"Do you want to be the EIC?"

That's how this journey started. Of course, I asked for it because the question that preceded that one was me asking "Is there anything I can do to help?" This was a classic example of acting before thinking. But in this case, it paid off.

Little did I know, I'd be not slowly easing into creating for Odyssey, but full on sprinting into becoming the Editor-in-Chief of the new Columbus, Indiana Community. While it's been a whirlwind of a journey thus far, I can say so far, it's been a great experience. Granted, there are been some speed bumps along the way: brainstorming people to onboard as creators, learning the lingo/jargon associated with Odyssey, communicating with each individual person and the group, and the ever-present challenge of time management.

Before I express my raw and unedited (well aside from the ME's grammatical editing) thoughts of being a new EIC, let me explain how I got here. I work for a Fortune 500 company in Sales and Marketing. I've been there for almost five years, and I really do enjoy my job and the company. Naturally, it has it's pros and cons, as does any business or job. All-in-all though, I can say that I am happy with what I am doing. However, is it my dream job? That's yet to be determined.

I have a lot of dreams for the future. Some that are Noah's Ark big, and others that are already in the "almost achieved" category. One of those dreams has always been to be a published writer. That dream started when I was a Junior in college, after a conversation with a friend at school. She mentioned that she had been blogging to help process her thoughts on what was going on in her life, and suggested I do the same. Not long after that I sat down to write my first blog post at the kitchen table in my first college apartment.

After almost seven years, and only a small amount of success with my personal blog — that dream is still alive and well. Which is what leads me to being an EIC. The moment the Assisting Managing Editor at Odyssey asked me to do it, there was no hesitation. I realized that not only would this give me the opportunity to write on a larger platform, but I realized it also gave me the chance to help others get their voices heard.

I was filled with excitement and before we had even proposed the community, I was drafting a list of potential creators. Some were already writers or creative types, others were people who I just value talking to. I started with the most likely people to say yes, either because I knew it was up their alley or because I knew they'd do it simply because I asked! Not every person was interested, and at times I felt like "The Bachelor" asking someone to accept a rose and they responded "Wait, this isn't PUNK'd?" — total rejection.

It's never easy to take rejection, or accept the fact that I am not always as persuasive as I think that I am. The beginning of my time as an EIC was definitely a time of personal growth. I learned how to navigate conversations with different types of people in a more effective way, how to appeal to different personality types and how to pick myself up when rejection reared it's ugly head.

I've also learned how to manage my time better and to set boundaries. Naturally, because I work at such a large company, some of my creators have different schedules, more free time or a different, preferred method of communication. I have had to learn that it's okay to tell someone at 9:30 a.m. on a Monday morning that I will try and answer their question during lunch or after work. While I want to give 100 percent to Odyssey, it doesn't pay the bills — priorities.

The last few weeks have been filled with emotions too. Anticipation, fear, disappointment, excitement and the joy that can only come from seeing the beginning of a dream come to fruition. Each time we have onboarded a new creator has been a rush of excitement. Of course, that rush has been calmed by the occasional disappointment of someone turning us down, or changing their mind. The fear has come in the form of expectation of failing. Whether that be failing to write quality pieces, failing to be a good EIC, or failing to separate business from the friendship portion — fear has attempted to punch me in the face. Thankfully, I have a great support system around me that has encouraged, supported and brainstormed along with me.

At the end of the day, which is literally approaching as I write this, I am excited and grateful for this opportunity. I get the best of both worlds: I get to create my own content and I get to help others to be heard. I have high expectations for our community, because it is already filled with creators that have insightful, humorous, educated and intriguing perspectives on life, love, school, sports, politics, etc. If you have ever dreamt of becoming a write, stop thinking about it and do it. Find your local Odyssey community, or reach out to an AME to start a new one. Thus far, it's been one of the most rewarding challenges to date.