I have always been a girl who took the path less traveled...i.e... made my family a litttleeee concerned with my choices of life and /or the order I made the choices. I am not saying I was ever a bad kid...I certainly was not. But, I never quite did the whole...go to college, get a job, find a husband route. I went to college... graduated and then realized I had no clue what I truly wanted to do. All I knew was that I loved music, health and fitness...and loved them since I can remember. Well, I was able to play shows here and there, but I had to quickly become real and realize, I was not going to be the next Etta James. The music world is a tough one, and the instability was too much.
I had received my personal training license in college and got a job working at Golds Gym.... way to go SMU Journalism degree :/ I had such high hopes for my life after college. I had visions of wearing suites and heels and going to business lunches and traveling for work.... But I had no vision of what job I was doing. Yet, here I was... working at Golds Gym, not using my degree....and working IN A GYM. I was one of those people I felt sorry for.... "oh, they must have really screwed up in college to be working here." But I did really well in college. I just had no idea I wasn't going to know exactly what job I wanted and actually get it right out of the gates....So I personal trained. Then I was a receptionist.... again...I had the "how the hell did this happen" moment at that job. A straight 'A' college graduate with a journalism degree from a great university was now a receptionist. I still continued personal training on the side and taught fitness classes as well. I also took the time to get my pilates certification. So, I now had all these certifications, degrees, etc., and was still a receptionist, teaching classes (in a gym) in the morning or at night.
The good news was, I was hungry for more and am not the type of person to sit around and wait for something to change. I spoke to my HR folks and told them I wanted more and asked advice, had lunches with higher ups in the company to hear their stories on how they got to where they were... I started to become a sponge, listening and learning from people I admired.
A year and a half later... I was asked to recruit (an opportunity from a prior mentor) for a start up technology company. I loved it. I loved the craziness of the start up world, I loved getting REAL paychecks (making real money), and I loved that I was learning a ton each and every day. However, I still could not stop teaching my fitness classes. I was making good enough money to not have to teach, but I still did it. I wanted to. I loved training clients and teaching fitness classes. It was weird to not quit the minute I took this crazy recruiting job. About 8 months into the recruiting gig (after two promotions), I realized I was dreaded going into work. I had to sit in traffic and then come into an office where there were some corporate politics going on. I would always say good morning, and no one else would. I would look at the quality of life my co workers had, and how tired they looked and run down...I didn't want to be that in 10 years. What good was making amazing money when all you are doing is stressing about work, and depleting your health? It just didn't seem worth it. So i quit...and moved to New York to study food and health to really take on the health world. If I were really to be a health professional full time. I wanted to be the best. I wanted to know about preventative care, diseases, how food effects us. So, I sold my car and moved.
Never in my life would it ever cross my mind to be a FULL TIME pilates/fitness instructor or personal trainer. I mean, that sounds like I completely flopped in my education and was a kid who didn't take education seriously. I really frowned upon the idea of thinking of myself as a full time fitness person....which is why it took me so long to get here.
I am almost 30 years old. I have made 2 albums with my singing, lived in California, Dallas, New York and Austin. I have my Journalism degree from SMU, pilates certification, personal trainer certification, graduated from culinary school, sung at two south by south wests, worked as a recruiter, event manager, receptionist and have owned my own business....and here I am, all this education and hard work, and I am a full time pilates and fitness instructor and health coach. Should I be embarrassed? I can tell you this much, I work harder now than I have ever in my life. I am up at the crack of dawn and train until the evening. I am on my feet all day and no matter what mood I am in, I have to be a motivator, I have to be a positive light for clients. I don't know how I could be embarrassed doing something that I love, helping people feel good about their selves and learning something new every day.
I don't think many people understand the life of a full time fitness instructor. Seems like all we do is get to work out and get paid for it...right? Ya, that was my idea of it too. But, it is far more than that...at least it is if you care about your job and your clients. I spend every free hour I have, studying or researching for clients and preparing for classes. I take my job very seriously, and I do this in order to prove to people that this is not a job for the lazy, or stupid (I mean, yes, there are a number of lazy stupid fitness folks out there), but if someone in this career really loves what they do, and really loves to help people, than this is nothing to be embarrassed about. Some days I question my path...and I think I need to be looking into going to PT school or medical school or maybe just go be an attorney, because get too caught up about what others may think of my title.
I am not an executive, I am not a CEO, but I do work my ass off and study more than I ever have in order to be the best health professional I can be.
I go into work every day happy. I don't dread it. That is an amazing feeling. I don't leave my 'office' and not think about work until the next day...I go home and voluntarily work more to study or prepare for my clients for the next day. It makes me happy to do what I do. It makes me happy to help clients that are trying to better themselves.
