Busy, Interesting, Challenging, Fun Days

As I typed the title of this post, my fingers got a bit carried away and "fun" became "fund." Interesting because the intent of this update is to chat about that very subject.

Raising funds can be fun. And not.

For the past four years, I've been looking for what would be my new career path. Politics didn't quite work out for me. Big nonprofits didn't want me. Emerging or smaller nonprofits did, but couldn't pay me.

That's when massage school seemed as reasonable an option as any other!

Last Friday, the state of Texas finally got around to sending me my license. So now, I'm officially an LMT. I'm also the "community manager" for a breast cancer organization, a strategist for a health and human services collaborative, a mentor for fashion social enterprise benefitting Uganda school children, a consultant for another fashion forward group benefitting vulnerable women and a storyteller for one of my former employers.

So, yes, I'm legal, but no, I'm not making a living as a massage therapist.

I have a few clients who check in with me every other month or so. I barter services with my hair stylist. And I still give birthday massages. That's about it. Frankly, that's about all I could do. (Please see previous list of other jobs for the reason why my massage is limited.)

However, the day I got that license, I had somewhat of an epiphany.

I've realized the dream of several months ago when I paid the downpayment on that class.

I'm doing a variety of things that I love to do, paying off a few debts I incurred as I took the risk, and beginning to breathe a bit easier when I want to purchase the "good" cheese in the market rather than the WIC approved label I had frugally been adding to my shopping basket.

Not quite as good as a massage but definitely an ahhhhhhhh moment.

My business card doesn't say all of the above on it. I simply state that I'm "helping caring people realize their passions." If you want to know more or keep up with the professional side of my life, check out www.karencampbell.posterous.com.