week 1 Report.
Follow-up from last week
I did not win my write-in campaign for ANC. So Congratulations to Nick Cheolas. Looking forward to supporting him and holding him accountable for representing all of us in ANC 5E01. And I especially look forward to running against him ON the ballot in 2020.
My Unemployment is on hold as they take 21 days to do some fact-finding as far as the manner of my termination. But I'm still submitting things as required for if/when they approve it.
Job Hunting
So, there were two jobs I mentioned last week, which I submitted applications for.
The Project Manager position at Wired Impact is particularly appealing because:
- As a faithful Wired subscriber, finding out they had a nonprofit website product and service was the best of my worlds colliding, and I'm a huge fan
- The position is a remote one, so I'd be able to stay in DC
- I would love helping nonprofits all over get great websites up and running
And then there's the Community Programs Manager at Arena Stage. This one was of interest because:
- Work would be just a couple of blocks away from my parents house, so I'd probably see them a bit more
- It would be nice being involved in Direct Service again, after years of respresenting teaching artist, giving grants to artists and orgs, and advocating for youth centered and informed funding, legilsations, and policies.
Two more places I'm looking at are Executive Director at Dance Metro DC and Front Desk Receptionist at Beacon House.
COFFEE Club
During my time at DCAYA, I rebooted a regular gathering of Communication staff members at member ogs. And then started a group for all employees, friends, colleagues, etc. that might manage Communications, whether or not they were at a DCAYA Member org.
This group was called COFFEE Club for:
Communication Officers Forgathered For Enabling Effectiveness
Now I don't know if DCAYA will continue to convene regular meetings for Communication staff, but I'm glad COFFEE Club will go on, through and with the work of the co-chair, as well as other members, in terms of hosting it.
So, if you are interested and manage communications for your org, consider joining us:
- Join our Facebook group
- Follow us on Twitter
Dance Place Board Meeting
Even in unemployment, there is plenty of work to do. And this meeting was no exception. Beyond our regular board business, we were presented with a mostly final draft of a Strategic Alignment project from Compass Consulting.
I won't go into the details of the actual project presentation. I'll just say that it's a pretty phenomenal suite of pro bono services that Compass provides:
- Board Development
- Funding Strategy
- Partnerships and Collaborations
- Strategic Alignment
- Strategic Marketing &
- Strategic Planning
If you're a nonprofit in DC, and you haven't checked them out yet, you should.
Die Hard
So...nothing says the holidays like Die Hard. And since the original one came out 30 years ago, this year, I thought I'd use my favorite crowdsourcing movie screening platform, Tugg, to make it happen.
If you're not familiar with it, you just request to screen a film in their library, pick a date, and they take care of all the administrative stuff, booking it with the venue, making sure the film gets there, setting upt the ticket page.
All you have to do is make sure that a certain threshold of ticket sales (really, reservations because no cards get charged until that threshold is reached), to make the movie actually happen.
And if you're free and in DC on December 19, I hope you can help us make Die Hard happen:
- Get your ticket(s) on Tugg
- Invite your friends on Facebook
Broadway Singalong
This was definitely a highlight of the week. We had at least 50 people show up, even despite the weather that Thursday.
Thrilled to have executed this third event with my singalong partner in crime, Kristin. We were inspired after a couple of magical afternoons at Burning Man, with a camp that did this. And we're really getting the hang of it. It's a true singalong, no karaoke mic, but this time with words on the screen.
It's the second one we've done quarterly, whereas a whole year and a half passed between the first and the second one. And we alternated from Disney to Broadway for the most recent one, so we'll be back to Disney in three months. Now we just need to find a venue with a room for free that is accessible and kid friendly, as requested by some who could not make them so far.
Which I guess I should add to my to-do list this week!
DCAYA Exit Interview
It should have been a red flag that the board chair just wanted to have a conversation and listen, and that I was more prepared in terms of typical exit interview questions and having answers for them.
Regardless, I presented an outline for how I thought the conversation should go, starting with life in general, what I liked about DCAYA, what could've worked better, and what they should look for in hiring a replacement.
Anyway, obviously still processing.
Meeting w/ Arts Management friends and more
I continued to call in the troops and met up with about 10 people over the week.
These ranged from Arts Management colleagues I hadn't seen in a while, including one that just had their first album release party at the 9:30 Club. Others I got to chat with ranged from Burner friends to Youth Development folx I'd met while at DCAYA whose work I still wanted to be involved with and support, which I discuss a bit more later.
Overall, definitely thankful for the literal social net I've had to catch me. Even if these meetings and coffee dates aren't directly resulting in job prospects, I feel like they're all relationships that have informed my life and will continue to do so. If anything, I feel like it's helped me reset my own personal and professional compass when it comes to what's next.
Aida
Even in unemployment, the show must go on. In this case, it meant having a wonderful date night with my partner, and introducing them to Elton John and Tim Rice's Aida, presented by Constellation Theatre.
I forgot how much I loved the soundtrack, and am kinda bummed that none of the soungs from this show made it into the singalong list earlier in the week. But hopefully our next Broadway singalong, that will change.
The love story also reminded me of all the reasons I love Kegan/Compass, my partner. I know, chessy, but whatever, that's part of what makes musicals so great. And it was a good note to remember to see art, especially when it feels like my life is unmoored.
The Community Enrichment Project
This is the organizaiton I mentioned earlier, which I came across and met its founder, Lauren Grimes, during my time at DCAYA. Fun fact, she's also another DC native. And her goal with the organization?
To instill a strong sense of civic awareness and engagement in underserved communities.
So the work continues, because youth development work in the District is so much more than any one organization. And it being a relatively new and young organization, I just hope to do whatever I can to help her sustain and grow it and its programs.
Coming Up in Funemployment Week 3
That's it for Week 2. I anticipate next week will be a slow week, but I'm sure there will still be plenty to share:
- More Catching Up
- A Thanksgiving Moot
And a reminder that I'm experimenting with email updates specifically targeted to different interests and events.
Until next time,
- Nexus aka JR
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