I vividly remember being 18 years old and interviewed for our high school senior video. The question: where do you see yourself in 10 years? I looked straight into the camera and said I would be living in Los Angeles and acting (I mean, I was a theater major), would have no kids, and would still be best friends with my high school BFF, Rachel.
Funnily enough, I was sort of right. I don't have kids, Rachel was my maid of honor, and I did live in Los Angeles for two years. And though I never actually pursued acting, I did work in television. I had all of these preconceived notions about what my adult life should look like, but what I failed to recognize at the time were all the in-between moments, the growing pains that must occur on the path to success.
Almost 12 years later, I'm just a few days away from turning 30. Though I can honestly say my anxiety levels of hitting the big three zero are pretty low, I'm also human. I'm guilty of comparing myself to other people based on their levels of success. It's hard to see someone in their early twenties become super successful - especially in your own field of work - and not wonder why you have fallen behind the curve. Age sometimes seems as if it is a measuring stick for success. Like if you haven't hit it big by 30 (or 40, or 50, etc), you never will. In the awesome but also horrible world of social media, it's almost impossible not to size yourself up alongside everyone else with more: more followers, more money, more exposure, and in turn, more "success." Everyone makes their lives look perfect on the internet. I know it, you know it, we all know it. Yet there's still that small feeling inside that tells you "you may be good, but that person is better." So how do we, especially females, shut up that voice?
For each of us, it's different. For me, there are days when I feel like I can accomplish literally anything and then also days when one tiny thing can make me feel like the world's biggest failure. But what I try to continue to remind myself is to never be afraid to try something new, to be willing to see where the adventure leads. I left college having no idea what I wanted to do with my life. If you told me I'd be working in sports, I would have laughed at you. But opportunities presented themselves and I worked as hard as I could to learn, learn, learn. My parents always told me that the most important aspect of a job is that it presents you with an opportunity to learn. I've taken that advice and used it in every step I've had along the way. I’ve had to do grunt work, from logging hours of tape to taping boxes (the tape gun is my worst enemy) to even picking up dead bugs on set. But I’ve also gotten to do some pretty awesome things, including accomplishing my goal of doing television this past year. Am I where I want to be long term? No. But at least I can be proud of the steps I've made along the way.
Recently, I've had many high school and college students reach out for work advice. And aside from telling them to make sure their resumes have no grammatical errors (no, seriously -- proofreading is your friend), the number one thing I want to convey is that you should be willing to do the work that other people don't want to do. That's how you set yourself apart. In the sports media world, everybody wants to be in front of the camera. But it's the people who are excited for the chance to just hold the camera who leave the right sort of impression. Never think a job is beneath you. And always, always be nice.
So as I say goodbye to my twenties, I am grateful for the all of the in-between moments - many bad, many great - that have helped shape both me and my work ethic over the past ten years. I'm grateful for the people who have presented me, and continue to present me, with learning experiences. I'm grateful for the friends and family who have taught me to celebrate all successes, no matter how small. And I continue to encourage anyone who is reading this to remember that the first step is always the hardest but hard work (and a little luck!) will never fail you.
Funnily enough, I was sort of right. I don't have kids, Rachel was my maid of honor, and I did live in Los Angeles for two years. And though I never actually pursued acting, I did work in television. I had all of these preconceived notions about what my adult life should look like, but what I failed to recognize at the time were all the in-between moments, the growing pains that must occur on the path to success.
Almost 12 years later, I'm just a few days away from turning 30. Though I can honestly say my anxiety levels of hitting the big three zero are pretty low, I'm also human. I'm guilty of comparing myself to other people based on their levels of success. It's hard to see someone in their early twenties become super successful - especially in your own field of work - and not wonder why you have fallen behind the curve. Age sometimes seems as if it is a measuring stick for success. Like if you haven't hit it big by 30 (or 40, or 50, etc), you never will. In the awesome but also horrible world of social media, it's almost impossible not to size yourself up alongside everyone else with more: more followers, more money, more exposure, and in turn, more "success." Everyone makes their lives look perfect on the internet. I know it, you know it, we all know it. Yet there's still that small feeling inside that tells you "you may be good, but that person is better." So how do we, especially females, shut up that voice?
For each of us, it's different. For me, there are days when I feel like I can accomplish literally anything and then also days when one tiny thing can make me feel like the world's biggest failure. But what I try to continue to remind myself is to never be afraid to try something new, to be willing to see where the adventure leads. I left college having no idea what I wanted to do with my life. If you told me I'd be working in sports, I would have laughed at you. But opportunities presented themselves and I worked as hard as I could to learn, learn, learn. My parents always told me that the most important aspect of a job is that it presents you with an opportunity to learn. I've taken that advice and used it in every step I've had along the way. I’ve had to do grunt work, from logging hours of tape to taping boxes (the tape gun is my worst enemy) to even picking up dead bugs on set. But I’ve also gotten to do some pretty awesome things, including accomplishing my goal of doing television this past year. Am I where I want to be long term? No. But at least I can be proud of the steps I've made along the way.
Recently, I've had many high school and college students reach out for work advice. And aside from telling them to make sure their resumes have no grammatical errors (no, seriously -- proofreading is your friend), the number one thing I want to convey is that you should be willing to do the work that other people don't want to do. That's how you set yourself apart. In the sports media world, everybody wants to be in front of the camera. But it's the people who are excited for the chance to just hold the camera who leave the right sort of impression. Never think a job is beneath you. And always, always be nice.
So as I say goodbye to my twenties, I am grateful for the all of the in-between moments - many bad, many great - that have helped shape both me and my work ethic over the past ten years. I'm grateful for the people who have presented me, and continue to present me, with learning experiences. I'm grateful for the friends and family who have taught me to celebrate all successes, no matter how small. And I continue to encourage anyone who is reading this to remember that the first step is always the hardest but hard work (and a little luck!) will never fail you.