
I am sad to say, after five years residing in Boulder, I now live in Ketchum, Idaho. I was sad to leave. In fact, I was sad to see a part of my life officially get written into my personal history books. Boulder was my first home away from home. It was my college life, some of my love life and a whole lot of my personal growth.
But this isn’t all sad. I’ve landed a dream job with a dream company, filled with dream perks, a supportive culture — and, oh yes, in a very cool town. My new job is with travel clothing company, SCOTTeVEST from TEC — maybe you saw CEO Scott Jordan on the most controversial “Shark Tank” episode to air. (If you haven’t, check it out. It’s nothing but pure entertainment.)
When it comes to millennials, I think we all know the adage that we are lazy, and entitled, blah, blah, blah, the list goes on. I’ve been preaching those lines since I started writing for the Colorado Daily. But one thing we all do have in common is drive. More predominantly: extreme execution.
If I know anything about Gen Y, it’s that when we say we are going to get something, we usually do. That’s how I got this job. (Actually, I lie: I have been chasing this company for more than a year.) At first I didn’t get what I wanted, but I never gave up, I never quit applying and I never quit following up. I wanted something and I executed it to the best of my ability.
Fellow millennials seem to practice this same kind of attitude. Is that why they say we are entitled? Because we get what we want, no matter how we end up getting it? Either way, we get it.
Millennials can learn a valuable lesson from someone like me. That lesson originated with my grandfather, who said, “Pursue the endeavor, baby.” (He still says that to me. That old bastard loves to preach, even at 90 years old.)
If you want something and you know you should have it, then go get it. Your passion will show. If you want to be a part of a company, walk in those front doors with a resume in your hand and say, “Here I am.” If they deny you, walk back in the next day and say it again. That’s called passion. That’s called drive. That’s called dedication. Those are all things companies are seeking.
I may be 750 miles away, but we are all in the same boat. We are all millennials. No one can take that away from us and no one can take away our drive. (If you have it. If you don’t, hell, you’re shit out of luck.)
The point here is: To brag about my epic new job; and to illustrate that anything is possible if you pursue the endeavor. Four weeks ago, I was homeless, living in my car. Today, I am living in the first ski town in America, working for a company that I have chased after, and I am happy. I pursued my endeavor. All you have to do is pursue your endeavor, whatever that is.
OK, I have to get back to work.
Read more Griffin: coloradodaily.com/columnists. Stalk him: twitter.com/GavinBGriffin.