Storytime!
Hello, readers and fellow Praxians! As some of you may know, I began the job-hunting module in February and have been applying for positions ever since. The hardest part was finding an opportunity that genuinely excited me.
March 26th: DM
I got a LinkedIn DM from Isaac Morehouse! For any non-Praxians: Isaac Morehouse founded Praxis in 2013 and is currently the CEO of a company called OpenEd.
“I'm looking to hire a content/event marketing assistant…The role would be to promote our new book (coming next month) and get my co-author on as many podcasts, speaking events, etc., as possible.” — Isaac’s DM
Right off the bat, I was intrigued. While the role is only six months for the book launch, there's a chance it could transition into a marketing position—exactly what I’m aiming for.
March 27th: First Interview
In preparation, I dove into researching OpenEd. The company aims to “open education” by offering resources for parents to build a customized educational path for their children.
During the interview, I learned the assistant role would be directly supporting Matt Bowman, the founder of OpenEd. Near the end of the conversation, Isaac said:
“Think about it, but if you’re interested, send me a pitch for what you’d do in the first 60 days.”
I spent the rest of the day brainstorming ideas for the pitch while working (you can view the finished pitch here). The only problem? I had to drive to Virginia at 4 a.m. the next morning…
March 29th - 31st: Scheduling Interviews
I made it to the next round—more interviews! First up was a conversation with Matt, followed by a call with Charlie, a content marketer at OpenEd.
The next challenge? I was traveling from Virginia to Montana, then to Idaho. The drive to Montana was long and not known for reliable cell service.
April 1st - 2nd: Final Interviews
Though I live in the Eastern time zone, my interview with Matt was set for 8 a.m. Mountain time. Luckily, I had arrived in Montana and was already in that time zone. The next day, I spoke with Charlie at noon Pacific time—by then, I was in Idaho and again in sync.
Now, it was time to wait. Even though it had only been a few days, it felt like weeks had passed.
April 4th, 8:47 am: The Decision
I was walking to breakfast in Coeur D’Alene, Idaho, when I saw the email:
“Amazing to get to know you… We've decided to contract with a PR agency [instead].” — Isaac
I took a deep breath. I was disappointed, but it was also my last day with family in Idaho. It was baby Madelyn’s (my newest cousin) first time in a restaurant, and she made for a welcome distraction.
April 4, 1:29 pm: Follow Up
Later that day, while waiting to fly home at Spokane Airport, I saw another email:
“Charlie may hit you up to explore [a marketing intern] role.” — Isaac
I sat back amidst a flood of emotions: excitement, relief, maybe a touch of frustration. It felt like being broken up with—then hearing, “April Fools!” but I was excited to hear what this new role was.
April 5th - 9th: New Opportunity
I connected with Charlie and Ela (both on the marketing team at OpenEd) to discuss the role and its terms. On April 9, I received the official offer and document containing the terms.
My start date is Monday, April 14. The culture and pace already remind me of Praxis, and I can’t wait to dive in. I’ve found not only a role doing what I love but also a company doing something amazing.
Key Takeaways
Practice before passion: I created video pitches for companies I wasn’t super excited about. That practice helped me stay calm and perform well when it really mattered.
Learn out loud: It’s tempting to keep projects private until they’re perfect, but you risk missing valuable feedback. For example, Angelos (a job-hunting expert at Praxis) gave me tons of helpful advice because I was sharing the process.
“Life is crazy” isn't an excuse: If your excuse for not doing something is that life is chaotic, you’ll never get much done. Things will always be crazy—do it anyway.
