Yes, I have completely let this blog become dormant but it's time to come back. I am so very sorry to all of you who read this blog regularly for going off the radar for so long. I am not going to offer up a bunch of excuses or reasons for the blackout but suffice to say business, family and other matters have been all consuming and I just wasn't managing my time well enough to write and contribute anything meaningful.
I found it can be healthy to disappear for a while. I know, for me at least, it was important to get away from writing and being so public. I felt I had overdosed on being public for so long. Don't get me wrong, being recognized and talked about can be cool at times and it certainly helps generate business but it can just be overwhelming and cause one to lose perspective. That happened to me. I lost some perspective on the things that are most important to me. I am somewhat ashamed to admit that publicly but I have always been very transparent here and elsewhere so why should I hold back now. Trying to get information out on blogs, tweets, facebook etc can sort of become who you are. Being the person people look to for information and expertise, while I enjoy that, can start to become all you are about and nothing else.
More after the jump.
I LOVE recruiting and all things related to talent acquisition and talent management. It is a passion. I would do this for food money alone. While I was away I continued to consult and recruit and I had the opportunity to continue to work with really cool and amazing clients training recruiters who truly wanted to get better and make a difference, implementing new recruiting strategies, managing some really neat recruitment process solutions, integrating ATS systems, implementing employee referral programs etc. In short, I did what I love to do, what I think I was created to do, but just not so publicly. It was nice to be away for a bit. While I was away I pursued some other avenues to express myself - some good, some not so good - and came away with a new blog concept for my wine passion that you all will soon learn about (I hope you will consider reading it).
Something I noticed while I was away is that people really did read this thing and missed it. That surprised me, humbled me and made me grateful. I think it is common for bloggers to think that no one is listening and paying attention unless there is robust commentary, huge numbers of trackbacks or ridiculous promulgation of posts through Twitter, Facebook etc. Not true. There is a HUGE silent majority of people reading and getting value from blogs, tweets and all sorts of other social media. They don't necessarily engage the way we bloggers wish they would and they don't necessarily Twitter it all over the universe but they are reading, they are absorbing and they are grateful. The number of emails I have recieved since last June 26th (now officially known as BFC Blog Blackout Day or BFCBBD) is significant. The comments in those emails ranged from "Hey where you been" to meaningful and thoughtful inquiries about why I disappeared and when I would re-emerge. Some of you were even concerned and asked how I was doing. Thanks for that!
On a personal note I also reconnected with God. Most of you know I am a Christian so such a statement should not be surprising but my personal relationship with Jesus Christ was suffering and I needed to get that corrected. Thanks to Him, His love, and His grace I feel strengthened in His presence. It is still a journey, a race if you will, but I am trying to keep my eyes and heart focused on Him - the one who saved me - and I am trying to finish strong.
While all that time away was not always the most productive or meaningful it has certainly allowed me to clear my head and come back refreshed and capable of contributing in ways I simply couldn't before BFCBBD. I also decided to get a few other people to join me in writing from time to time. I am sure you all get very sick of hearing just me rant and rave and new people (much smarter than me) will add additional knowledge, expertise and experience to this little blog. More on that and the people who will guest write later.
I am excited to write again and I hope you are excited to hear from me. If not, well I am going to write anyway and hope that somewhere along the line you get excited about something I say.
All that said, here is some LL Cool J for your listening pleasure. In case you didn't connect the dots the title of this comeback post is from the lyrics of the 1991 release by Mr. Cool J called Momma Said Knock You Out. Enjoy!
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