During my early career, I worked as a journalist, primarily in New York. I traveled around the city and the U.S., attending press conferences and conducting interviews. I spent many hours each week writing and editing, which I enjoyed until I began suffering from headaches. Though given many accolades, I took a break from the magazine business and worked as a handyman assistant for what I thought would be a brief stint. My headaches disappeared as we erected fences, poured concrete around posts and painted exteriors. Eventually, I became a master carpenter and then a construction manager, a better fit for my brain.