The Job

OK. Dream job may have been a slight overstatement. Opportunity of a lifetime is probably a better description.

Last week I spent my last day as the Managing Editor of Utah Business. I knew going into that job that it would primarily be a stepping stone to something bigger. The pay was far from adequate and the opportunities there were clearly limited. But the job lead to my current position, a chance of a lifetime and a long-term solution for career, personal and family development.

I'm now the public relations manager for the Sorenson group of companies. Most people I say that to really have no idea what I'm talking about. A lot of Utahns have probably heard the Sorenson name, but don't know much about what the Sorensons do. In a nutshell, the late James LeVoy Sorenson built an empire on medical innovation and real estate acquisition. Before his death in early 2008, he was recognized as one of the richest men in the world by Forbes magazine. Since his death, the companies have been put in control of his children, along with a charitable foundation. His son James Lee Sorenson was involved in building the businesses for a number of years and now leads many of the organizations. My job is basically to make sure these companies continue to grow in the near term, while helping James Lee in the marketing of future investments and ventures.

I'll be the first to admit that the world of wealth is a little out of my realm of reality, but that aside, the job is a perfect jump from journalism (in which I earned by bachelor's degree) to public relations (which offers numerous more opportunities around Utah). In the PR world, the opportunities available are either with an agency or within a corporation. At Sorenson, it comes as a combination of both, with the variety found in an agency and the depth and solidarity offered by a major corporation.

More importantly, Michelle no longer has to worry about quitting her job as a teacher to stay at home and raise our children. We always knew that would be the plan from the day we got engaged, but until this development, we weren't exactly sure how that was going to be feasible financially. I can't be more grateful for her sacrifice on behalf of our family.

Along with any additional stress or pressure I might feel, the confirmation spiritually that this is the right move for our family will help carry me all the way. A couple of weeks ago a woman in our ward delivered a message in sacrament meeting that couldn't be more true. She said, "If you ever want to hear God laugh, tell him your plans for the future." I can see now why that could never be more true. He is constantly and undeniably watching out for each of us. It is more likely that we should be asking, "What's next? I will go and do."