Author: khartline

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We live in a bubble…and I love it!

khartline

A few years ago, I sat across the table from a London colleague who said with great passion, “You all live in a f*cking bubble in San Francisco,” and I agreed with him.

in a bubbleI fell in love with the beauty of San Francisco the first time I visited in October 2007. I was only in town for 4 days, but before I was boarding the plane back to Madison, WI, I had decided I was moving to the West coast. Just 6 months later, I sold all my furniture, packed my car, and drove across the U.S. to my new home. My love for the city continued to grow as I experienced the sites, parks, food, wine, and special events calendar that never fails to offer something for everyone. I also enjoyed getting messages from friends all over the world saying they were coming to SF to visit and wanted to hang out. No one ever visited Madison, WI.

So let’s get back to this bubble comment…

It was February 2008. We were in the middle of a major economic crisis. People were losing jobs and it wasn’t pretty. I had only been in the Bay area for less than a year and wasn’t making much myself. It was a stressful and depressing time for most.

When my colleague mentioned the bubble, he may have been referencing the ‘tech bubble’ we are familiar with. But that’s not the bubble I love. While it’s been exciting to see technology bloom over the past few years from the heart of the industry, I’m more impressed with the people BEHIND the technology everyone uses; the entrepreneurs.

Let’s be honest…San Francisco is NOT a cheap city to live in. Cost-of-living is a lot higher and I often can’t believe I pay more for my rent than most friends pay for their mortgages in other cities across the country. But there’s a reason people live here and continue to move here. The entrepreneur spirit that creates the bubble around the Bay area. This spirit is one of passion…creation…dedication, and not one that’s only focused on money.

So yes, I truly believe we live in a bubble in this city I, and many others, love so much. There’s plenty of room in the bubble and it isn’t just for tech. It’s an Equal Opportunity Bubble that embraces art, health, food, wine, environment, and all shapes and colors.

Are you passionate? Creative? Dedicated? You have an open invite into the bubble…
*Cheers,

Deep Thoughts

My 2013 #Themeword is Balance

khartline

It’s that time of year again…the time when we reflect on the past year and look forward to what’s to come in the brand new shiny year ahead of us. We talk about what we learned from the previous 365 days while setting goals to improve ourselves.

A few years ago, some friends decided to select a personal #Themeword each year instead of a resolution. A word to give us hope and remind us of what we think is important to focus on. My themeword from 2012 was Passionate and while I didn’t remind myself of this word throughout the year, I do believe it was an theme in many areas of my life. Truth be told, I couldn’t even remember what my word was until today when I tried to remember what it was.

I believe that I’m at a place in my life now where I am passionate about what I’m doing in life. This has been a constant reminder for me over the past few years as I hope everyone can always be passionate about what they are doing in life. If you can make money while doing your passion, that’s a freaking bonus! Bottom line…love what you’re doing and if you’re not loving it, then move on to something else.

This past year has been one of highs and lows and includes starting an event production company that has been very successful. I’m creating the business and life that I’m passionate about and it’s an amazing place to be. I’ve worked hard to get to this point and look forward to what 2013 has in store for me.

balancingSo why “balance” for my themeword this year? As I’ve started the business, I’ve really focused on making sure that I have a good work/life balance and am making sure that I’m keeping myself as a top priority. But more than work/life balance, I really want to work on things like fitness, eating healthy, staying educated, and challenging myself. This is quite a list and will definitely require balance of my schedule, my thoughts, and my intentions in order to enhance the life I want to live.

Here’s to a year full of balance!

*Cheers,