My LA Story
Hearing the call…
Growing up, I knew I was going to be a writer. And I did what writers do: I wrote. I wrote simple little stories as a kid, fanfiction for Fantasy Island before fan fiction was a thing, and took my first crack at writing novels in high school. In college, I majored in Psychology because I thought it would help me to develop characters and understand people, and I studied literature and film. Ultimate, I wanted to be a screenwriter or maybe a film director or editor.
... and not answering it
But something happened after I got out of college. I lost sight of my goals and I got busy just making a living.
By the time I decided to get an MBA in my late twenties, I had all but forgotten my childhood plan. But a spark remained. I got the idea that maybe I could combine my passion for entertainment with my MBA by finding an internship in Hollywood.
At Duke, the expectation was that business students line up conservative, well-paying internship for the summer with a respectful company. Something engineered to be a resume booster, something that would present a clear narrative to potential employers. But that’s not what I wanted. Despite what everyone told me, I was certain there had to be a place for an MBA in Hollywood and I was determined to find it.
But how the hell would I pay for this? I mean, Hollywood internships are notoriously underpaid.
Plan A was to manifest the money through the universe. For Plan B, I ran my whacky idea past my parents. I explained that I would always regret it if I didn’t take this one last chance to make my dreams come true. They agreed to be my safety net should I need it.
To Live and Thrive in L.A.
When the summer began, I still didn’t have an internship lined up, just a few leads, but I got in my VW and drove the 2,500 miles to LA anyway.
Something magical happens when you declare to the universe that you’re not settling. That you’re not playing small anymore. It starts to line things up for you.
Once in LA, being in the right place did open up opportunities. I got not one internship, but two. One was a film studio, and I thought it was just what I wanted, except, small detail: it was unpaid, which, while normal in the film industry, is unacceptable for a business school internship.
The other opportunity was a record label, Rhino Records. Amazingly, it was walking distance from my sublet. The culture there was epic (we’re talking dogs in the office). But my ambition was the movies, so I had the audacity to ask Rhino if I could work odd hours around the other job so that I could do both. What’s crazier: they said yes. That’s how the universe operates when you’re unwavering about your dreams.
Ultimately the film studio gig was not what I expected so I ditched it after two weeks (I was actually answering phones and going on coffee errands). The Rhino job, on the other hand, turned out to be a dream. I got two raises there and ended up exceeding the school internship salary average. The work was challenging, intriguing, and aligned with my values. Plus there were fantastic perks like going backstage at House of Blues and visiting the company Patagonia on a benchmarking mission. Also, the dress code was so casual, I had to go to a second-hand clothing store to get appropriate attire.
It was a life altering experience. I was completely unreasonable in my demands to the universe and it indulged me with great opportunities that were deeply fulfilling and that informed my life’s work.
Back at school in the fall, I had found the piece that I thought was missing. I was able to take that new-found confidence and do business school my way. But more importantly, I cultivated a sense that I could rebel against convention and make it work for me. I tapped into my courage to take risk.
