June was not eventful. July was full of fireworks. Just not real ones. Maybe a few real ones. The theatrics missing in June were simply resting up for July. To summarize, I went to Duluth with my boyfriend, I quit my part-time job, my boyfriend moved in and I got to take some of my first shots of airplanes. Whew. Let’s get started, shall we?

DULUTH
This trip gave me a chance to spend time doing landscape and nature photography. I have a hard time doing that anymore because I’m normally so wrapped up in weddings and portraits and stuff that it can be hard to find time to get out. Duluth and the surrounding areas are absolutely gorgeous, so there was no shortage of beautiful things to photograph. We celebrated Glenn’s birthday with his family since we were all in quarantine over his actual birthday. We hiked some of the local trails (Amity Creek) and I finally got to go to Gooseberry Falls which did not disappoint. It was an incredible 5 days. I will write more about it in a Trip Report.

RED SWINGLINE TO THE RESCUE
I came back from vacation and felt like everything was right in life. I liked both of my jobs, I’m happy in all of my relationships, and I’d just gotten back from a really relaxing vacation. When I asked, “What could go wrong?” life said, “Allow me.” I made a couple of mistakes at the hotel in the two days after returning. Normally when you make a mistake, the correct way to handle it is to point it out and let it go. My manager took a different route, that is, he ripped me a new one, threatened to cut my hours if I kept “screwing everything up” and complained that I’m always “screwing everything up.” Normally, I would call out this behavior, however, I was not the first employee he had ridiculed and shamed since I had been there. I was the third. This on top of the constant micromanaging made it very clear that I needed to get out. There is never an excuse for treating someone like this, and I’ve seen enough toxic work environments to know when I need to jet. So, after two days back at work, I was done. When I sat down at my desk the day I resigned, I saw my red Swingline, reminding me, again, that work can be enjoyable, and should be enjoyable.

There is a right way to correct mistakes which empowers employees. You can correct a mistake while treating people with dignity and respect. I make mistakes at my job all the time. We all do. We correct them and learn. It doesn’t always mean you need to be retrained or have it explained to you again, something that was a normal occurrence at the hotel. To regularly suggest and assume that your employee doesn’t recognize the mistake and can’t correct it themselves is degrading. While writing this blog, I accidentally saved over it on my other device, lost half the post, and here I am rewriting it. Do I need to spend time learning how to write, save and post a blog? No. It’s not that big of a deal. If shame and micromanagement are your management style, you are not fit to be a manager. If this is how you roll, don’t complain about high turnover, because it’s true what they say: people don’t leave jobs, they leave managers.

Also, word to the wise: never micromanage an entrepreneur.

NEW OFFICE MATE
I have a new office mate and it’s not a cat! It’s my boyfriend. He moved in last weekend and he’s created a cozy little setup on the other side of the apartment. I’ve always loved our coffeehouse work parties where we just sit and work together. Now we’ve brought the party home. I look forward to days when he works from home, and I get to share the workday with him.

AIRPLANES!
I have been wanting to photograph airplanes for a while now and I finally got the chance. I talked to my friend Christa at Hap’s and she let me roam around the ramp and take photos of her planes. I would really love the opportunity to do more creative work in aviation in addition to getting my CFI. How sexy is that trim wheel (second to last)?

Overall, I would say July was a good month. I think the highlight was finally acting on a lesson I’ve learned over and over and over: Don’t give everything for a job that gives you little more than a paycheck. I learned that in terms of non-career-path jobs, I’m better off working for myself, and that’s okay. I learned that general aviation airports are my happy place, my haven, my sanctuary. I was reminded that support from your people is everything. How we spend our days is how we spend our lives, and we owe it to ourselves, where we can, to make it count.