Becoming Iconic

The Door Finally Opened

I am becoming iconic!

Well, I started working at Iconic POS & Print Shop this week as a Customer Success Manager.

After a couple of weeks of anticipation, excitement building up, enthusiasm going through the roof — the first week of work has officially ended.

I went into this new job feeling optimistic about the possibilities this job offers. After a week, the excitement is still there. It turns out the excitement wasn’t just about getting the job. It was about discovering I’d been preparing for exactly this opportunity all along.

Opportunity came knocking, and I opened the door.

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First Impressions

It has often been said not to judge a book by its cover. I kept that in mind as I walked through the doors on my first day. Since Iconic POS had only recently acquired the Circle Creatives print shop, I knew everyone was still figuring things out.

Despite the inevitable first-day jitters, I immediately felt like I belonged there. That’s not a feeling I’ve experienced very often, which made it all the more meaningful. But I couldn’t shake this feeling.

What surprised me was how calm everyone was. I have worked in print shops before where everything was stressful because of tight deadlines. But here, everyone seemed relaxed. It was quite the first impression.

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Learning the Ropes

Of course there is a gigantic learning curve ahead of me. The current employee who was working for Circle Creatives will officially be leaving mid-September, so I have a month to figure out how everything is run from the print-side of the business. Add to that, I also have to learn the various point of sale items for sale — well, it’s quite a lot to learn.

Despite the fact that my new computer wouldn’t be ready for a few days, I was already given an important task for the week: to update the customer lists into one spreadsheet. It’s simple copy and pasting, formatting, and sorting lists alphabetically — real data entry work, but it’s an important step in starting to lay out the various company’s customers list in QuickBooks.

I’ve also been shown how to create a new customer, create an invoice, and accept payment in QuickBooks with their system.

It’s also very exciting to meet the people I’m working with. Though I’m terrible with names, at least I’m good at recognizing faces. I know I’ll get better at it.

There was a lot of information taken in. It feels as if my brain has been trying to install several updates simultaneously. It’s taking a while, but I’m starting to get the hang of it.

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The Preparation Paid Off

I’m really glad I decided to take that LinkedIn Learning course about QuickBooks last week. It made training me on how they do things so much easier as it was still fresh in my mind.

It was also a good idea for me to review some key concepts of the Lean Six Sigma course. I’m seeing in my head what we need to do to keep track of everything. How to organize the system — or rather set up a system that makes sense. Needless to say, it’s made the hamster run at full speed on the wheel… even, at times, in the middle of the night!

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Finding My Place

On the second day, my boss sent me a message that completely made my day.

He told me he loved my website and my writing.

That stopped me in my tracks.

There were so many moments over the past year when I wondered whether all the effort I’d poured into SuperMell was really making a difference.

Suddenly…

I had my answer.

If this lovely website didn’t exist, I don’t know if this job would have worked out for me. All the work I’ve done building this site has officially paid off. I thought I could be a blog writer for the company’s website and submitted an official proposal. My boss loves that idea.

My knowledge about Illustrator is also paying off. One afternoon I showed two of my coworkers a few tricks for vectorizing a JPEG in Illustrator, and they were amazed. There’s also a good chance I’ll be reviewing submitted artwork to determine whether any adjustments are needed before production. That even led to a conversation with the graphic designer about some file preparation suggestions I had after reviewing one of his designs. (Note to self: Design a spec sheet!)

For the first time all week, I felt like I wasn’t just learning.

I was contributing.

I started this job not knowing if there would be much opportunities for me to be creative. Now I know there is a lot of potential for it. As a creative person at heart, it feels so good to be able to flex this muscle.

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Becoming Part of the Team

I wasn’t the only new person there. The Print Services Analyst position started the Wednesday before I did. The company is new to the print production business. The shop is very old and needs some serious updating — another task I’ve been asked to make suggestions about.

It feels genuinely exciting to become part of this new adventure. I feel like Samwise Gamgee, going along on the adventure with a very specific goal initially, but becoming so much more important to the story along the way.

Is SuperMell a team player? You bet! It feels like I’ve been waiting forever for my team of other heroes.

On Friday, I had a meeting at the end of the day with my boss. He told me the back story of the founding of the company, what his short-terms goals are, and asked me for ideas on how to integrate the print shop into their website.

That hamster is going to get in shape in no time!

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What I Didn’t Expect

I didn’t expect the days to go by so quickly. I mean, I worked for five and a half days in a row, and feel like it was all in one day.

It truly is amazing being somewhere that I can learn something new every day. I have always considered myself to be a lifelong learner. But I will say, on this Saturday evening, I am feeling fatigued. It was a huge first week. Filled with so many things to think about. My brain battery is currently at about 5%. I’ll probably sleep in tomorrow.

Everyone has been incredibly supportive as well. On the first day, I was given a key to the business. I’m the first one in the shop in the mornings and tend to open it. There were a lot of times I was left alone while they were out at lunch or meeting with clients. It feels like they really trust me. You have no idea how incredible that feels. Trust is a powerful welcome gift.

Now I have that song from Annie in my head:

I think I’m gonna like it here!

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Diana’s Adjustment Period

When I came home on Monday after my first day of work, Diana seemed a little scared of me. She was acting like she didn’t know who I was. Yeah, I get it, Diana… I won’t be home all day everyday like I have been the past few months.

The biggest adjustment has been discovering that daytime naps are no longer a team activity. Of course, now she’s slow to come and see me when I get home as she’s making up for my missed naps.

I’m sure she’ll adjust accordingly. I was working full time when I got her in the first place.

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The Meaning of Becoming Iconic

Originally I thought “Becoming Iconic” simply meant working for Iconic. I have discovered that it’s so much more than that.

Becoming Iconic meant becoming someone who…

• prepares.
• learns.
• adapts.
• contributes.
• enjoys challenges.

Iconic POS gave me an opportunity. But the growth belongs to me.

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Final Thought: The Next Chapter

Losing my last job wasn’t the end of the story. All I had to do was turn the page.

As I have begun this chapter of my life, I’m so excited at the potential this job has to offer.

Months ago I wondered whether another opportunity would ever come.

Today I’m wondering, “what will I learn next?”

I like that question a lot better.

By the end of the week, I wasn’t walking through the doors wondering if I belonged.

I was walking through them wondering what I could contribute next.

That’s a very different feeling.

I think…

I’m going to like it here.

When was the last time you realized you were becoming a new version of yourself?