I guess the reason for this post, is, regardless of what career path you choose to go down, if it is a path that YOU chose and no one else, and if it is a path that makes YOU happy, than who cares about your title. I am not making the money I used to make...that is for sure. I also sold my car to live in New York and study food for 8 months....so I am car-less now...I sound like a crazy hippie or something. BUT, it was worth it. I have lived in a city I had always dreamed of living in, studying food and health, and ate at places that some people will only dream of eating at. I get to cook and teach people about food, I get to study the body daily, I get to learn from each and every body I see. I get to be creative with my classes and I get to help people take positive steps toward their own health. My experiences (past and present) are what make me rich these days.
Sometimes I do wish for a bit more stability....I believe the good will out weigh the bad. I get to smile every single day. I really think I was born to help people. I want to help people and I can use all of my education, degrees, certifications and experiences to do so. I don't need to be a doctor to do so... not for the title.
Monday, November 3, 2014
Saturday, February 8, 2014
My first trail...
Alright, alright, alright... hello! Man, I can't believe I am saying that this little adventure in the city is about done. This flew by faster than any time in my entire life. I am now understanding why so many of my friends who moved here with an intention to be here a year or two, have now been here 5 or 6. New York has a way of catching hold of you and not letting you up for air. It is true, and now I see it.
Things have been great... super busy, as to be expected, but great. I feel like I am learning so much and have been so inspired by what is going on in the city. I have also realized that I knew more than I thought coming in to this thing. I think this experience has elevated my confidence of my knowledge of food, health and wellness...which I needed. It is very easy to be our toughest critics, and realizing I do know my stuff feels good.
The last few weeks have been filled with internship applications, volunteering and preparation for a final group project called Friday Night Dinner.
I applied and trailed at one of my favorite restaurants in the city and although it was some of the hardest work I have ever done (in any field), it was amazing. I was in class from 9 AM until 4 PM and ran 14 blocks to make it on time (early), to meet with my chef, Chef Hadley. I must say, I felt like an idiot. I put on my entire "chefs" uniform, hat and all, and walked into the tiny kitchen. Everyone was tatted up, had on backwards hats or bandanas, and here I am, walking in looking like a nerd in my school uniform. Talk about awkward. If I were to have had an ego, it would have been knocked down right about here... :)
Everyone in the kitchen was so awesome (but like the "cool kids" in highschool awesome). Chef Hadley had me work with a girl named Lauren, who was my age and had been working only about 3 weeks in this kitchen. She wore a bright pink backwards baseball cap, and had burns up her arms (total clue someone works in kitchens). She was a little bad ass and moved quickly as I tried to keep up. We ran up and down from the basement to the kitchen (me in my damn kitchen shoes), and prepped for the evenings service.
Hadley then handed me a mandolin and had me stand next to him and brunoise baby turnips. Now, if you have worked in kitchens, you would understand, Japanese Mandolins are the scariest little things to work with. One of my instructors once told me "If you haven't sliced your hand on a mandolin, then you haven't really used it." Well, I had yet to slice my hand open, and was not planning on doing it in front of this chef I am in awe of. So I started slicing the turnips (steady as I could), and then began to brunoise, as perfectly as possible, but as quickly as possible as well (ain't nobody got time for a slow blond in the kitchen). Chef carried on with his prep then walked over to look at my work so far... He didn't look impressed. However, instead of getting annoyed or rude, he carefully took a turnip and showed me with ease what he was looking for and I continued on....hand shaking, but I finished.
The restaurant doors opened. I stayed at the garde manger station. I prepped salads, garnished entrees, prepped the desserts, I felt like I was working in a real kitchen, because...well, I was. I From 4:30 PM until 12:30 AM, we worked, non stop. Seven people in a tiny kitchen, hot plates, sharp knives, sweat...yet it felt more like a dance. Hadley ran a kitchen like I had never seen before. Even though the restaurant was extremely busy, he prepared bites of certain menu items so that I would be able to taste and be familiar with everything. He was a real bad ass, as was his team.
Finally the manager came to the kitchen (around 11:15 PM), and asked us what we wanted to drink since there was only one table left....I said I would have what ever Chef was having... However, little did I know Chef didn't drank until the last bit of work was done... So I opted for a beer (I needed something to cut the adrenalin). We cleaned, and packed, and cleaned and packed until 12:30 AM. I finally was able to feel a little tired.
Chef sat me down at the end of the night. He asked, "What do you want to do with your culinary school degree?" For the first time in an interview...I felt no need to bull shit. Chef Hadley was an honest guy, and a man with integrity. I knew if I were to come up with some generic answer, he would smell it. So I told him: "Honestly Chef, I have no idea. I came to New York with only a months notice, I know I love food, and I know I am passionate about the culinary industry, but I am here to learn and be a sponge to figure it out." He smiled.
