Why I Did It... The VMA's

February 3, 2012

I have had dozens of conversations over the last few weeks with friends, colleagues, mentors and others who are curious about my decision to quit my full-time job after getting two degrees from an Ivy League university and getting a job at the same institution with awesome benefits, free tuition, and travel opportunities. Why did you do it? When did you know it was time?

I decided to quit my job in August of 2011. I had thought about it for a while after deciding to start my event planning business in the summer of 2010 (I'll explain that story later.) I knew that if I was really serious about being an entrepreneur, at some point I would have to take the plunge and go all the way. Having been educated amidst pragmatic, logical, A-type thinkers, I, of course, knew that this couldn't happen until certain things were aligned. You know: bills paid, money saved, dents in loans, capital, investors, etc. So that became the plan; I'd work a pretty good full-time job with great benefits until I had things all set up to make a cushy transition into the entrepreneur's realm. This all changed when I went to L.A.

A good of friend of mine who works in the music industry G-chats me on the afternoon of Monday, August 23rd inviting me to the Video Music Awards taking place that Sunday evening. Yep, the MTV Video Music Awards-- where Beyonce announces her pregnancy. I, having never attended such a big red carpet affair freaked out... naturally. There isn't enough time! How could I afford this? What would I wear? What would I say? I should share that less than two weeks before this invitation, I'd made a promise to myself that I would no longer stick to doing what was comfortable; I would start taking risks in the name of personal growth and development. In light of this, I told myself that if I could find a flight under $300 on such short notice, I'd go. (A nice little combo of spontaneity and pragmatism). By Wednesday, I hadn't found anything under $600 so I felt ok about deciding not to go; at least I tried.

Thursday morning, I receive an email from my good friend in Maryland. She had spotted a last-minute deal for a flight flying out of DC to Orange County and sent me the information. The flight was $250... Change of plans. I'm going to the $*@!&% VMA's.

The VMA's in short: I could go on and on about how awesome the VMA's were but in light of the purpose of the post, I'll sum it up as an aspiring event planner's dream: a spectacular well-timed and well-executed show; a beautiful set, beautiful people, overall, a striking production. I felt great; I looked great. I attended a few high-profile events. I met celebrities and high-level executives and above all, I had a blast. The point during the trip that changed my life, however, was at a VMA after-party at the SLS Hotel in Beverly Hills.

There were lots of "industry people" around (celebrity and non) and after having several underwhelming conversations, it hit me: everyone there was just a regular person. I know, I know- profound. But seriously, this was one of the most defining moments in my career.  For some reason, I expected to be blown away by amazing talent, striking brilliance, unmatched charm, extraordinary intelligence. This was not the case. I did have great conversations; I met really friendly (along with not-so-friendly) people. But what struck me was that I fit in. Not because of anything that makes me special but because of everything that makes me normal; everyone at the top is just as insecure, self-conscious, worried, awkward, pseudo-confident and regular as I was! If these regular folks were making millions (or a heck of a lot more than me) for simply making a decision to go after a dream and sticking to it, what was stopping me?

And that was it.

A good friend of mine, who is a singer, challenged my hesitancy that weekend; she, who also dropped everything to chase after her dreams, asked me a pivotal question: so when are you going to quit making excuses and make it happen? I started that night. On August 29, 2011 in Beverly Hills at one of the most awkward "fancy" events I'd ever attended, I decided to stop creating stories that said people at the top are somehow different than me. I told my friend that I would no longer play it safe or be "reasonable." By January of 2012, I would quit my job, move to New York and go after what I wanted simply because... I can.

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