Pink plus or minus.

The Journey Never Ends

I never imagined that after traveling through 23 states, meeting leaders in business and marketing along the way and finally settling for a spell in Denver that the destination at the end of this road would be Westport, WA. Looks like the journey rolls on, but this time we’re trading in the Jeep for a boat.

For the 99 percent of you who don’t know where Westport is, it’s a small fishing town on the coast of the Olympic Peninsula. After we move there next week the population will be 2,137.

We’ve always lived in urban areas. It’s rather dictated by our chosen profession. This is something COMPLETELY different.

For those who know me well, you know I like to often quote one of my all-time favorite movies from the 80s, Say Anything. A romantic comedy chronicling the love interests of two unlikely teenagers: Diane Court, the beautiful valedictorian with a scholarship to study in England and Lloyd Dobler, the awkward but lovable under-achiever whose aspirations extend as far as kickboxing.

At the end of the film, they are on an airplane, headed to London. Diane looks over at Lloyd and says: “Nobody thinks this is going to work. Everyone thinks we’re crazy.” To which Lloyd replies: “You just described every great success story.”

That sentiment fuels many of the choices we make in our personal and professional lives. It’s what inspired us to test the boundaries of the mobile office this summer and live in our Jeep for four months. It’s what landed us in Denver, where I had the amazing opportunity to work with some fantastic people. Not to play favorites, but if you are ever in need of a Denver area Advertising and Public Relations shop, you have to contact Weise Communications. Simply put, they get it.

I also got to work with Sandy Puc’ whose frenetic pace brings new meaning to entrepreneurship. The best question to ask her isn’t “What are you doing.” Rather, it’s “what AREN’T you doing.” More often than not, what she isn’t doing includes sleeping.

So, why Westport?

Is it cliche to say there was an offer I just couldn’t refuse?

After nearly four years in business, and a lifetime of memories, I am turning over the reins of Happonen Communications exclusively to Johannes to run as a multimedia shop. Turns out, I have a job.

More details to come, but in a nutshell I will be working to help give voice to the fisheries and the fishermen who must strike a balance between building sustainable practices (which is in everyone’s best interest) with maintaining a means of making a living. A former client, I have learned a great deal from these hard-working, smart, inventive people. It’s more than a job. It’s a way of life. And the entire culture and livelihood of our coastal towns are in jeopardy if we don’t find a means to attain intelligent sustainable practices.

But what sealed the deal is that they told me I could drive a forklift.

Not quite as cool as a Zamboni, but close.

We leave tomorrow (weather permitting).

And Pink Plus or Minus just got a new focus as I learn how to live and breath fishing and politics along with marketing and PR. As my husband the fly-fisherman would say, “It’s time to think like a fish.”

In the meanwhile, if you need any multimedia work done…from video to web development….Johannes will be running the shop from the beach. And if you find yourself near Westport, look us up and we’ll get you connected to some of the most epic deep-sea fishing expeditions imaginable.