00:01.57 archpodnet Welcome back to episode two eighty of this s hereum archeology podcast and we're talking about you know, just the beginning of the year here and and and what you can do and I tell you what this went a completely different direction than we even talked about in the beginning and that's you know i's idea of creating ah creating ah ah a career in world archeology. You know outside of. 00:11.45 Bill White Yeah, yeah. 00:13.86 Heather Um, always um. 00:18.99 Bill White I mean I want to do that is all I'm saying my kids are almost graduating high school I'm like yeah yeah, ah. 00:19.37 archpodnet Yeah, and well but let me tell you man with ah I mean ah Paul from the archeotech podcast right? I mean he he was in archeology academia got his ph d back in the late 90 s I believe it was. And ah, late late 90 s like I think at the end of the 90 s maybe even early two thousand s and then when him and his wife were having their first child. You know, just kind of came to the realization that this wasn't going to cut it. You know as far as you know career wise and it just they lived in New York City and you know it's just expensive and and so he ended up getting a job as an it person. 00:45.80 Bill White Move. 00:55.80 archpodnet Ah, but still kind of keeping his toe in in archeology through some of his side stuff but basically his his main job was as in the it department at a private school in New York and just a few years ago he retired from there and there was ah various reasons he retired early for sure. It's not like he was you know was his late sixty s I think he's. In his early 50 s now. So um, but he retired from there and then wanted to just go back into crm. He actually worked for me for a little bit on a couple of projects and just as a field tech and he's got a ph d in archeology from you know, twenty plus years ago but ah he he worked as a field tech and then within a few years I mean he just kept. Finding small work he he was humble about it. He he didn't care about where he worked he he didn't be like I have a ph d you're going to pay me this and I'm going to do this He's just like I just want to go dig some holes and get out of the house so you know that's basically where his attitude was and and he just kept at it though and now he is the one I was talking about that is you know. Spending um months and months at a time over the last couple of years over in Saudi Arabia working for you know a company over there. You said like we said there's a number of companies working over there but he's been working over there and and doing different things. Plus he's keeping his toe in the academic side of things keeping those associations together. So he's gone over and done some academic projects over there as well. And Iraq and some other areas and he just he loves the Middle East and working over there and I think if if you just keep your eyes open and you keep your options open and you don't continue to shut things down based on. 02:27.81 archpodnet You know these tiny little things that you can nitpick and say well I don't know about that I don't know about this. What am I going to do about that worry about it. Just do it see what happens right? Like what's the worst that could happen and people always try to find these little things and this is not even related to the topic but it's related to the. 02:34.20 Heather I learn right. 02:45.40 archpodnet To the apathy people have. But um, every time I talk to somebody about rving right? like my wife and I as everybody knows it's been three and a half years now we've been living full time in an rv and I always get people that say oh I I wish I could do that and like okay, what's the why is why is there a full stop at the end of that sense like like why? Why aren't you doing that. And like well I've got this job. Well I've got kids. Well I've got blah blah blah. It's like okay literally everybody I know that's doing this has jobs has kids has pets has all the things that everybody else has they just found a way to make it work so quit your bitching and and find a way to make it work and. 03:04.16 Bill White Yeah. 03:19.10 Bill White Um, ah. 03:20.83 archpodnet I Know that there are big logistical hurdles that people have but if there's something you want to do just write it down figure out what that career looks like that thing that you want to do Maybe it's only for a year and then just do it. You know, find a way against all odds and just do it and. 03:31.16 Bill White Yeah, well and the other you know the other thing too because you started off with talking about how we have a million folks listening to the podcast network right? I mean the the I remember in those early days. The whole idea was to talk about cultural resources to try and help people. 