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Last week someone shared this on Facebook, and I thought it was fabulous … especially after my recent CrossFit escapades. 🙂

Photo/Oprah.com

It may sound cliché, but Oprah has always been one of those “people I’d like to meet” – right up there with Dolly Parton, Reese Witherspoon and a whole host of country music performers. As the world watched Oprah’s last show, we’ve seen the many ways Oprah has impacted lives and the amazing reach of her influence.

You are not the product of your circumstances. You are a composite of all the things you believe, and all the places you believe you can go. Your past does not define you. You can step out of your history and create a new day for yourself. Even if the entire culture is saying, “You can’t.” Even if every single possible bad thing that can happen to you does. You can keep going forward.

Finally getting around to posting some photos from the Forty Under 40 event earlier this month. It was a terrific event and I was honored to be among some incredible young community leaders. Read all the winner profiles (my profile) or check out some more photos from the event.

With my Step Ahead co-workers, Laura and Bailey.

Today — aside from being my 35th birthday — is the Forty Under 40 event. I like to think of it as a big birthday bash all about me. Ha! Take a look at my profile on the Charleston Regional Business Journal website and I’ll be sure to post some additional photos.

I also have no idea how I could possibly be 35. In my mind, I’m only 26.

Last week I received some good news: I was named one of the Charleston Regional Business Journal’s Forty Under 40 winners. The award is a combination of professional accomplishments and community service and I’m thrilled to be among such a great group of young professionals.

A recognition like this is nice, considering the challenges I’ve gone through the last couple years. And it wasn’t lost on me — and a few of my friends — that this award is coming from the very company that laid me off at the end of 2008. I take that as proof you can pick yourself up, dust yourself off and move on to bigger and better things.

I’m looking forward to celebrating with Clint and my friends on May 3 – what a great birthday party!

One of my greatest challenges over the last couple of years has been letting go of long-held dreams. Circumstances beyond my control pushed me out of the journalism profession and into public relations and marketing. While I enjoy working in PR and social media marketing, I haven’t quite been able to let go of being a journalist.

Dealing with that career transition was one of my top goals in working with a mentor (read more on that here). She’s really been terrific in helping me on the road toward establishing a well-defined future career path. Step one was deciding whether I could commit to a career in PR.

I spent three weeks dwelling on that concept. Could I make that commitment? And, if so, could I be content in my decision? I ultimately decided to make that commitment to a new profession and quit straddling the fence – one foot in each career world. I decided to stop looking back and begin looking forward.

That’s not to say if an opportunity in journalism or any other career field comes along I can’t stop and take a look. But for now, I need to accept my life as it is.

In discussing this with my mentor over lunch last week, she asked me if I saw my career as a “journey or a destination.” I truly had to pause and think. A dozen years ago, I would have answered “destination” – my sights were set on a journalism career for a big city newspaper.

Today, I answer “journey.” There’s nothing wrong with having dreams, goals or aspirations, but despite all your best laid plans, your life’s road often takes such a different path that you can no longer see what was once your destination.

It’s much like taking a trip. You map out the path, selecting the interstate because you can hit 75 mph and focus on nothing but your destination. Or, you can choose the back roads, driving through small towns, eating at diners, getting out of the car to take a photo, browsing a quirky antique store or stopping at a roadside market for crispy apples and juicy strawberries.

You may eventually hit your destination or you could find joy in the journey, possibly taking so many side roads you stumble upon something even better. It’s easy to be 22 years old and have a destination but as we grow older, we find the destination always changing and oftentimes elusive. Having learned that — sometimes the hard way — I’ll choose the journey. Usually, it’s more interesting anyway.

Yesterday, I had my first meeting with my new mentor, Jane Perdue. I decided to participate this year in the Charleston Young Professionals Mentor/Mentee Program. While I’ve had informal mentors throughout my career, especially my early journalism career, I’ve never gone through a formal mentoring program.

You might say, “Holly, you’re almost 35 years old, do you really need mentoring at this stage of the game?” Yes, I do.

Mentoring isn’t just for 22 year olds in their first job. Yes, my mentoring experience will be vastly different from the 20-something’s experience. And who’s to say a 45-year-old professional couldn’t be mentored by someone with more wisdom? In my opinion, you’re never too old to be mentored because you’re never too old to stop improving yourself, growing and learning.

So, why did I feel the need for a mentor in 2011? If you know me or have read this blog over the last couple of years you’ll know I’ve gone through some fairly big – and stressful – situations, including a complete career change. When your career change is a matter of circumstances and isn’t exactly something you’ve had time to think about and plan, the transition can be difficult.

Plus, I continue my struggle with how to keep all the balls in the air, while making time for myself and some personal writing projects I hope to pursue this year. I’m eager for guidance in that area as well.

