New Domain
You can now found me over at kayleygallaher.com!
you’ll know, trust me
Networking can be intimidating, especially when you are in a room filled with people you respect and sincerely want to get to know more. Weird, I know. I’ve been fortunate enough to realize and understand the power of networking early on in my career, last night solidified my passion for both my industry and my chosen career path.
There is no doubt in my mind that sports and social media are what I want to be doing. Last night, I attended the YVRSportsBiz tweetup and was able to chat with old friends and meet new ones, some of which I had been waiting months to connect with.
Trust me when I say, you will know whole-heartedly when you have found what you love to do. Connect early with your network, actively participate in conversation, and never ever lose sight of your goals.
everybody loves the G’s
As you will soon find out, the past few weeks have been very interesting for me. Because I’m a fan of suspense, I’ am going to keep you guessing as to why for a little while longer… In the interim, I’m excited to dedicate sometime to write about some of the amazing people in my life who have been there for me through the challenges of the past few weeks.
Here it goes.
First and foremost, my Mom. Everyone says that their Mom is the best; I don’t know how this could be true because mine truly is the most incredible person I have ever known. She has so much love for me and my sisters, some days I wonder how she can have such a big heart in such a little frame. I could list off all the cliché things she does for me, as most daughters would be able to do, but I think the best gift she has ever given to me (other than this beautiful life) is her ability to believe and trust me more than I do myself. She understands my goals, encourages me to reach them, and supports me through the entire journey. I love you, Mom. Thank you for everything you do and everything you are.
Dad, Daddio, Papa, Man of the house. You have a lot of names and roles, but through it all you’ve been the constant push I’ve needed to pick myself up and keep going. You cheered me on from the sidelines in my soccer days and I used to say that I didn’t play as well if you weren’t there yelling at me. This stands true in my day-to-day life. Without you around to make sure I ask the right questions and understand the bigger picture, I don’t know what I would do. You are the hardest working person I have ever met and you would do anything and everything for your family, especially me. Thank you for being you, my Dad. Your little girl will always love you.
Mother number two, yes Stacey, this is you. We’ve never been in the same place at the same time, literally. When I was born, you were in elementary school. When I turned eight, you were 16 and wanted nothing to do with me (which I completely understand), and when I was 16 you were a Mom. Now I stand here, freshly 23, and I have more respect and understanding for who you’ve become and the great person you are. Through all our differences, you’ve always looked out for me and been there when I needed you. You are the epitome of a big sister; nobody could be one as good as you. As you’ve always been around for me, I hope you know how much I will always be there for you. You deserve nothing but greatness, don’t settle for anything less.
Jaime, oh Mimi, where do I begin. Even if I wish you were around to hang out more often, I hold great comfort in knowing you’re only a few blocks away. You’ve been such an inspiration for me and as much as I’ve heard it before, I never really understood how alike we really are. As I get older, I realize what a compliment this really is. You’re hard working, you go after what you want and you don’t settle for anything less than you deserve, don’t ever change. Thank you for being there for me, opening my eyes to possibility and being my sister. I don’t know what I would do without a sister and friend like you in my life.
Jody, you’re my best friend. Some days I think you know me better than I know myself. You believe in me more than anyone. You are there for me at anytime of the day or night to chat, you listen better than anyone and you never judge. You are an incredible person and my greatest wish in life is that you learn how amazing/fantastic/incredible you really are. I could go on for days and days about the amazing individual you are, but I don’t have the time or space. I wish the world for you; I thank the world for you (and Mom and Dad for having me so I was able to be a part of your life, but whatever). Thank you for continuing to amaze me, I hope everyone has the opportunity to have somebody in their life that is as special as you.
Jacob, you changed everything. You may never understand the impact you’ve had on my life and this family, but let me tell you it is a massive one. I never knew so much love could exist for a little boy. I love being able to live life through your eyes. Your innocence, your smile, your heart, your determination is all so evident at seven years old. I hope as you grow older, you continue to know and understand how much this family loves and adores you and know that we will be there for you whenever and wherever you need us, especially me. You are the most special boy I may ever have the pleasure of sharing my life with.
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Words will never quite describe how great my family is. This is only the beginning of me making sure my family knows just how much they mean to me on a daily basis. I love you all!
inspiration on a cloudy day
I spent most of the morning sulking around, frustrated with mother nature as she put a massive cloud (literally) over my Saturday. It didn’t take long for me to hit the internet for a little inspiration to keep my mind busy. . .
