March 2020. That’s the month that flipped everyone’s world upside down. Cars disappeared from the streets, everyone stayed home, and mother nature once again flourished. March 2020 was also the date I would last be seen on my college’s campus, as I would be spending the rest of my senior year attending classes from home. Covid’s unexpected and seemingly strategic timing meant only one thing for me: I was (basically) done with college. I had graduated! I was finally done with school! All of those years of sitting behind a desk while trying with everything in me to keep my eyes open, were over. Getting surprised with a pop quiz at 9am and taking grueling 40 question exams with a surprise two page essay at the end, were over. Conquering unapologetically windy mornings to my fluorescent lit classes would all be a distant nightmare. Lectures were now enjoyed from the comfort of my bed with my new whipped coffee creation in hand while The Office played quietly in the background. One could say, it was the ideal situation for someone about to graduate. It was the perfect time to relax before I officially entered the real world. Because how long can this thing take? Things will be back to normal in no time!
Days and weeks went by, and it occurred to me that while I was technically attending classes, I wasn’t learning anything. While learning online is great for some, for others, it pales in comparison to a classroom. Admittedly, my surrounding distractions played a part time role in stunting my at home learning, but what I missed and needed most was learning in a classroom with the professor. From lectures sparkling with inspiration and impromptu storytelling, to learning from a laptop speaker in a zoom room which was too new and felt too forced for ideas to be sparked. It grew unmistakably clear, the magic of learning was gone.
While earning my bachelors, I worked at several Lettuce Entertain You restaurants in various positions. When looking for a job, I could have worked anywhere, but I chose the restaurant industry for one major reason: my unconditional love for food. My love for cooking, baking and everything in between started young when I realized just how much better it tastes when you grow it and make it yourself. Growing up we had a sprawling garden filled with every fruit and vegetable the Kentucky climate would allow; and weekends were spent cooking with the most flavorful ingredients plucked right from our backyard.
For the last 40 years my dad has been a cattle farmer in Kentucky. Being a fiercely independent man himself, and nearing the age of 80, he has taught me many things in life. He taught me how to play the piano, how to knead dough, and how to move fence posts and bail rings around so cows can graze on new pastures. But most importantly, he showed me the power of independence and staying true to yourself. My dad was a math teacher turned metra train conductor to a farmer. Growing up he made it clear that nothing in life is more important than happiness; and after trying different paths, he finally found his true passion- farming. His love for farming was inspiring and he enjoyed watching me fall in love with the various hobbies I would try out. Growing up, I would build elaborate Lego houses and create blueprints for the houses too, to which he suggested I be an architect. Once I got pretty good at cooking and was starting to teach him new things, he suggested I could be a chef. He saw what I was passionate about and encouraged me to do something for a living that made me happy. It’s a good idea in theory and sometimes it works out, but I know it’s also wise to leave some hobbies just for fun. It wasn’t until my sophomore year of college and roughly one season into the show “Mad Men” that I realized a new passion of mine had been unveiled: marketing and advertising. It was subtle, yet brave; and was always looking to push the boundaries. It’s the ad on the side of the building that made you look twice. It’s the ad that made no sense at all, but still made you think about it all day. And it was the art, science, psychology, and all the data in between that made it into a billion dollar industry that I yearned to contribute to.
After graduating into the newly developed apocalyptic state Chicago had to offer, I landed my first marketing position in the booming city of Austin, Texas. But like the pandemic did to my learning, this job too was cut short. Turns out, doing door-to-door sales fell under their version of marketing, however, it was far from being under mine. To make up for my unfortunate new reality of moving alone across the country mid-pandemic and now being jobless; to keep me from living on the streets, I came up with something quick. So I learned all about Italian wines!– what makes a Chianti a Chianti, and how the palate should distinguish it from a Super Tuscan. I learned that bubbly wine is only technically called Champagne if the grapes were grown in the region of Champagne, France. All good information for dazzling dinner party guests which back then, wouldn’t be happening anytime soon…Perhaps I was embarking on a new sommelier journey post-college? Was wine my calling? It wasn’t of course, but working in the restaurant industry and being around food felt like the only familiar and safe thing I had.
After two years I moved back to Chicago and through a dumb luck connection, landed my first real job as the Assistant GM at Emporium Arcade Bar in Fulton Market. Logically, this is a great step for someone looking to stay in the hospitality industry; but for someone whose career aspirations shifted years ago, I felt like I was in career limbo. I was qualified enough for a job I didn’t entirely want, but (according to employers) not qualified enough for what I truly wanted to pursue–marketing. So I decided I would learn as much as I could about my new position; and then when the time came, I would move on. Not long after, I found myself applying to jobs again. After six months, 100 applications, and several cover letters later, I had no luck. It was just another day of job searching when I came across my desired role for an entry level advertising position at a marketing agency. I instantly applied for the full time role at GT Universe. Soon after, I experienced the most fun and productive interview with two people I knew I could learn so much from. While eagerly waiting for a second interview, I was saddened to hear that I didn’t receive the position. Frustrated with my circumstances and feeling less hopeful than ever, I kept my head down and continued to work. It wasn’t until I was taking a walk downtown almost two months later that I received a text from GT Universe that there might be something available for me, if I was still looking, that is. “Not a second went by before I jumped at the opportunity and now have my very own role at a marketing agency.” A marketing agency that is also tied to the food industry, which I happen to know a lot about and love.
In just a couple weeks time, my daily duties shifted from managing a bar staff and sending in EOD reports at 3am, to doing a job I had actually studied to do! Now, my new position with GT Universe keeps me on my toes more than any bar could have. From sitting in client calls with global brands like Keurig Dr. Pepper, Kraft-Heinz, and Coca-Cola to name a few; to creating and producing branded materials through photos, reels, stories, and more for various social media outlets. I am finally learning again and this time I’m smart enough to not take it for granted.
Navigating a post covid world as a new graduate was tough to say the least. I had to remind myself often that this job, this feeling, was all temporary and that better things were coming. After nearly 8 years of working in places where it’s standard to yell “corner!” after going around a corner, it was easy to lose hope that my dream job would ever come. I learned along the way that no one was coming to save me. I had to save me, and to do that I had to believe in myself. There are many things you can believe in that can make you a better person, but I think believing in yourself is one of the most rewarding. And with all great things it’s easier said than done, but it might be the one thing you need most. We’ve all heard the saying “if you stand for nothing you’ll fall for anything” So if you don’t know what you stand for, or how to believe in yourself, how do you change that? Because true belief only exists when you’ve first accepted yourself. Being true to you, especially in times when all you may have is belief, is key in becoming who you want to be. Find what you love, and what makes you truly happy, and try your hardest to get it. If you’re lost, and don’t know what to look for, surround yourself with people or things you’re inspired by. Because if you can believe in the person from the podcast you’re listening to, you can certainly believe in yourself. Still not enough? Maybe you need to write “I believe in me” down 1,000 times on paper to maybe believe it once. Maybe you need to scream it from atop a mountain, or if you’re in Chicago, from the top floor of the Willis Tower. Maybe you need that one person to tell you that they, in fact, believe in you. Maybe you need to see it to believe it. Whatever the case may be, I beg you to believe. But to do it correctly, you must believe in yourself. Because at the end of the day, when you’re you, and you’re content with that; you’ve truly won. Believe in yourself and never, ever, give up.
