Advice to my friends: do not tempt God--or fate if you prefer--by proclaiming your hankering to strike out on your own, if you are not, in fact, ready to be laid off from your current job. Not this year. 

My last day with my former employer was Friday, January 9. Eleven-and-a-half years of mostly satisfying work has come to an end. One door closes... as they say. 

One could wish the economy were a bit friendlier. But then I don't think I would have been laid of if it were. (At least for the sake of my confidence and feeling of self worth, that's the story I'm sticking with!) 

Except for these past 11+ years, I've always been an entrepreneur and that is where I'm heading again now. I'll take on what clients I can find in my field: graphic design, brand management and general marketing. But my real dream is to head out into what passes for the frontier these days: cyber business. I'm not ready to talk about the details, but that is the beauty of this serial medium--more revelations and ruminations as time passes. And hopefully, you will all stick with me as I do.

Because, what I will miss from my former life, is the day-to-day interactions with colleagues who have become friends. Even before the lay-off, I had been making New Years lists of people with whom I'd lost touch and intended to call or write. I've never been good at that. It takes great effort and life gets so busy. This blog is one attempt at staying in touch. My hope is that through it and Facebook and Linkedin and my own personal outreach, the huge network of people I call my friends, whether from work or other spheres, will remain in my life. 

So please do subscribe to this blog. I don't think you need to become a member yourself to receive email notices when new postings are up. In fact, for those on Facebook, the blog can be seen within my Facebook page. Just click on the tab at the top of my profile page there.