If you want a dream job, then create it
When Michelle Kempton started running, she had no idea that she'd ever leave her tech job to make a career out of the sport.
As I toured the global headquarters of Brooks Running in Seattle, I asked myself: “How did I score this gig?”
In only a few short years, my relationship with the company changed significantly from being a consumer to joining their marketing team. When I discovered bras by Moving Comfort (a division of Brooks Running), I sent an enthusiastic email suggesting I become a bounce tester. To my surprise, they thought it would be a fabulous idea. Soon after, a shipment of their running bras arrived at my house. I’ve been organizing bra interventions across Nova Scotia ever since.
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Our relationship has continued to grow: I’ve volunteered on projects and visited their office in Toronto. When I became a race director, I approached Brooks Running about becoming a sponsor for Maritime Race Weekend. Again, they were eager to partner and even though I’m a middle-of-the-pack runner, they asked me to become a brand ambassador. These partnerships didn’t involve personal financial gain. Instead, I was compensated with running gear – a currency for a runner.
There’s a myth that road races receive huge sponsorship dollars, have low expenses and that their race directors make big salaries. That may be true for some events, but not for Maritime Race Weekend. If we make a profit, it goes back to our community. I don’t own Maritime Race Weekend. Rather, I’m a paid employee that answers to a board of directors for the not-for-profit association. I make half the salary that I would if I were in the for-profit sector and most of what I do in the running community is volunteer. It’s a decision that I made. It’s also the direction that I wanted for my career and lifestyle. I’m fortunate to have a husband who encourages and supports my community work.
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Your career is always evolving. This winter, I decided to look for a second job. My first call was to Brooks Running. Unfortunately, there wasn’t any job openings but I suggested if they needed help with social media, that I’d be interested. About a month later, they created a position for me on their marketing team. I started the next day.
When I became a runner eight years ago, I would have never predicted that I would completely abandon my successful tech industry career and never look back. I’m glad that I did. I’m proof that if you want a dream job, then you can create it.
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