I spent most of the day revisiting my goals! I gathered some inspiration from my fellow lemons (my work peeps) and went to work on constructing some of the biggest goals I have put on paper to date. Some of them really scare me, which means they are finally big enough and are in true BHAG form. I drafted up the summary of my new position for Networking in Van and started to brand some of my many online profiles. #nerdalert
So, it was a lazy day, but an inspiring one at that. I’m feeling excited for what the next couple of months bring my way. I’m ready to WORK!
canadians, eh?
Finally made my way to my FIRST ever Vancouver Canadians game last night, highly recommend! The venue is great, the team put on a great show, and there was even some special entertainment by the grounds crew!
There is nothing I love more than summer, sports, and good company. If you get a chance, head out to the good ol’ Nat Bailey Stadium and watch these boys play!
some would say it is even right
It is okay to want something at different times or different places in your life. It is okay to know exactly what you want and not be ready for it in that moment. It is okay for you to know that in six months from now everything could be different, but in this moment, you are doing exactly what you need to be doing and are making plans for what you want to accomplish. Not only is it okay, it is perfectly normal, some would say it is even right.
another summer view
there is nothing like summer. there is nothing like loving the city where you live. there is nothing like the memories we are making. there is nothing like this moment, right here, right now.
this is my Vancouver
I have sat for almost a week wondering if I wanted to blog about the recent events that took place in my city. After writing this post a few days ago, I think I’m ready to hit the publish button.
I woke up on the morning of June 16th absolutely heartbroken. Not because of the loss my boys suffered the night before, they, unlike many people in this city have made me so proud to call them my team. The Canucks had a historic season, on and off the ice, one I’ am happy to say I got to experience firsthand all season. Instead, the morning of June 16th was met with disbelief as the word “mayhem” covered the front page of the papers; the same word had been used 17 years prior to explain a similar event. How did this happen? Let’s go back to the memories of the night before. . .
I walked my way down to Granville St just after noon on June 15th, game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final was almost five hours away, line-ups were already blocs long, jerseys in full abundance, and the vibe of the city was undeniable. This is what we live for. The fever the Canucks had ignited this city with for the past 10 months was at an all time high. More than 100,000 people filled the streets of downtown Vancouver to watch our boys take the ice for their final task to the ultimate goal, the Stanley Cup. Have I mentioned it was Lord Stanley’s birthday? Oh, the irony. I parked myself at the only pub that was yet to have a line-up, I spotted a table for two and even though there was going to be three of us, I knew it would have to do.
So there we sat, for seven or more hours and a few pints of beer down. A historic 40th season ended in second best. It didn’t end the way we expected, but everyone around us was smiling as we cheered, “win or lose, drink some booze” – which is exactly what we had hoped to do into the early morning hours.
What happened next, still doesn’t sit right with me. I was beyond oblivious to say the least and was unaware of the extent of what was happening until I made my way to my apartment. My phone was buzzing with worried texts from friends back home, my parents, my sisters, “where are you?” and “are you safe?” I assumed they were wondering how I was holding up after the loss, so I responded with a naive “we’re good, just having a shot!” I walked outside to the corner of Granville and Smithe, the same street signs that would later appear on the news. We walked down to our favourite pub and started chatting with some of the other patrons, a few minutes later people were running down the streets, the doors of businesses slammed shut, and our eyes began to burn. As we tried to figure out what had happened, we decided to walk away from it all and go home. The night was ruined.
As I arrived home I immediately turned to the news, my heart broke instantly. This is not my city, these are not Canucks fans. This is not the same city who hosted the world just 16 months earlier almost flawlessly with near perfect reviews, so, what went wrong tonight? Hours passed, my twitter feed was filled with video and footage of the riots leaving a social path directly to those linked to being responsible for the nonsense. Before you knew it, there was a group organized for a volunteer clean up the next morning, and a Facebook group to tag photos of those involved so they could pay the ultimate price. Real Vancouverites started to shine almost instantly. The healing had already begun.
The next morning, Canucks jerseys filled the streets, this time not to drink or watch the game, but to help restore our city to its natural beauty after a small group attempted to take that away from us. They should now know you can’t take the pride away from Vancouverites. It is engrained in who we are. Thank you Vancouver for reminding me how grateful I’ am to call this city home, thank you Canucks for making me your biggest fan season after season. Vancouver, I love you.
