Mid-December: My most...time of year! Fill in the Blank!
How I met Santa, free Kindle Christmas book downloads, and women's unpaid labor...
Welcome to This Kaleidoscope Career with thoughts about doing it differently. As the colors of a kaleidoscope shift and tumble to create amazing and unique images, so do our skills, talents, experience and passion to take us on a career journey that is anything but linear. After four decades as a journalist, writer and professional speaker, I have learned a lot about how we communicate. This is the latest twist in my 3rd/Third. With my experience & others, I am here to help strengthen your communication skills, be confident and stand out in any room.
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I think I will take the rest of December off. Hmmm. That sounds delightful. A birthday present to me.
Hmmm!
The truth is I love December so I will keep working. In addition to all the stuff of wrapping up (no pun intended) a year — holiday events, cards to friends, colleagues and clients near and far, family commitments, I have given myself extra work by publishing my first children’s book — The Magic Christmas Sleigh
I have given myself extra work by publishing my first children’s book —
December is the high season for marketing and appearances. I am like a farmer at harvest time. I won’t get a second chance to introduce this story or sell the book until Christmas rolls around again.
Free Kindle Downloads
After consulting with Santa during one of his many appearances, we decided to give an early gift to all of you this week — gifts he doesn't have to fit in the sleigh or put under the tree!
From Dec 8-12 help yourself to a Free Amazon Kindle Download: The Magic Christmas Sleigh: A Family Holiday Story About Santa Claus and a Crisis at the North Pole. The vibrant illustrations come alive on a tablet or phone. What a great way to keep the little one busy while waiting online to tell Santa their wishes! (Please leave a review.) In addition to the e-book, we have released a companion coloring book with additional drawings by illustrator Jordyn Domasin. 42 coloring pages allow children to imagine the North Pole however they’d like.
You may think children’s author is a new career for me — as one of my oldest friends did. As you may know, I don’t think of life in terms of careers. Instead, it’s just another twist in the kaleidoscope of life. I am not the only journalist who is writing #kidlit. My friend and established journalist Poppy Harlow published her first kids’ book a few years ago, a wonder-filled Christmas story that started with her son. The Biggest Little Boy is about Luca and his curiosity. Since then, she co-wrote The Color of Love with Laura Jarrett.
But this newsletter is about December.
December Work and Why It’s Hard on Women
My colleague Francesca Donner is the founder and editor of The Persistent, a media platform telling women’s perspectives and untold stories. Her team captured this time of year beautifully in a comic-strip-style infographic.
The cartoonist,
plumbs the data that clearly shows women do most of the additional unpaid labor during the holidays (I am no stranger to this. Maybe that’s why my artificial Christmas tree is still naked!). Every generation adds more to the to-do list like the push to make everything social-media perfect or compete for the craziest elf scenes as a lead-up to Christmas. See the full comic here. This is certainly something to think about.What’s Next in 2025 for This Kaleidoscope Career
While it’s clear I am not taking December off, I am taking a break from my podcast. We wrapped up Season 1 with a nice little bow just before Thanksgiving and it is now on hiatus. Plans for Season 2 are in the works. More about that in the new year. And another children’s book is on the way, scheduled for publication early 2025.
See you in January. I hope you enjoy everything you celebrate in December
Happy New Year from Santa’s House to Yours!
Living in the country, I found a new event to go to. Did I mention I am going Caroling with the Cows…. Can’t wait!
Thanks for reading. Please subscribe for free to receive new posts on Wednesdays including This Kaleidoscope Career podcast and other audio/video segments and periodic Sunday Editions with news and musings from my 3rd/Third. Thank you for joining me here. I look forward to hearing from you.
About This Kaleidoscope Career
As a professional communicator, Helen Jonsen has a kaleidoscope career with decades of experience as a journalist, storyteller, media coach, voice-over talent, writer, media relations pro, and strategist. Helen is now taking the next step in her kaleidoscope career with This Kaleidoscope Career podcast and more. In the Season 1, Helen talks with leading women across various industries about the keys to unlocking a successful kaleidoscope career.
Helen is available as a speaker on topics to empower and embolden your audience. Find more here.
"This Kaleidoscope Career Podcast" is a production of helen jonsen media
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