I LOVE being a part of the Delta Gamma fraternity. Being a DG has brought me so much strength, encouragement and confidence, and I wouldn’t be where I am without my sisters! It’s all about supporting one another, and I’ve had the honor of sharing some of my fellow DG sister’s weddings (here and here) on Inspired by This! Needless to say I was incredibly honored when Delta Gamma’s quarterly magazine, The Anchora, asked to include me in their “Cool Jobs” section.
They invited me to share my story of how I got to where I am today. You can read the article below or read the whole magazine here! Many of my readers may or may not know my personal family struggles that actually led me to what I am doing today. This article shares just that.
Two weeks after my college graduation, I received news no one wants to hear: My mom, only 50 years old had been diagnosed with a rare form of dementia and was given 2-5 years to live. Being the oldest of five children, I felt an ocean of responsibility wash over me. But the priority shift led me to where I am today: in my dream job and honoring my mother. My carefree, post-graduation plans were to stay in the San Francisco Bay Area, but I knew my family needed me. Before I knew it I moved back to Los Angeles with my family, living the life of a caretaker. I spent the summer accompanying my mom from one doctor’s appointment to the next.
I eventually settled into my first job at a small business trade magazine. It wouldn’t last forever, but unbeknownst to me, the work was setting me on a path toward my dream career. I got my first taste of event production when I planned and executed an 800 person award show dinner for the company. After that night I knew my passion was not in corporate life but in working with people.
I knew it was time to redirect.
I had always had a knack for style and design as well as a passion for giving to others. “What a better way to combine the two,” I thought , “than by helping people plan one of the most important moments in their life – their weddings!” Wedding planning brought me so much joy, but I again felt that need for something more. As a planner, I discovered a void in the wedding market. And, I felt compelled to fill it.
In 2007, five years after I graduated from Santa Clara’s business school, I created Be Inspired PR, a full-service public relations agency, dedicated to giving wedding planners, dress and jewelry designers, florists, cake bakers, photographers, stationery companies, and other vendors their deserved places in the spotlight. I unified my industry knowledge with media proficiency to open the first-of-its-kind firm. My modest staff and I create positive images and foster brand recognition to ignite vendors’ growth and sustain momentum. In four years, Be Inspired PR (beinspiredpr.com) has grown by 300 percent in revenue and has worked with more than 100 clients, including some of the industry’s most well-known vendors.
It’s been an expectantly bumpy journey but I discovered my true calling. As fate would have it, this endeavor allows me to channel my dad’s entrepreneurial spirit and pay homage to my mom’s life work as a floral and décor designer.
In life, there’s reason for everything. If I hadn’t pledged Delta Gamma, I would have never met the sisters who helped me through one of the most difficult times in my life. If I hadn’t moved right back to LA, I would have never gotten to where I am today. If my mom hadn’t become ill, I might not be as introspective and as appreciative of all I have.
Last year, with my wedding all set for a weekend in May, I later realized it would coincide with Mother’s Day. It couldn’t have been more perfect. Nine years after Mom’s diagnosis, she’s still with us – physically, at least. Her memory is gone, but her presence is a constant source of inspiration and strength. She reminds me that the future is what you make of it.
Now I get to help others make the best of what they have, for in the words of Lorrin Lee, “Your life is your message to the world. Make it inspiring”
