Every stone is a step...

I produced books for an architectural firm for 6 years...  
I learned that every business has its own language and culture. I learned that a building is more about the people inside and a building's contribution to the community both visually and functionally than it is about bricks and mortar. I learned that building something has a lot to do with listening.

I went to school for 9 years...
I learned that I just have to know what I don't know, and how important common sense and resourcefulness were going to be in my life. I learned that there are some people who are in it for themselves, and others who really do care about others.

I published the first book for someone else...
I learned that a book is more than ink on a page, that to complete a book takes more than one person alone, and that publishing is the truest test of marketing there is.

I worked as a waitress for 15 years...
I learned sales, customer service, wine, listening, the difference between appreciation and gratitude, and that every plate has a history and every guest has a story.

I worked for an ad agency for 8 years...
I learned that people can be divas about their work. I learned that true creative geniuses are born that way, and they see the world from a completely different perspective, and that balancing creativity with common sense is important. I learned that the fax machine took the approval/rejection process from 2 days to about 5 minutes.

I worked for a non-profit publishing company for 9 years...
I learned that independent publishers are spirited, creative, passionate; they are the ones that want to change the world. I learned that publishing is collaborative, cooperative and one of the only businesses where a direct competitor is the first person I call. I learned what email was, and as a result, I could have a worldwide network of other publishers who had "been there, done that."

I published the second and third indie books...
I learned that authors sometimes work for 10 to 15 years on a book they have been dreaming of for 30. I learned that demographics are not as important as psychographics in marketing books. I learned what an awesome responsibility it is to be a surrogate for another person's dreams, as well as how fun and rewarding it can be.

I worked for a dot.com for 3 years (that's actually 10 in dot.com years)...
I learned that I can be motivated and inspired by hard-working, talented coworkers and leaders. I learned how to call upon my inner resourcefulness to get the impossible done. I learned how to present my case and how to tackle an overwhelming number of tasks for a project.

I worked for a custom jewelry company for 3 years...
I learned that everything is negotiable in advertising. I learned that competition for the ring finger is much more death-defying than the competition for a reader's commitment of a few dollars, a few hours, and some change in thinking.

Publishing recruited me, for good...
I love how publishers and authors can work together for the greater good. I learned that when someone decides to self publish, it is a commitment to the author's dreams, a solid contract with a reader, and an absolutely mind-boggling algorithm of marketing challenges.  I learned that everyone has a story. I learned that most publishers, whether traditional, micro, self, niche or independent are fair-minded people. I learned how to set realistic goals and how to help others do the same.  I learned how most independent publishers support one another in solidarity to create books that provide value to their buyers while they entertain, educate or inform their readers.

Each stone in my career path, while they often overlapped one another, has led me to the knowledge that we are all part of something bigger and what we do affects others. 

Write something that can change someone, make them think, or entertain them for a moment or two.