Today is my 4 year old son’s last day at preschool. The 2 bottles of champagne are thank you gifts for his teachers…The bourbon is for me.
I don’t need a drink because he’s done with school. I need a drink because in 10 days he will be starting ‘real’, as in 6 hours a day/5 days a week, school and after almost a decade out of the work force, it’s time for me to get serious about thinking about what I want to do next.
This isn’t the first time I have thought about this….
A year ago I bought a url for a business idea I had about doing consulting work for local small businesses. Last month I received the renewal notice after not doing a damn thing with it for the past year.
Three months ago I put together a 3-month plan about how I was going to use the kids’ summer break to get organized and brush up on the industry and try to catch up on everything I have missed in the past nine years. Summer break is over in one week. I’ve vastly improved my knowledge about the various battle types in Pokemon, but I’m not quite sure that’s resume worthy.
So last night, at 11:35 pm, it came to me while brushing my teeth: What better way to research the new online and marketing landscape for small businesses than trying to create and promote my own site about starting over after a decade of staying at home with two kids.
By the time I finished brushing my teeth, I was pretty excited. I started brainstorming potential site names. Having spent over 10 years in advertising, I knew that selecting a name is a big decision not to be taken lightly. You should take time to consider all of your options, and certainly a focus group would be in order.
After extensive consideration, (approximately 5 minutes), the name “The Dusty Parachute” came to me (mostly because everything with ‘mom’ in the name was a already taken.) I conducted my focus group by leaning over my sleeping husband and asking, “Hey, what do you think of ‘The Dusty Parachute?” He responded with a primitive grunt, and ‘Whaaaa?” and then swatted a hand in my general direction before promptly falling back asleep. Clearly I would have to play the part of my own focus group.
I provided myself with valuable feedback such as, “It sounds a little like a geriatric porn name” and ”It sounds like how you would refer to your diaphragm if you haven’t had much action lately”. Now try to get those images out of your head while I move to the real heart of the name.
The fact is, my ‘parachutes’ are dusty: My career’s, “What Color Is Your Parachute?” one, and the one from Gymboree circle-time, back when my kids needed my full-time, undivided attention.
It’s time to dust them both off: One to donate to the next new mom out there and one to figure out the next chapter of my life.
Once upon a time, Susanne was a Senior Account Director at an advertising agency working for two of the top brands in the world. Nine years ago she traded in her corporate life for a life as a stay at home mom, raising two of the best kids in the world. She started her blog, The Dusty Parachute as a way to dust off her online advertising skills and begin her job search. Instead, she now uses it as a way to spend lots of time on the computer so her kids think that mommy has a job.
Susanne’s essays have been featured in Scary Mommy, BonBon Break and Redbook and she is also a contributor in the upcoming books, It’s Really 10 Months, Special Delivery and Martinis & Motherhood – Tales of Wonder Woe & WTF?! You can follow her on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.
Be sure to follow me on Facebook & Twitter and check out my 'Photos' tab for a sample of my Instagram feed. It's where I post my tasteful nudes (made you look!);)
xo - Susanne
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I love how you came up with the name and I think your husband sounds a lot like mine (who is currently sleeping next to me on the couch while forcing me to watch Cops).
I LOVE this and how your name and blog came to be! Whatever happened to that business idea?!
The blog was called “The Not So Secret Shopper” – I focused on things that some of my favorite small businesses could do (easily) to help improve their online (and offline) marketing efforts. I did a few posts but then The Dusty Parachute started to take off and I had to pick a favorite child. Unfortunately, in its state of neglect, that blog got hacked and taken down and I ended up not renewing it. That being said, I’m now doing freelance work for an ad agency and LOVE it, and even get paid for it, so it all worked out in the end. 🙂
I like that your blog name doesn’t have anything about being a mom in it. You know, like mine. 😉
Happy Blogiversary!
Oh, my GOD! I never did a focus group! You are so right – it’s important, but I’m glad you could provide yourself w/ the necessary feedback.
Mothers & anything w/ martinis in the title are also taken.
I have a friend that always accidentally refers to it as “The Dirty Parachute”….I should buy that url too, just in case. 😉