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Feb
22

Where were you then? Where are you now?

In light of the recent article from Wired.com - 10 Years After: A Look Back at the Dotcom Boom and Bust (really awesome article) – I want to open the floor to you, and hear where you were then and where you are now.

Then, I was in High School, waiting for December to roll around so I could finally get my driver’s license. I worked part time after school with the Parks and Rec’s department in Los Gatos (my home town). I dreamed of going to Northeastern University to study International Business, working for the CIA in European espionage and becoming a best selling author by the time I was 30 writing CIA romance thrillers.

Now, I am happily married in South Orange County, driving an ’08 Mustang GT. I am a proud alum of Cal State Long Beach with a degree in Rhetorical Communications, the owner of Wright Creativity, and the writer of this blog. I love my business, and am excited every day to see where it will take me. Someday I still dream of becoming a best selling author, but of just plain romance novels and definitely not by the time I’m 30.

Your turn!

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  3. If I could give 13 year old me a little writing advice…

Category: Inspired by Other Blogs
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  • http://twitter.com/OakleyOC Reggie E

    Around March 10, 2010, I was an Oracle Consultant who lived in South Orange County, but worked in Silicon Valley, Monday through Friday. The Dotcom Boom and Bust I witnessed firsthand through the clients I consulted: millions of dollars in venture capital funding were spent in accordance with unsound business plans. However, no one cared. As long as funds were in the coffers and vendors were paid, employees of these tech firms had the happiest times bringing their pets to work and riding their scooters through the hallways.

    Some of my goals THEN were: to work for one of the technology firms I consulted with; to come up with a technology-based widget that venture capital firms would pay me millions of dollars to acquire; to buy a house in South Orange County “when the prices go down” (sticker shock from moving to CA from MD in 1999); to plan on starting a family; to learn how to surf; to look into LASIK eye surgery; and to visit Oakley's Headquarters and purchase my first pair of Oakley eyewear.

    NOW, I'm still in my roots as a CPA and independent investment advisor; four of the first six technology firms I consulted with do not exist anymore; I've yet to come up with my innovative widget; we bought a place as the prices began to double, eventually selling that to move into another place that also doubled in price; we have two wonderful boys who delight our days; I still haven't learned how to surf; I'm a LASIK Custom Wavefront success story; and recently I had the honor of adding the 63rd pair of Oakley eyewear to my personal Oakley collection.

    I will still come up with that innovative widget and will eventually learn how to surf…perhaps before the next Dotcom Boom and Bust!

    • http://twitter.com/OakleyOC Reggie E

      I meant to open with “Around March 10, 2000″ not “2010″

    • kirstenwright

      It's interesting to see where we go in life, isn't it? I am glad that you shared your thoughts as I always wondered what the boom was really like. While I lived in the area (silicon valley), neither of my parents were involved with it at all. Also glad to see that your Oakley love started a long time ago!! :)

      • http://twitter.com/OakleyOC Reggie E

        I must admit that working in the private equity industry and then switching to the dotcom industry changed my outward appearance. I was the same individual but donning the Hawaiian shirts and gold-tipped spiky hair…my clients took my recommendations more seriously. That was a weird feeling, but humorous, now that I can look back at that experience. I can remember a dotcom client flying me home to OC to have a birthday dinner with my wife on a Tuesday, and I was back in Silicon Valley the next day.

        Interesting about your CIA alter ego; will have share my parallel world of the FBI.

        • kirstenwright

          Wow – interesting about the clothes change. I tend to be fairly casual in dressing unless I am meeting with corporate clients…

          I definitely would love to hear more about the FBI :)

  • catholland

    Hmmm…. In February of 2000 — safely past the Y2K hoopla over nothing — I was getting ready to make the switch from local TV producer to local Web producer. That change happened a few months down the road, during the summer of 2000. I had been a morning show producer for about five years and was looking for something new and different, and a little break from hard news. I loved the company, though, so the move was just to a different department in the same building. The only goal I had when I started was to be a producer, and once I had done that for a while, I needed to come up with a new goal.

