Fulfilling Occupation | Changing Course
Time for a new chapter In 2008, Todd Arkenberg exchanged a career as an airline executive for the solitary life of a novelist. Now living in Brussels and working on his third book, he has (almost) never looked back. TEXT MARIA FOLEY
Todd and Jim
I
t’s not hard for Todd to pinpoint the beginning of his passion for writing. “I got the bug early, in grade school,” he says. “I loved the creative writing exercises, and had fun weaving stories.” But university creative writing programmes were few and far between in those days, so Todd satisfied his creative needs with a BA in English from Northwestern University. Then he opted for a completely different path. “An MBA in Finance and Accounting launched my business career and took me away from fiction writing,” he says. He joined United Airlines in 1986, and rose through the ranks at the Chicago headquarters until he became a VicePresident in 2006. Two years later, worn down by the relentless onslaught of rising fuel prices and neverending cost-cutting measures,
Global Connection | December 2014
he decided the time was ripe to take the leap and finally pursue his dream of becoming a full-time writer.
Getting down to business The autumn of 2008 found Todd sitting in a coffee shop, excitedly compiling a list of writing projects. Then he set to work. “They tell you to write what you know,” he says, and that’s exactly what he did. His debut novel, Final Descent, is a fictional tale of a dysfunctional airline headquartered in Chicago. “It’s not autobiographical, I promise,” he says. “The story pivots on three characters: an evil CEO, the young idealistic guy tasked to save the company, and the wizened head of operations who must decide which of the two men he supports. It’s a throwback to an old western; there are good guys, bad guys, and a conflicted sheriff in the mix. You’re never completely sure whose side the sheriff’s on.” “I cut my teeth on this novel,” he adds. “A labour of love, a very cathartic process. Everyone who’s read it says ‘Todd, you made the right decision to leave corporate America’.”
Belgium bound It was in 2013, right around the time Final Descent launched, that The Nielsen Company offered Todd’s spouse, Jim a position in Brussels. The couple had long hoped for an international assignment, but a sliver of concern tempered Todd’s exhilaration. “These transitions are never easy. I feared losing momentum, not being able to get back into writing mode,” he says. “I didn’t have a clear mind, which you need to be creative.”
‘Writing may not be easy or pay well, but it’s a joy’ In January 2014, Todd and Jim made the move to Belgium. Once Todd connected with a local writers group, he fell into his writing routine. His worries vanished. It was in Brussels, after all, that he finished the initial draft of his third novel. He generously credits his success to his writing groups (both in Chicago and Brussels), and especially to Jim. “This adventure wouldn’t be possible without Jim’s love and support. His faith in me and his interest in my writing helped propel me along this journey. I write my initial drafts for him, and he reads every single word. He’s not shy about giving feedback, either.”
Coming Soon from the desk of Todd D. Arkenberg Jell-O and Jackie O is a coming of age story about a little boy who discovers Jackie Kennedy in a magazine at a time when the conflict between the 1950s housewife and 1960s liberated woman is being played out in his home. Publication date: end of 2014
None Shall Sleep is based on an “incredibly fabulous” woman Todd met in grad school, who decided to shake up her life in her forties by training to be an opera singer. She discovers that performing is secondary to the colourful people she meets on her artistic journey. Publication date: 2015
Spillover from a former career Although they may seem poles apart, in many ways the corporate world served as an unlikely training ground for Todd’s second act as a novelist. “Business skills are highly transferable to a writing career,” he points out. “I used my writing skills constantly to galvanise, motivate, inspire and lead large teams. And novel writing has a lengthy work-in-progress cycle that requires focus, patience, flexibility and determination, with an aim to achieve a goal. I credit much of my disciplined approach to the lessons I learned in business.”
Todd looks back on his 25-year corporate career with mixed feelings. While there was certainly much to celebrate, the stress of that high-flying life eventually took its toll. He has no regrets about turning the page and starting a new chapter. In fact, he feels exceedingly fortunate that he’s now able to fully embrace his passion. “Writing may not be easy or pay well, but it’s a joy,” he says. “I love the old adage, ‘Find something you love and you’ll never work another day in your life’.”
Global Connection | December 2014