lesson 1: what is a grown-up?

i'm not a writer by trade. i'm a marketer, creative thinker, leader, and karma-loving human. this first post is a special one. after 11 years of working for innovative, luxury lifestyle brands (Estee Lauder, Equinox, Food52) i'm ripping off the band-aid, and scratching my entrepreneurial itch. i quit my job as VP of Marketing and Merchandising for Food52, and am taking the plunge on a number of endeavors. i'm 33 years old, what i like to call an old millennial. 

how to be a grown-up is dedicated to those of you doing just that, learning to be a grown-up, and not just any grown-up, a badass one. since moving to NY after college (shout-out to Tulane y'all!) i felt like the world was moving so fast and i had to kick all the skills i'd ever learned, into high-gear. learning happens mostly organically, when you least expect it, but all of a sudden i was going into the depths of my brain, trying to mimic all the grown-up behavior i'd ever seen or been taught. send thank you notes, work hard, be a good person, do the right thing, take risks, clean your room, don't owe money, listen, don't show up empty-handed, when people call you, call them back. 

i don't like labels. these aren't life skills, or career skills, or friendship skills. they're just things you should know that apply to all areas of life. how you mush them together, at varying weights, is what makes you different from your roommate or your sibling. everyone can be a grown-up if they choose. it's not about age, it's about a state of mind. hopefully, subsequent posts on howtobeagrownup.co help you learn something.

welcome, and thanks for following along.

photo cred: bill stauffer @ commander's palace, new orleans, la