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I’m not afraid of change. If I could paraphrase Michael Douglas in the movie “Wall Street,” “Change is good.” It’s a renewal. I get pumped up as I begin anew. That is one of the reasons I chose to build furniture; just as I got bored with a project, it would reach its end and the next piece began. Constant re-invigoration.
Nearly two years ago, I walked away from a position at Popular Woodworking Magazine (PWM) to pursue a different career path – I returned to my shop to build furniture. I know that is not a huge change, but change it is.
As I left the magazine, people asked what I planned to do when my commission work was complete. My response was that I might be flipping hamburgers at a well-known national restaurant chain with brightly colored arch-like structures. That wasn’t the case.
Another thing I pride myself on is recognizing an opportunity when it’s presented. While my commission work is not yet wrapped up – there are still at least four great pieces left to build – I was intrigued when the Managing Editor position opened here at the magazine.
I had learned over the 20-something months spent working in my shop how much I missed working with the staff; teamwork and camaraderie are great here. I also missed working on the magazine. I have a lot invested in Popular Woodworking Magazine. After a 16-year relationship, you would be amazed at the number of articles published. Search “Huey” at our online store at Shopwoodworking.com and you’ll find more than 100 product listings. And some of the earliest articles never found their way into the digital media.
After presenting at the California edition of Woodworking in America, I decided to place a call to our publisher, Kevin Ireland, to find out if I had a shot at coming back. He was open to the idea, so I ramped up my efforts to land the job.
Change is good.
You, of course, can guess the rest of the story. I got in touch with the PWM editor, Megan Fitzpatrick. I tried my best to show her I was the best candidate for the job and that I could handle managing editor duties as well as get a few projects built in the shop. Evidently, she too thinks that change is good because I am back.
What do I plan to do in the coming months? Learn to be a managing editor, do my job better and build a few projects in the shop. I also want to help improve an already successful magazine.
If you have thoughts on how I can do this, I welcome your comments. Change is good.
If you want your own dose of Huey from Shopwoodworking.com, try “The Best of Glen Huey Collection.” This kit offers a mixture of nine products from DVDs to books to articles. It’s not all-inclusive, but it is a great beginning.
