This is me, manning the Floricane table at The Greater Richmond Chamber's Schmooza Palooza event.
My first day at Floricane I was nervous. I was anxious. I was scared. I had not started a new job in over four years. It was like the first day of school. You remember the feeling -- Will they like me? Am I wearing the right clothes? Will anyone speak to me at all?
I walked in the door past the security guards, escorted by Floricane’s marketing coordinator Caroline Moyer, and made my way back to the collaborative business spaces of 1E, located in the Richmond Times-Dispatch building.
When I arrived I felt more than welcome with signs and (even better) doughnuts dedicated to my arrival. I was shown to my desk and I had a seat, taking it all in.
Floricane hired me as their new administrative coordinator in early April. In this role, I am responsible for daily office life and consultant support. I clean, I copy and I type. Although those may be my general job tasks there is also an intuitive aspect to my job. I am here to anticipate needs, offer support and to deliver whatever may be necessary to the day or task.
First up was orientation. I met everyone on the Floricane Team and business partners that share the 1E space. I had a walking tour of the Times-Dispatch. I was more than eager. Since I was young I always loved reading, which eventually turned into a passion for writing. I worked on school newspapers from junior high into college. I was very close to becoming a journalism major but instead I took the creative writing route.
After the tour I was given a tutorial of all that was expected from me and an agenda for the next couple of weeks. We started the following day with what would be our weekly team meeting. The first few days I would sit in as an observer. I wanted to familiarize myself with the way of conversation, the clients and the work that Floricane offered its clients.
I would soon learn that Floricane was not only a team of coaches and consultants but that they are also actively engaged in the local community. Community is something that is very important to me. I have always said or thought that if I had unlimited wealth I would volunteer my time all the time and, slightly unrelated, start a magazine.
The first event I would attend on Floricane’s behalf would be the HYPE 804UM put on by the Greater Richmond Chamber of Commerce. The HYPE (Helping Young Professionals Engage) event was held at the Science Museum and consisted or speakers engaging in topics about arts culture and community. I had the opportunity to meet other like-minded young professionals who were also concerned with how to make an impact on their local community and economy.
The next event I attended was Schmooza Palooza, an annual event organized by the Greater Richmond Chamber. This was an outside event where companies set up tables under tents in Innsbrook and interested parties could peruse and talk with representatives from those companies. Caroline and I were there to market Floricane and inform others of what we do in the field and office. I had a lot of fun walking around, enjoying the catered food and drinks -- and even took a ride on a carnival-style swing ride.
The Schmooza event cemented my feelings about Floricane. I was now a proud member of a close network of people that wanted to see Richmond improve one organization at a time. I was part of a team that wanted to take what Richmond had offered them and to turn that around and offer something back to the community in the means of leadership consultation, coaching and strategic facilitation.
Since then I have focused on getting to know the team more personally as well as having the opportunity to find out more about myself. Through our Insights Discovery workshop I have learned more about my personal preferences and behaviors, both positive and negative. My continuing goal is to keep my eyes and ears open, and to learn all that Floricane has to teach me. I’ll take that experience and combine it with all that I have already acquired and make a small difference, impact in my city, Richmond, Virginia.