    Fast forward 10 years. I'm still with azfamily.com, and back producing news, only for the Web rather than for TV, although I occasionally fill in on the shows where I got my start. That's an endless source of amusement for some. And then there are the people who think I just started here. Umm… no.

    I now do some freelancing work, in addition to my day job, to flex those creativity muscles. While it's not enough to pay the bills, that is the eventual goal. At the moment, however, I rely on group insurance so a day job, barring personal catastrophe, remains a requirement for the foreseeable future. It's a weird place to be… I don't do my own thing full time because I can't and I can't do it full time because I don't. But I'm lucky I have a day job with a great company full of awesome people.

    And I'm still working on that new goal, although I think, for now, it won't be work related. We'll see.

    • kirstenwright

      Having a plan is the best thing you can do! 2 years ago, my blog was just a plan. Now, it's my business and I love it!! I think it is wonderful that you are doing something that you love, and are with a company that treats you well. Sometimes, that is all you can ask for :)

  • http://twitter.com/Smittime Terri Olenski

    Ten years ago…wow. I just had my little girl and my whole world changed. I was a very successful office manager at a supermarket, working 7 days a week, very demanding on my time. I had her and I thought I would go back to work because I couldn't have imagined never working but I could not leave her…..I quit. I was and still am very happily married to my soul mate, my love, my laughter.
    I have since started my own candy business out of my home, sell items on Ebay and volunteer at my kids school, I am on the Home & School board. I love organizing fundraisers and events to help better my kids school experience with my position. Oh and I had another baby, a son. I went to work part time outside the home for some “me” time. I love being around for my kids, taking care of the house and hubby…we are going on 18 yrs of marriage and he will tell you…”it is the best 7 yrs of his life.” LOL.
    I have discovered social media……Twitter, Facebook, FourSquare, etc. and love connecting with people and learning new things. I love my family!

    • kirstenwright

      Thanks for sharing your thoughts! My mother has told me so often that having a child will change everything… I am definitely looking forward to it in the future. We are glad to have you part of social media – and I am especially glad to have you as a reader of my blog :)

  • http://www.shotinthedarkmysteries.com/ Leigh Clements

    I love the perspective on this – boom and bust and thinking about where I was… okay, here goes:

    I had just bought my first condo (the first mistake) with my then-fiance (the second mistake! LOL!) in my hometown of Calgary. I was a closet-writer and worked as a clerk in a custom framing store, but also had a side business that went nowhere fast.

    Now I live in Toronto with my man of almost 9 years, just had an amazing wedding in Scotland, where I LOVED living for a long time. I own my own business doing something I absolutely love and get to explore my creativity on a daily basis.I also have a little boy, who turned a year on Sunday, a golden lab and a hell of a lot more self-respect than I had back then.

    It's a bit like talking about 2 different people, eh?

    • kirstenwright

      Definitely sounds like it! And that is why it is so wonderful :) We change a lot in 10 years, and thank goodness. I definitely wouldn't want to be in the same place mentally or fiscally that I was 10 years ago!

      And a wedding in Scotland? Sounds wonderful!!

  • http://twitter.com/Smittime Terri Olenski

    Thank you I enjoy reading what you have to say…..my husband actually got me hooked onto Twitter and your blog. Being a Mom is the single most rewarding thing you will ever do in your life and the hardest by far. I ran a very busy office with 100 plus people and it was nothing like taking care and managing the lives of kids. Good luck in your future. All the best.

    Terri O.

  • http://shortnsweet.tumblr.com Christine

    What a cool question, but boy does it make me feel old! Ten years ago… I had just accepted a job offer with a little-know company (at the time) called Build-A-Bear Workshop. They had offered me the Fashion Island store, or an opportunity in New Store Development in Chicago. Being that I was born there, not attached at the time, had nothing to lose (even my apartment lease was up)… I jumped off the cliff and moved to Chicago, not know a single soul.

    I stayed with BABW for three years, and eventually found my way back to CA, but not after a whirlwind tour of the entire US with BABW. [One of my life's goals is to be in every state of the union at least once]. Now, I’m with Disney, writing at night, baking on the weekends and living in Cypress, CA with my boyfriend and three rescued Corgis.

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