1992 Started art school. Fainted in my first art class. Spent the next few years criticizing graphic design students for not being “real artists.”
1996 Panicked and enrolled in my first, and only, graphic design class. Struggled mightily using a mouse. Established a whole new level of respect for graphic artists.
1997 Graduated with a one-way ticket out of Arkansas, I mean, a BFA in studio art. Moved to St. Louis, Missouri.
1998 After working as a camp counselor (2 months), corporate sculptor, (2 years), and housekeeper (less than 24 hours), I ended up running a magazine about the St. Louis art scene while also running 2 gallery spaces.
1998-2000 Spent the next couple of years learning how to run a magazine about the local art scene and 2 gallery spaces.
1999 Started Venus Envy, an all-female arts festival, in St. Louis. Ticked off a lot of male artists.
1999-2007 Spent the next several years learning how to run an all-female arts festival.
2001 Hired to fill an assistant marketing and development position at a gallery and education center. After the center’s database imploded, became a de facto network administrator.
2002-2005 Expanded Venus Envy to 3 more cities spanning the Mississippi River (Memphis, Tennessee; Baton Rouge, Louisiana; Quad Cities of Illinois and Iowa).
2003 Named 1 of 30 Under 30 by the St. Louis Business Journal. Decided to leave a communications job with steady(ish) pay to pursue my dream of working super hard with almost no pay.
2006 Was personally, publicly protested for a tone-deaf policy that, in hindsight, was most definitely written without proper representation at the table. Sat in an empty parking garage contemplating running away with the circus.
2006 Ran away with the circus.
2006 Realized I was too old to work for “peanuts” and too principled to marry for money. Started looking for a “real” job.
2007 Hired to fill a marketing assistant position for a small, B2B ad agency. Spent the next couple of years learning how to be a marketing assistant who unlearned how to stand up for herself.
2009 Got laid off. Big time. Spent Thanksgiving in Paris with my mom and my French sister Karine.
2010 Hired to be General Manager for a startup, non-profit resale boutique. Married for love. Spent the next 7+ years learning how generally manage, and stand up for myself again.
2017 Closed the boutique so it could become something that helps more women in more significant ways.
2017 Started working with an executive coach so I could become someone who helps more people in more significant ways.
2018 Completed a roster of career assessments. Sat in awe of the results. Spent the next several months trying to disprove them.
2019 Hired a talented graphic designer to create a website for my consulting business, A Seat At The Table Solutions.
Lessons
- The only constant is change. Embrace it with an open mind, open heart, and open arms.
- Money can’t buy you love, but it can pay your bills, pay your employees, and pay for a vacation every once in awhile.
- Never make policy decisions without well-thought-out and inclusive representation at the table.
- Graphic artists are not only real artists, they are also technicians, poets, tastemakers, and historians.