03:32.66 Heather Um, great lot of. 03:40.42 archpodnet Yeah. 03:48.32 Bill White You know, navigate the careers that we'd had for a long time and and both of us were you know in between jobs and going all over and you know trying to find work and you know you started a company I went for a Ph D program but the the whole thing was like you know how are you going to make this work and there wasn't really any archeology podcast except for you know. 03:53.45 archpodnet Yeah. 04:08.34 Bill White Ah, absolutely produced stuff from you know Nat Geo and stuff and so we didn't know how it's going to turn out but there wasn't anyone doing it and so we just started doing it and you know it ended up now we have a million listeners or a million downloaders. 04:10.50 archpodnet Yeah, yeah. 04:23.77 Bill White Um, but the thing that we're talking about of being a world archeologist like there isn't a job for that I mean all the professors are stuck in their little niche and we go to our little Island or our little community and dig our little thing and then we go back to our you know Musty little desk so you can't be asking your professors how that's going to work and we don't all work for international companies. 04:23.95 archpodnet Um, yeah. 04:32.74 Heather Right. 04:41.76 archpodnet Oh. 04:41.82 Heather Right. 04:43.64 Bill White So there's not someone who's like oh yeah I know how they got those contracts you they don't know how they got those things right? So so even those companies that have those contracts. There's no one who's a specialist in world archeology who just travels the world right? So you're going to have to make it up and if you think that this sounds awesome I mean yeah, just like Chris was saying. 04:52.78 archpodnet Right. 05:00.95 Bill White There there is no pathway you're you're going to have to discover this on your own because no, one's going to be able to give you advice. It's not like the CRm podcast where we had to learn how to podcast but we knew about crm there's no one who's going to help you. You have to really invent this on your own. It sounds amazing I want to try it. 05:01.36 Heather Every. Yeah. 05:16.93 Bill White And so I don't know where to go but I know I'm going to start figuring it out because it sounds like there's CRM around the world and I'm I'm sitting around missing it out. 05:25.10 Heather And I think um, you know, just use the resource that resources that you have don't be afraid to ask questions. You know you'll start you know start googling start you hear here we say. Okay, if you're interested in going to Saudi Arabia we said there are there's. You know Paul that's there reach out to him and there's those of us on on on apn are fairly accessible so you know I don't think you have to go it alone going to another country especially one that is culturally very different than yours. 05:43.75 archpodnet Yeah. 05:58.91 Heather Is exciting but there are some realities you need to consider. So yes, you can go but don't go with wild abandon. Um, go smartly but don't let those details stop you from going after something that's interesting and especially those that are young now that you're not tied down when you're. 06:04.38 archpodnet Yeah. 06:17.27 Heather Start having children. It's a little bit more difficult. Um take advantage of the the freedom and independence that you have right now to go and explore and try try different things and I just that's 1 thing with archeology that I think sometimes can be very shortsighted I understand the idea that we need to be have regional like experts. That's great, but. 06:23.29 archpodnet Her. 06:37.23 Heather I think that we get very stuck in our own methodology when we haven't worked in other parts of the world and the country and so having experience in other parts of the world is um is just going to make you a better archeologist. 06:49.26 archpodnet Yeah, not only that too heather you were kind of alluding to this but you know if you're going somewhere like Saudi Arabia for example because they're the topic at hand I mean maybe take a look at their cultural laws and regulations and if that's not something you want to abide by then don't go there because just. 07:01.52 Heather Yes, yes, yes. 07:07.21 archpodnet Your American Passport is not going to shield you from what you may think are some relatively crazy laws especially towards women. Yeah no, no. 07:12.00 Heather And your American yeah and your American sensibilities are also not going to are not going to have it you you can't go in there and just say well I'm just going to change things because that's the way it should be. It does not work that way in all countries. 07:23.28 archpodnet Um, yeah, right. 07:26.89 Heather So yeah, definitely be mindful of that and and make sure that you're going in in a smart way. Um, but with that said, if that's something you want to do after you do some decent amount of research go for it. The opportunity is there right now more than it has. 07:31.67 archpodnet Indeed. 07:38.23 archpodnet Yeah, exactly. 07:43.31 Heather Ever been. The opportunity. Is there. 07:44.52 archpodnet I Mean you always have to make culturally that's he you're doing it. 07:44.63 Bill White I I'm gonna I'm seizing the day that's it can throw part at the map and I'm gonna find a project there. Yep. 07:47.92 Heather I Get our next podcast. 