For the past year I have been doing sales and marketing at an internet marketing firm.  I enjoy my time there and it isn’t something that I dread. I must be doing something right. But it’s still work and with it mostly being sales-oriented, it isn’t really the most enjoyable thing to do. In fact, I have yet to meet someone who actually enjoys making cold calls. Up until this past week, my typical workday consisted of talking to people on the phone, sending emails, logging info into SalesForce, meetings, consulting for web sites/seo and drawing up proposals and agreements. Even though I’m personable, I’ve never been a fan of sales. As a result, my roles at my firm are shifting and I will be doing more design / programming work with an emphasis on marketing and consulting. Moving forward I will still partake in some sales and have the opportunity to earn commissions but it will only account for roughly 15% of my workday. Needless to say, it will be a refreshing change.

And they say change is the only constant so not only is my role at work changing, I am also starting a new workout program at a MMA gym. It came at a great time because my days at the gym have become so mundane and I’ve lacked the motivation to get me past this plateau that I’ve become so familiar with these last few weeks. Day 1 of the new routine pushed my body so far that I puked. I can’t even remember the last time I had puked like that seeing as my body has grown accustomed to my long nights of binge drinking now that I’m in my 3^rd year of drinking legally. Surely, this was a sign of my body being pushed so hard that it exploded in the form of a turkey sandwich and V8 juice. Strangely enough, that was the exact meal I had merely 1 hour before the workout. Note to self: ‘It’s like swimming. If you’re going to eat, make sure you leave plenty of time for your body to digest the food, because you can only make the puking in a bush tactic look classy so many times.’

I’ve become a morning person now that I consume coffee on a daily basis and I have been waking up at 6am to go to work so a “robot never sleeps” isn’t entirely true but that leads me to this conclusion:

There’s a certain calming feeling that only the morning brings,
And in the twilight of daybreak you find your mind at ease.

Matt

More to come later, but here is a sneak peak of our new friends!!:

(Click image for wallpaper)

On a side note, the Suns are looking great as of late, and regardless of what every Lakers bandwagon fan will say, the phoenix suns have a legitimate chance to take home the west. Just thinking about a NBA finals match-up consisting of Cleveland (my home forever) vs Phoenix (my new home) gives me chills. And believe me, I don’t mind the chills because damnnn it’s hot here.

A little about me:

I am from Cleveland, Ohio and recently moved to Scottsdale, Arizona. After graduating high school at Solon High School, I attended Ohio University, in the quaint college town of Athens, Ohio, where I studied Management Information Systems and Marketing in the College of Business. There I spent four of the most memorable years of my life. Meeting great friends while experiencing life on my own for the first time.

One of the most memorable experiences during my “college” years has been my trip to Europe, during the summer after my junior year. There I studied abroad in Thessaloniki, Greece,  soaking up the culture while also learning a lot about myself. At the end of my program, I went on to backpack across Europe.

Long story short:

I traveled to Athens, Greece and had the misfortune of getting pick-pocketed, losing everything except my passport and one debit card that I had tucked away in my backpack in case of an emergency. Talk about getting thrown a curve-ball! Luckily, I was able to overcome this unfortunate situation and continued on my journey through Europe – next stop,  the Greek island of Ios located in the Aegean Sea.

From Greece, I flew into Rome, Italy. Since I am75% Italian, visiting Italy had always been a dream of mine. While in Rome, I visited the Coliseum and the Vatican. Words cannot describe how cool the Sistine Chapel is. I rounded up Italy by visting, Firenze (Florence), Pisa, and Veneza (Venice). Took a sleeper train to Interlaken, Switzerland and went canyoning at the alpin raft. It was pretty intense. A EuRail ride later and I was in Paris, where I saw everything from the Louvre to the Arc de Triomphe to the Eiffle Tower. I then traveled to London where I stayed at a friend’s parents flat.

Senior year came and went and the next thing I knew I graduated from OU and prepared for the “real” world. Unfortunately, the real world just happened to be at a tough time for everyone, as businesses felt the economic pressure resulting in one of the worst times to come out of school. Lucky me…

I knew I had to find a way to differentiate myself from other candidates. With my background in MIS, I was well versed in information systems and how to use them to create value.  Whether it be database management to web design to understanding process methodology, I have been able to develop an understanding  of Information Systems as the integration of people, process and information technology.  That being said, the idea came up to start doing freelance web design. Shortly after, Tri-Gee Web Design emerged as a then local to Cleveland Web Design firm formed by myself and good friend Dan. After completing a few sites, this project is currently on pause for the mere lack of time.

Now residing in Scottsdale, Arizona since March 2010, I am currently working at FireDrum Internet Marketing and Express at the Scottsdale Fashion Square.

I am still unsure what direction this blog will go in. It will most likely cover topics such as: business trends, online marketing, internet, strategy, technology as well as music, pop culture, fashion and current events.

Thanks for checking it out!