In A Word: Juiced

I recently received confirmation that I was selected as one of eight bloggers to compete for a regular spot on the DM Juice website. I am not going to kid you, there were probably only eight people that signed up. However, I will do my best to achieve the low standards I have set forth here on In A Word.

The idea of reaching a bigger audience has me both excited and apprehensive. While every blogger wants to believe their opinions are so profound that the whole world need hear them, I am actually a little concerned whether I can withstand the scrutiny of thousands of viewers a day. Lets face it, I am not going to be in the majority on Juice with my right-wing political banter. I don't talk about sex, I don't wait with baited breath every Tuesday for new releases, I don't give relationship advice, and I certainly don't have the political standing of actually being a politician.

So, where do I fit in? I don't know yet, but I am willing to mix it up with Juice's regular bloggers and find out. The contest starts on February 20th and runs for 4 weeks. Each week there will be two bloggers competing against each other for votes. I find myself in the enviable position of blogging the last week. It was the week I wanted as I can sit back for three weeks and see how high the bar gets set. Those of us that make it past the first round, will then compete for one more week for the shot at a regular spot on DM Juice.

Yeah, yeah, I know Juice is more of a froo-froo site than most of the websites I visit. However, it is the greater image of self importance that I have that I find myself driven to compose the best pieces of prose I can for this contest. Talking with Cavan Reagan DM Juice's online content manager, I found out their blogs get over 10,000 hits a weeks. Simple math tells me I would need over 1 year to hit that level with In A Word.

And while I am not usually this open with personal feelings on In A Word, I have to be honest and say this is a chance to prove something to myself. You see, back in college at Iowa State I changed from a journalism/English dual major to a human resources/business major. I hated the direction I felt the journalism major was taking me. In hindsight, it was probably because of my conservative views. However, the truth is in the back of my mind, I have always wondered if I could have succeeded as a journalist.

Yes, I know making or not making the cut to the DM Juice blogroll is not necessarily a good indicator of whether or not I was meant to be a successful small business owner or a journalist. However, in some small way it helps. Maybe if you have ever given up something you felt so passionate for you would understand, but this weird tangent on DM Juice is just what I need in my life right now.

So, ultimately this means I need your help. For the week of March 13-19, In A Word will appear on DM Juice and I need your votes. I plan on always linking to DM Juice from In A Word, so you can continue to come here and then click away to Juice [because with a small business to run, a wife and 2 kids (with one on the way) I will have only enough time to blog on Juice that week].

So, wish me luck [O.K. you can stop shaking your head at me now...and the muffled snickering doesn't help either].