For many people, change is scary. It means abandoning the familiar for things foreign and unknown, a notion wholly overwhelming for some. The idea of disrupting the routine of a normal day to start on a new path is met with apprehension and anxiety. In general, I consider myself a person of this type. For me, change is something that takes a while to get used to and generally evokes initial feelings of nervousness and uncertainty. I was surprised, then, to find that I had such the opposite reaction when I made the choice to become a Challenge Detroit Fellow. Instead of the typical feeling of butterflies in the stomach, excitement and an immense eagerness to start anew was all I felt. What was so different about this situation that my typical emotions of change were absent? I’m almost a month in to my time as a Fellow at Challenge Detroit and a Sales Associate at WYCD and am starting to garner a pretty good idea of why this change was such a welcome one. A look at a few of Challenge Detroit’s pillars really helps bring in to focus the reasons why this has been such a comfortable transition for me.
Live: the chance to return home and live in a city that hosted so many fond childhood memories
Michigan is my home state. I grew up and attended college in Ann Arbor, but moved to Madison, Wisconsin to pursue my first career opportunity. My childhood, though, was highlighted by memories of Detroit: school trips to the D.I.A., Tigers’ games with Dad, lunch at Lafayette Coney Island, shows and concerts at one of the many venues in the city. Though these memories were formed in the perspective of a suburbanite, the opportunity to relocate to a historic city that evoked so many fond thoughts was a huge draw for me when deciding to become a Fellow with Challenge Detroit. Almost a month in and Detroit has not disappointed. I live on the western edge of Lafayette Park, an easy walk to the many restaurants, stores, and entertainment venues that downtown has to provide. Each day presents an opportunity to explore an unfamiliar place, meet a new neighbor, or discover a distinct characteristic of my new home. I wake up each morning knowing that I am living in a place where innovation is happening around the clock, where people are committed to making a difference and bettering the world around them, where there is always a hand to reach out when you need it. These are just a few of the things that make Detroit unique, there are many more that I have yet to experience. I’ve only scratched the surface. There is still so much for me to discover, because the city has so much more to provide. Seemingly endless bundles of originality, excitement, imagination, and invention lie ahead in Detroit……and that might just be the best part about living here.
Work: the chance to work at WYCD as a Sales Associate with CBS Radio in Detroit
My degree is in Philosophy. I used to get asked all the time what I planned to do with this and the only response I could come up with was “Well….I’m really good at thinking.” Good answer, right? Plato would be proud. It goes without saying, then, that I have no previous experience in either radio or sales. Yet, here I find myself…a Sales Associate at the highest rated radio station in Detroit. At home in a brand new city and at work not just at a brand new company, but in a brand new industry. Nerve-wracking, right? That was my initial thought as well, until I stepped into the WYCD offices for the first time. The sense of community at CBS is fantastic. I’ve been incredibly impressed by how willing everyone is to answer my questions, introduce themselves, and just generally help the new guy in any way they can. I have so many great resources here, people eager to share their knowledge of both radio sales as well as the Detroit business community as a whole. At first I didn’t quite connect the dots when it came to how my work at CBS would have a positive impact on the business and community landscape in Detroit, but it has now become abundantly clear: the work that the CBS Radio sales force does drives business in the city and surrounding area by activating consumers and leading them through the doors of a wide variety of local businesses. In short, the work my colleagues do sets Detroit business owners up for success. I am both grateful and eager to be able to interact with and learn from these people over the course of the next year.
Play/Lead: the chance to collaborate with and get to know some of the most talented people I have ever had the pleasure of meeting, the other 31 Challenge Detroit Fellows
The goal of Challenge Detroit is to attract and retain some of the best and brightest innovative thinkers to the city of Detroit to live, work, play, give, and lead in the city and surrounding area. I have barely been part of this program for a month and I can already resoundingly say that Challenge Detroit has succeeded in this goal in a huge way. The peers I have the honor to work with this year are some of the most creative, innovative, passionate people I have ever come in contact with. The backgrounds from which they come are uncommonly diverse. More importantly, though, the dedication they bring to bettering both themselves and the community around them is unrivaled. Above all else, however, they are just great people; people any person would be lucky to meet, let alone work with for an entire year. Perhaps you’ll accuse me of overstating things, but this is just how strongly I feel about the individuals I now call colleagues and the dedication we will all bring to enhancing the already distinguished foundation upon which Detroit has been built. Don’t believe me? Watch this space; you’ll be convinced before too long.
In short, change is never easy; we almost always prefer to stay where we are most comfortable. Change can be managed though, and it comes about much more painlessly when it involves an exciting new home, a valuable new job, and a group of amazing people to share the experience with. In other words, change is a hell of a lot easier when it means being a Challenge Detroit Fellow.
Until next time,
Max