An email that changed my life

A brief backstory: In March 2010, I started applying for jobs in Denver. Brit and I were sick of Chicago. We were ready to raise a family and wanted to do that in Colorado.

And then on my birthday, 6 years ago to the day, I got this email. At the time I was writing dog food coupons and had a portfolio of fake ads. I had never done a TV spot or a voiceover recording session. This was a real ad agency that did real magazine ads, commercials and billboards.

I flew out for an interview on 12/2/2010. On Christmas Eve, we found out we were going to have our first child. I remember laying in bed in O'Fallon over Christmas Break, praying that I would get this Karsh Hagan job and we could move to Colorado.

On 1/3/11, I was told that I didn't get the job.

I stayed in touch and in May, Brit and I planned a trip out to Denver for a week in June. On May 31, I got another email from Matt. The guy they hired hadn't worked out. They wanted to interview me again. I was already going to be there anyways. Perfect timing. Interviewed on June 6th. Accepted an offer on July 6th. Started on July 28. Harrison came into the world a month later.

- - -

Today is my last day at Karsh Hagan. I was there for 5 years, 4 months. When I took the job it was actually a slight pay cut from Chicago. But boy has it been worth it. Six years ago, I was on a path to write brochures and liquor store displays for my whole life. That's a career of working to pay my bills, not to make anything that got me excited.

At Karsh Hagan, I won an award in every award show Denver had, 2 shows a year, for 5 years. I made national TV spots, amazing print ads, everything I had always wanted to do.

In my time at Karsh Hagan I was promoted to Senior Copywriter. And now I'm leaving to become an Associate Creative Director. The same title that Matt had when he emailed me six years ago.