07:54.87 archpodnet Nice, nice. Like I said you always have to be culturally sensitive like every time we drive through Texas I buy a gun rack at the ah you know first store on the side I put up a rifle and then I give it back when I get to you know Louisiana or New Mexico well New Mexico I think you have to keep it there too. But. 08:02.67 Bill White Um, ah, yeah, whenever right whenever I visit my family in Idaho I get one of those bumper stickers. It says for a small town this village sure has a lot of idiots. And then I take it off when I get back to this Ah. 08:20.60 archpodnet Ah, nice, nice. All right? Well anything else at the ah the first podcast of the year that we really want to bring up and and start the year off right? with guys. 08:31.91 Heather Well I think you know we had talked about it offline as far as um, timing the end of the year. What are these rushes that sometimes we see I think we've already established that um for clients. Um. 08:38.61 archpodnet Me. 08:43.71 Heather You know, typically field work and rushes of getting projects done are definitely client generated those requests. Um, but the 1 thing as a good reminder you know I I tell my kids this too. It's not always the smartest person that is the most successful at a company. It's the person that key that. Ah. 09:00.40 archpodnet E. 09:02.80 Heather Costs ah causes or creates the least amount of trouble for their management and that almost always is turning in your paperwork on time doing your expenses making sure your logs and are in on time. Those are the ones that. Are going to get consistent work so this is the end of the year is usually when you have this push to make sure that all your records are in for expenses and you know if you just a word to the wise um, especially for those that are starting off in this business There's a lot to keep track of um, don't give away your money by not turning in your expenses. Because there is a finite amount of time to turn in those expenses so just make sure that you're you're doing that you're keeping good records that you are turning in your logs on time because that's one surefire way of not getting hired again from a company is if you do the work and you're showing up and it's. You know that's good on you to you know, be um, responsible in that way. But then you don't turn in your logs that demonstrate the work that you did. It's all for not so just making sure that you stay on top of your records. Don't leave it until the last minute on December thirtieth when the company's after you take. 10:12.97 archpodnet Yeah, right right? indeed bill Any final wise words wisdom. 10:14.82 Heather Turn everything in do it as you go. 10:21.84 Bill White Yeah, this year was pretty tough for me so I would recommend that folks don't make archeology or identity don't burn out. Ah I mean it's it's phenomenal. What happens when you hit the wall. It's pretty. It's pretty disastrous right? So don't. 10:30.98 archpodnet Ah, yeah, yeah, yeah. 10:38.64 Bill White Let this be the only thing in your life. It's good for you to work for your career. It's good for you but definitely find something else that makes your life worthwhile and enjoyable outside of archeology. 10:46.98 archpodnet Yeah, you know I'll echo that too because don't make fieldwork your identity right? A lot of people make fieldwork their identity like oh I didn't dig a hole last week therefore who am I in this world right? I'm nothing and that's not necessarily true, right? like I. 10:53.20 Heather Yes. 11:06.17 archpodnet A couple of years ago I basically I probably worked my last project for a while to be honest with you the last project. My company is going to do anyway I might do some other stuff later on. But um I just I made the conscious decision not to seek any more work really field work for my company only because it wasn't fitting a lifestyle that we had and wanted to have right? so. Um, it. It wasn't fitting that anymore and and it wasn't conducive to the way that we wanted to live so I started basically increasing my activity in some other areas and some other work that I was doing that's kind of outside of archeology and now that's really paying the bills for now anyway, but that also doesn't define me. So. You know I'll just keep doing this until it's not conducive for me to do that anymore either and and then I'll do something else. So just try not to be defined by those things like Bill said and ah, we'll go from there and I think bill dropped off the call. So ah, the internet has said this is all done Heather's still here. But. 11:59.10 Heather Um, I'm still here. Yeah yeah. 12:03.48 archpodnet The internet's had it. So with that I think we will leave you with the start of Twenty Twenty four. Hopefully it's a good one for you and feel free to email in with any questions We don't have to put them on online but we do have some people here that have had some good experience and we might be able to help you through some stuff so hit us up in the show notes at Archeologypodcastnetwork.com and with that we'll see you guys later. But okay I'm going to. 12:22.52 Heather A.