Pick These Two If You Want Quality Work
November 7, 2018
To all those who got a day off work in the U.S., Happy post-Labor Day! Although if you’re an entrepreneur, solopreneur, or small business owner like myself, maybe you didn’t have Labor Day.
Either way, most of us are back in the thick of work today. So I hope it’s been an easy transition back.
Over the past few days, you may have seen a social media dust-up about someone who tried to shame actor Geoffrey Owens, most known for his role on The Cosby Show. Someone snapped photos of him working at Trader Joe’s in New Jersey, as if to say, wow, look how far he’s fallen.
What happened next was remarkable and heartening.
I saw so many people on Twitter come to Owens’s defense, like this tweet of a random act of kindness Owens and his wife did for a then college student.
Other famous actors opened up about their day jobs, like Mike Colter who was on the TV show The Good Wife, but he had to wait tables to make ends meet. Even the actors’ union, SAG-AFTRA, tweeted support for Owens and many other creatives like him.
This morning, Owens spoke out on Good Morning America, and it really warmed my heart (the video is about five minutes and worth your time). I loved that he was wearing his Trader Joe’s name tag.
Owens was definitely at first hurt by the attempt to shame him, but when so many people came to his defense, he didn’t have much time to feel ashamed.
There’s no job better than another…every job is worthwhile…
Lately, it seems like that some people have been pursuing the appearances of affluence. They want to work jobs that pay better or have a better cachet than being a cashier at Trader Joe’s.
And interesting sidenote: working at Trader Joe’s can afford you $22/hour wage plus full benefits. Not bad, right? And this company seem to want to support creatives such as Owens. The decent pay plus the flexible hours made this job an attractive option for him.
ETA: just learned that Owens had to quit his job because of all the attention he was receiving.
This story that’s unfolded for the past few days has made think of how we look down on some jobs while venerating others. I need to unlearn and relearn this truth: there’s truly no shame in doing work that can support yourself and your family.
Whatever we do, it’s typically to help make someone’s life easier–whether we provide a service or product. And that makes work really meaningful, how interconnected we are through our work.
I also feel a little better about the state of humanity. We can come together to support each other when we’re attacked. We can share our stories about our journeys which can enlighten and encourage.
As a writer and editor, that’s something I strive to accomplish in my client I work. I tell those stories that can connect with their prospective and current clients. The stories that businesses tell the world can make a valuable impact — even beyond dollars and cents.
If you’re struggling to get back into the groove of work this week, know your work really does matter.
And if you need help connecting with your ideal audience through the power of story, let’s connect soon. I want to help!
