Writing Again
In the early and mid 2010s, I found a deep passion for writing. First, I wrote about the nonprofit sector on a site called Nonprofit Gold. It was here that I shared my thoughts on the nonprofit sector and how it should be improved. Then I began sharing my journey as a parent and our family’s financial goals and dreams on a site called Pure Family Gold. Both of these blogs were passion projects of mine and allowed me to share my experiences and also the expertise that I was gaining.
From writing articles weekly to bi-weekly, I found something soothing about putting my thoughts down on paper and sharing them with the world. While the articles never went viral, I felt that I had worthwhile things to share and had pretty good responses from my peers, family and friends.
But then parenthood took hold and I had to stop writing to focus on what is most important in life… my family. By the time I stopped posting regular articles on Pure Family Gold, I had a six year old son and a one year old daughter. I was changing jobs again and didn’t see how my writing could continue. I would have sporadic moments where I thought about writing again or restarting my websites but my passion for writing had gone to the wayside.
Over the next five years, I would write an article here or there but I never felt like I had one consistent platform to share my thoughts. I began writing notes on a personal Facebook page and wrote a couple of articles on MazelTogether which is a program that I was running at the time but something still felt like it was missing.
I missed the days when I could write an article and share it within minutes of completing it. I missed “owning” my own content. I missed building out a brand and mapping out a consistent schedule of writing articles. I missed sharing both personal and professional successes or struggles. Most of all, I missed the way that writing made me feel when I pressed the “go live” button on an article.
And then a little over two months ago, I was in a deep state of depression and anxiety and had just begun seeking out help for my mental illness. I knew that I couldn’t go on this journey alone and I reached out to my friends at MazelTogether and asked if I could write a series of articles about my mental health journey. They graciously agreed and as I sat down to think about the three articles, something sparked. My passion for writing was back.
It was like nothing had changed in the last five years. The words that I wanted to put down on paper came out naturally and I began telling my story. It was therapeutic to put my thoughts down on paper and share this vulnerability with the MazelTogether community and my own loved ones. And the reception from my friends and family were re-affirming. Not only were they checking in on my mental well being but they told me how much the articles meant to them. I had people reach out and thank me for sharing my story and telling me their own stories.
It was in one of these conversations that I shared my desire to relaunch a website that could house my writing, share my skills, and allow me to build out my ultimate brand…
The Josh Gold brand.
For so long, I had tried building these other brands (Nonprofit Gold and Pure Family Gold) that would highlight a part of me but not the whole me. They were very niche websites and would only speak to those that were seeking that specific content. And then I remembered the time that I was starting a new job and I was about to set up a new Facebook profile for that specific job. A friend turned to me and said, “why would you create a separate ‘you?’ Once you post something online, it is you. Whether it is one profile or another, the genuine you is Josh Gold.”
With that in mind, I have brought my passions for the nonprofit sector, personal finances and parenting under one roof, the Josh Gold roof.
I hope that my writing inspires you or makes you take a second and ponder how you can make a change in your life. Either way, if there is anyway that I can help you, whether it be through coaching or consulting you (both personally or professionally), don’t hesitate to reach out.