So Jane and I had lunch, laying out four goals for the coming year and my task is to figure out some steps to make those happen (with her input, of course). I’m eager for an outside perspective, someone who can look at my life from 5,000 feet and offer up ways to improve, change or grow.

I’ll blog some of my experience and lessons learned along the way. Would love to know if anyone else has ever gone through a mentor program and whether you found it helpful.

At the beginning of the holiday season, I had grand plans for fabulous family Christmas cards. Alas, the month got away from me and here I am opting for a digital version. (I’m going to say it’s because I wanted to be green and use less paper, which is partially true.)

So, let me update you on the happenings in our lives over the last year. Clint spent the majority of the year working in Djibuti, Africa, while I held down the fort in South Carolina. It was a challenging year for us and we were thrilled when Clint came home Oct. 1. He has readjusted to life at home, and I had no trouble handing off all sorts of household and parenting duties! Hey, he missed the transition to the toddler bed and potty training, so it’s only fair. I’m grateful to the friends and family members who pitched in over the last year to help me with babysitting.

Clint has headed back to his job as a project manager at Honeywell, where he does IT security for various government clients. I added to my workload at Step Ahead Inc., where we do public relations, social media marketing and Internet marketing. I handle most of the PR accounts and a fair amount of our social media work for businesses. And while there are days when I miss the newspaper business, it’s been fun working in this new field and learning new skills.

I also joined the steering committee of the Charleston Young Professionals, led a couple of discussions at the Center for Women and volunteered with Metanoia to plan its annual holiday Jubilee fundraiser. I marked 15 years as a member of the Society of Professional Journalists (which I admit made me a feel a little old). I’ve been volunteering with the national membership committee and host a monthly podcast called Your SPJ Membership. Who knew a print gal could turn into a radio host?

I started CrossFit classes in July and Clint joined me when he got home. We love it! I never imagined I’d be pumping iron and doing pull-ups!

Over the year, we watched Kate make the transition from “baby” to “toddler” and now to “little girl.” She looks like me and acts like Clint. The poor child is a perfectionist and doesn’t have much patience, having inherited some of our less desirable traits. But on the upside, she’s smart as a whip and keeps us on our toes wondering what she’ll say next. I swear she talks like she’s almost 5 rather than almost 3. She enjoys going to school each day and has Stretch-n-Grow classes each week, where she recently learned to point out her biceps, triceps and abdominals. We’ll be looking into dance and swim classes next year.

We’re happy to be back together for the holidays and look forward to what 2011 will bring.

Here’s wishing you and yours a very Merry Christmas and God’s many blessings in the New Year!

Lots of love,
Holly, Clint and Kate

Keep up with the Fishers
Holly: holly@fishers2000.com / 843-991-1689 / www.facebook.com/hollyannfisher
Clint: clint@fishers2000.com / 843-991-1690
Holly’s on Facebook and trying to get Clint there as well. 🙂

Photo credit: Chris Smith

Everywhere I turn there’s another article, blog post or magazine cover story questioning the importance, relevance or necessity of marriage. Enough!

Just a few months ago, our church did a series called “Love Songs” and the very first sermon was about making a case for marriage. Of the three points, one that truly stuck with me was the fact there are some experiences in life you just won’t have unless you are married. And I don’t mean a wedding or co-signing a mortgage, but the experience of sharing your life with someone. In a marriage, you know your spouse has your back, is committed to you and will be at your side for all those amazing – and not so amazing – times.

Having been married 10 years, I believe can speak with some authority on this subject. I love the fact I often know what my husband is thinking without even looking at him. I love that we share inside jokes and can make each other laugh. Well, you argue, unmarried people make each laugh. True, but our joys, sorrows and special moments run deep. They stem from a connection and a commitment and that – at least to me – makes all those moments extra special. It’s easy to laugh during the good times, but I know my husband will stick with me during the hard times, the times when I’m struggling and not so easy to live with.

Anything worth having takes work. Like your career, raising good children or developing a relationship with God, these don’t just happen. You shoulder a large part of the responsibility and marriage is the same way. It takes some effort but, as our pastor pointed out, it comes with a great benefits package.

This Thanksgiving I breathe a sigh of grateful relief that I made it through the last year and now have my sweet hubby back home. This time last year, we’d barely started our 11-month separation as he worked in Djibouti, Africa. I am truly thankful we survived.

I am also very grateful to the friends in Charleston who helped me while Clint was gone as well as those who sent words of encouragement from afar. With a 2-year-old, two dogs, a house and a full-time job, I had my hands full. Thank you, friends, for your assistance.

Here’s wishing everyone a Happy Thanksgiving!

