I was at a Leadership Conclave the other day. Riveting stuff mostly. And then some preachy stuff, which makes me wonder… alright, let’s not get into that.
During the fellowship break, one gentleman walked over to me and asked “what do I do for a living?” I responded… and prompt came another question, “what do you do besides marketing in your free time?”
I couldn’t respond to that. Just shrugged my shoulders and smiled. Sensing disgust, I decided to walk dodge the next question and walk over the person ahead of us…
But the incident got me thinking.
What do I really do in my spare time? I read, listen to podcasts, scour the internet to keep up with the trends in marketing, culture and the world at large… and yes, help my friends with their selfish efforts to change the world.
Am I supposed to do anything else? Playing golf can be fun. But I train like a powerlifter and it surely can’t get any more stressful (and pleasurable… do you even deadlift?) than that. Can it?
Sure, I can develop a hobby or two. But what exactly would I do? Collect stamps? Coins? Something?
Should I have a hobby?
The next morning, I gave up on brooding as it became evidently clear that I’m a little eccentric. And I’m quite okay with that. Unlike others, I can’t be a marketer from 9am till 5pm. If a friend or a budding entrepreneur grabs hold of me at 5:10 pm to get insights on Google Analytics or AdWords or marketing in general… I usually won’t deliver a “my shift got over or there’s more to life than work” speech.
Well, that’s how I work. Work is life. Life is work. I don’t believe in work-life balance. I think I work all the time. Which is okay.
I’m honestly amused when people want to know what I do besides being a marketer.
Nothing at all! I live and breathe marketing. It’s not just a profession. It’s a mindset. I was made for this! Of course, like any sane person, I don’t (and won’t even recommend) talk about marketing with my wife and kids. Nor do I have to make everything about marketing when I’m speaking to anyone else.
But would that make me any less of a marketer? No. But as a professional, I can’t live or die by the clock. But what I identify with.
And I’m okay with that.