Transitions are Difficult, But Inevitable. Learn to Embrace Change.

In 2015 I experienced a professional transition I quit my nonprofit job as a college access counselortrainer to pursue a career in the corporate space In June of that year I joined NCC Media a cable company owned by the three largest cable providers Comcast Spectrum Reachand Cox Media I didn39t have a clue what NCC Media did and or how they did it but ultimately I was hired to train sales coordinators on how to do their job So I entered into the lion39s den of the TV industry and learned everything I could Pulsing and posting underdelivery what an actual spot meant etc As a television fan it was exhilarating to learn about the business from the other side of the screen I was no longer just judging the advertisements that I saw on the level of creativity or if they spoke to me I was beginning to time how long they lasted Was that a 15 or a 30second spot Why did I see ads for Sonic when the closest Sonic was two states over I began to question the logic for how and why brands advertised the way they did The leap of faith I took taking this job and accepting this transition was already paying offThree years later as I was beginning to hit my stride as the sales trainer our company experienced a transformational shift The company was getting a fullon makeover In what felt like the blink of an eye we had a new CEO with a brand new executive team now 50 female versus the previous allmale team and a new name We were now Ampersand To help inform the industry on who we were and where we were heading I transitioned from being the training specialist to the marketing operations manager So again it was time to learn a new team new leadership new processes and fresh skillsets It was as if not only NCC was rebranding but I as well On top of that Ampersand was built as the primary force in an increasingly transitioning and evolving TV industryI was excited about the big changes I was experiencing in my professional career but little did I know a few months into my new role I would be preparing for yet another transition motherhood The following spring I found out I was pregnant Needless to say I waddled through most of 2019 working with my team on the company39s rebrand from NCC Media to Ampersand an exciting project that taught me a lot The year was ending we were firmly Ampersand I had solid footing in my new role and I had had my beautiful baby boy So now it was time for a break from transitions rightOn the exact day my maternity ended midMarch of 2020 lockdown began I was looking forward to enjoying our new office as well as playdates with my friends and their little ones Unfortunately the world changed in an instant We had to learn how to operate in a new and strange way And working in television we had to also pivot the way we represented viewership habits as more and more people were home watching television All at once All with a newborn My professional and personal life required me to reassess how to transition in a healthy wayThere are many different ways to navigate the changing landscape of life I chose these methodsPrioritize your mental health Mental health wealth is a hackneyed phrase but it doesn39t make it any less true I found strength and clarity by beginning to go to therapy on a more frequent basisFinding my tribe I made sure to connect and stay connected to friends family and coworkers who helped me get through all of the changes I was experiencing This tribe of trusted individuals acted as my mentors shoulders to cry on babysitters and personal cheerleaders It was important that I had this type of connection both personally and professionallyExtend grace I understood with the help of my therapists and tribe that it39s important to extend grace to yourself and others These past couple of years have been challenging and we39re not perfect Mistakes will happen mishaps will occur and bad days are inevitable We all deserve space to regroup so that we can do betterTransitions are never easy but they are inevitable To move forward in this industry and in life one must embrace change and not let fear of failure drag you downThis column was written by Asha Atkins Marketing Operations Manager at Ampersand pictured at rightClick the social buttons to share this story with colleagues and friendsThe opinions expressed here are the author39s views and do not necessarily represent the views of MediaVillagecomMyersBizNet

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Transitions are Difficult, But Inevitable. Learn to Embrace Change.

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