Chef Hadley said some words to me that I will never forget, and mainly because they came from him, someone I admire and respect. In a matter of one shift, he said he could see my work ethic and drive. He saw how I quickly adapted to a "live" kitchen with all new people, and he admired me for that. He offered me an internship that night. I, of course, was like a kid on Christmas. I not only made it through the longest day, but I worked next to a chef I admired, in an extremely popular New York restaurant, and felt good about my work, and was offered the internship.
It was a good day, and positivity filled me up again.
I know cooks get paid pennies (which baffles me), but I understand the "high" these guys get in a busy kitchen. Its addictive. One your feet, moving, thinking, cutting, mixing, talking to each other, it is like your brain on overdrive all the time. Its pretty damn cool. An evening I won't soon forget.
Things have been great... super busy, as to be expected, but great. I feel like I am learning so much and have been so inspired by what is going on in the city. I have also realized that I knew more than I thought coming in to this thing. I think this experience has elevated my confidence of my knowledge of food, health and wellness...which I needed. It is very easy to be our toughest critics, and realizing I do know my stuff feels good.
The last few weeks have been filled with internship applications, volunteering and preparation for a final group project called Friday Night Dinner.
I applied and trailed at one of my favorite restaurants in the city and although it was some of the hardest work I have ever done (in any field), it was amazing. I was in class from 9 AM until 4 PM and ran 14 blocks to make it on time (early), to meet with my chef, Chef Hadley. I must say, I felt like an idiot. I put on my entire "chefs" uniform, hat and all, and walked into the tiny kitchen. Everyone was tatted up, had on backwards hats or bandanas, and here I am, walking in looking like a nerd in my school uniform. Talk about awkward. If I were to have had an ego, it would have been knocked down right about here... :)
Everyone in the kitchen was so awesome (but like the "cool kids" in highschool awesome). Chef Hadley had me work with a girl named Lauren, who was my age and had been working only about 3 weeks in this kitchen. She wore a bright pink backwards baseball cap, and had burns up her arms (total clue someone works in kitchens). She was a little bad ass and moved quickly as I tried to keep up. We ran up and down from the basement to the kitchen (me in my damn kitchen shoes), and prepped for the evenings service.
Hadley then handed me a mandolin and had me stand next to him and brunoise baby turnips. Now, if you have worked in kitchens, you would understand, Japanese Mandolins are the scariest little things to work with. One of my instructors once told me "If you haven't sliced your hand on a mandolin, then you haven't really used it." Well, I had yet to slice my hand open, and was not planning on doing it in front of this chef I am in awe of. So I started slicing the turnips (steady as I could), and then began to brunoise, as perfectly as possible, but as quickly as possible as well (ain't nobody got time for a slow blond in the kitchen). Chef carried on with his prep then walked over to look at my work so far... He didn't look impressed. However, instead of getting annoyed or rude, he carefully took a turnip and showed me with ease what he was looking for and I continued on....hand shaking, but I finished.
The restaurant doors opened. I stayed at the garde manger station. I prepped salads, garnished entrees, prepped the desserts, I felt like I was working in a real kitchen, because...well, I was. I From 4:30 PM until 12:30 AM, we worked, non stop. Seven people in a tiny kitchen, hot plates, sharp knives, sweat...yet it felt more like a dance. Hadley ran a kitchen like I had never seen before. Even though the restaurant was extremely busy, he prepared bites of certain menu items so that I would be able to taste and be familiar with everything. He was a real bad ass, as was his team.
Finally the manager came to the kitchen (around 11:15 PM), and asked us what we wanted to drink since there was only one table left....I said I would have what ever Chef was having... However, little did I know Chef didn't drank until the last bit of work was done... So I opted for a beer (I needed something to cut the adrenalin). We cleaned, and packed, and cleaned and packed until 12:30 AM. I finally was able to feel a little tired.
Chef sat me down at the end of the night. He asked, "What do you want to do with your culinary school degree?" For the first time in an interview...I felt no need to bull shit. Chef Hadley was an honest guy, and a man with integrity. I knew if I were to come up with some generic answer, he would smell it. So I told him: "Honestly Chef, I have no idea. I came to New York with only a months notice, I know I love food, and I know I am passionate about the culinary industry, but I am here to learn and be a sponge to figure it out." He smiled.
Chef Hadley said some words to me that I will never forget, and mainly because they came from him, someone I admire and respect. In a matter of one shift, he said he could see my work ethic and drive. He saw how I quickly adapted to a "live" kitchen with all new people, and he admired me for that. He offered me an internship that night. I, of course, was like a kid on Christmas. I not only made it through the longest day, but I worked next to a chef I admired, in an extremely popular New York restaurant, and felt good about my work, and was offered the internship.
It was a good day, and positivity filled me up again.
I know cooks get paid pennies (which baffles me), but I understand the "high" these guys get in a busy kitchen. Its addictive. One your feet, moving, thinking, cutting, mixing, talking to each other, it is like your brain on overdrive all the time. Its pretty damn cool. An evening I won't soon forget.
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