New Year's Eve - Seriously

It is the end of the fiscal year at my company. This is a good and a bad thing. Let's get the crummy part over first:

1. I may or may not have reached certain goals.
2. I still have soo many ideas I did not get to complete.
3. The economy is crap, so I seriously doubt more money will be coming in.

Okay - now for the good stuff:

1. NOW- I can implement a plan that makes total sense.
2. I like our new strategy, and hope I will have the chance to give it a try.
3. My territory is changing - again.

I realize this is probably very boring to the vast majority of you, but KNOW this - with a clean slate, I will be in a much better mood and will have more quality posts! :-)

In my world - I am entering the Start! Heart Walk season. Every summer/fall, the American Heart Association has this HUGE celebratory event that raises funds for the organization. This money TRULY goes back into the hospitals for research and education for the community.

With that being said, my territory is a large one (All the way from Johnson City/Bristol, TN down to Pensacola, FL.) That's a LOT of Start! Heart Walks.

What does that mean for the Marketing/Communications Director? That means booking tons of radio and tv shows, writing numerous magazine articles, placing 1/2 a dozen billboards, designing print ads, prepping spokespeople, media tours, chairmen press releases, letters to the editor, pitching feature stories about life style change to the health reporters, taping and producing PSAs about the Start! program, editing scripts, approving logo/branding compliance... etc.. etc.. etc...

It is a busy time of year. But, by the end of September, I get to breathe a little easier until January. There are still plenty of events, just they are a little different. The walks draw thousands of people, that's a lot of maneuvering for the media. Imagine trying to run from the Live truck from the TV station with a spokes person to the live remote going on with the radio station, to the "talent/tv/radio personalities" on stage to asking the guy with the really big camera if he is with such and such publication - to dropping by my media sponsor's booths, making sure they are "feeling the love" to trying to stay cool in the HOT southern summer weather.

I am a department of one - did I mention that??

Last year, I elected my husband and his friend from Egypt to accompany me to the walk, and volunteer as my assistants. Guess what that day happened to be? The first day of Ramadan. Which means - the first day of the fast. Needless to say, my hubby did not fair well in the heat. And when these guys fast - I mean - they don't even drink a drop of water.

C'est la vie.