I wore a path in the carpet at the airport. I was nervous, excited and overwhelmed. I was seeing my husband for the first time in 11 months.

When I saw him round the corner and head up the hallway from Terminal A, I had to hold myself back from busting through the “do not enter” security sign. (But I hated to have our reunion spoiled with me in handcuffs and suspected as a possible terrorist.)

I have never hugged someone so tightly. A kiss has never been so sweet. I am so relieved to have my best friend back home.

I wouldn’t make a great politician – all the campaigning just isn’t my thing. Writing about it as a reporter, sure. Doing it myself, well, not so much. But next weekend, I’ll be putting my campaigning hat for my run as at-large director with the Society of Professional Journalists.

As we converge on Las Vegas next week for the national SPJ conference and journalism convention, SPJ chapter delegates will select a new slate of board members.

After serving on the board for six years as a regional director, I took a break to have a baby and just to let someone else have a turn (I have a feeling the folks in my region might have let me stay indefinitely!). This year I decided I was ready to return to board service, but in a different role. So, I’m running for the at-large director’s seat against two other very capable SPJ members.

Why head back to the board table? It’s simple: I really love this organization. I’ve been a member for 15 years and honestly can’t imagine not being a member. It’s a piece of who I am. Just as journalism is a piece of me, so is SPJ.

I’ll save the rest of the story for my campaign speech, but wish me luck! Here’s a preview of my campaign stickers:

To say I’m excited that my husband comes home next week after working 11 months in Africa would be the understatement of the decade. Excited barely scratches the surface of my emotions. Aside from the joy of having help with an independent and headstrong 2 year old, I’m just happy to have my best friend back.

Here are just a few of the many things I’ve missed:
• Someone to roll the garbage can to the curb on Monday mornings.
• Back up in the murder of a particularly large and fast-moving Palmetto Bug.
• A foot warmer when I go to bed with cold feet and am too lazy to get up and find socks.
• A hug when I feel sad, stressed or discouraged.
• Someone to laugh at inside jokes. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve seen something hilarious that only Clint would find funny.
• In-house tech support. Although I have learned how to install Windows on a new laptop and set up a new wireless router.
• Someone who can make our two Labs mind with the simple snap of his fingers.
• Parenting support and all that goes with it.

I could go on with a list a mile long. But we’ll keep it simple and say I’m excited.

Mention a sporting activity to me and I automatically groan. Please don’t ask me to join the church softball league or an office dodgeball game.

My dislike of sports goes way back. Even as a small child I preferred to stay inside and read books rather than go outside and play, where I might encounter bugs and – horror of horrors – sweat!

I’ll give myself credit for trying over the years. I always wanted to be an athlete, shooting a winning basket or crossing the finish line in a relay race.

A few failed experiments at organized sports:
• Tee-ball: I spent most of my time in the outfield, stepping on ant hills. But, darn, I looked cute in that batting helmet.
• Third grade pee-wee basketball. Let’s just say that wasn’t a very good idea.
• Fourth grade pee-wee cheerleading, which wasn’t too terrible, but based on the fact I’m in my 30s and still can’t do a cartwheel put a damper on my cheerleading career.
• I detested gym class and was one of those poor kids picked last for any team.

By junior high, I’d given up on sports and focused on things I actually enjoyed and could do well, such as music and writing. Plus, I went through a chubby phase and a cheerleading uniform would not have been flattering. In high school, I was thrilled with the fact we only had to take gym class in the ninth grade and then we were released from that mandated torture.

Let me pause here to say I do think children should learn good physical fitness habits, but the way gym class is structured is terrible. But that’s an entirely different blog post I’ll save for another day.

I made one more attempt as an adult to participate in a church volleyball team. I’ll sum that one-game experience up with the fact I don’t really like having a hard ball flying at my face and a resulting criticism from a teammate confirmed the fact I am not good with team sports.

I’ve done much better in recent years with solo workouts at the gym, Pilates classes, biking, hiking or running (that’s me at left running a 5k) – activities in which no one depended on me to hit a ball, run a base or hold up a pyramid of humans.

So, I’ve given that sad account to drive home what was a very exciting moment for me a couple weeks ago. I was referred to as an “athlete.”

I’ve started doing CrossFit, a fitness program often used by the military and police academies. It’s different each day – lifting weights, doing pull-ups, running, swinging kettle balls and a variety of other exercises to build strength, stamina and, I hope, the muscles in my arms and stomach. The nice thing is it can be customized for your level.

The trainer and owner of the facility sends out e-mail newsletters and refers to CrossFit participants as “athletes.” And, so, for the first time in my life I’ve decided to claim the title and wear it proudly. By the way, my other big accomplishment is I’m sweating and I don’t even mind.