Several weeks ago I was let go from my Head of Marketing role. It was the first time I’d ever been let go, and it caught me completely off guard. I thought I’d been doing a decent job, and was less than 6 months into the role. Being let go wasn’t something I’d even considered.

I was discouraged and mired in self-loathing / embarrassment for about a week but managed to abscond to Costa Rica for my friend’s bachelor(ette) party which was a fantastic time.

After emerging from my cacoon of embarrassment and self-loathing I came to a couple of conclusions…

• I’ve been through A LOT in the past 2 years
• I’m burnt out mentally and physically unhealthy
• I’m seriously questioning the viability/sustainability of a career in marketing

I decided to take the next summer (and possibly the fall) off to focus on my mental and physical health, work on some of my side projects, reconnect with my friends and family, travel a bit, and learn a couple of new things.

Physical and Mental Health

Over the past 13 years, I’ve gone from 165 lbs to 220 lbs, my heart rate has skyrocketed from 64 bpm to 96 bpm, and I’ve had to go back on a cocktail of depression, anxiety, and sleep meds.

A lot of these things are the direct result of immense stress, poor diet, and in general an unhealthy workaholic lifestyle. My primary focus this summer is going to be on getting back into a healthy routine, losing weight, relaxing, and building a more sustainable lifestyle.

Luckily I’m in a place financially where I can afford to do this without unemployment assistance, which is an entirely different blog post .

Education

There are so many things that I wish I could learn, but with a full-time job as a marketing leader I really just didn’t have the time to learn certain things in-depth. This summer I’m hoping to learn about and work more on…

• WordPress plugin development
• Email template development
• Vue / React
• AI and the ChatGPT API

These are a couple of skills that are really supplementing some of my side projects and will really help me get them off the ground.

Personal Side Projects

I have a lot of side projects, hobbies, and interests. In addition to working on my website, creating interactive marketing tools, and creating art I’ve been working on a couple of really interesting things.

WP AI

I am currently working on a WordPress plugin that integrates with ChatGPT and takes care of a lot of the miscellaneous grunt work associated with producing content online. Content ideation, categorization, dissemination, etc.

I will post more on this as I develop the WordPress plugin.

SaaSy Mail

This is my biggest and most secretive side project that involves email marketing. I’ll post more about this in the coming months.

Portuguese Citizenship

Instead of proclaiming “I’m moving to Canada” when Trump gets elected like most liberals, I want to secure a second passport in case America really does take a turn for the worse.

Art

Many people know that I do art, but up until now, most people have never seen any of my art. This is in large part because I’ve never made the effort to digitize it and place it on my website.

One big initiative I have for myself this summer is to digitize my art, put it on my website, and enter my business card art series into a solo competition or two in the fall.

Friends & Family

Over the past 15 years, I’ve really pushed myself to excel, have spent the majority of my time “hustling”, and have seriously neglected my friendships, relationships with extended family, and my social life in general.

I’m not unique in this respect. I’ve read about other men my age experiencing a “loneliness epidemic”. This summer I’m going to be trying to work on this aspect of my life, and not just wallow in self-pity.

Travel

This summer I’m scheduled to go to Costa Rica for a bachelor(ette) party, Sonoma for my cousin’s wedding, and Utah for my good high school friend’s wedding. I’m excited to travel a bit for pleasure and NOT for travel.