Celebrate Doing What You Love

Remember the days after college where you thought the world was your oyster? You could do anything you wanted, be who you wanted to be and nothing was going to stop you and your dreams! But then you got your first job and it wasn’t everything you wanted it to be. You quit and found yourself at another dead end job. Where was your passion? Where was your desire? How were you able to achieve what you wanted to do.
I decided to share my own success story as well as two others of the success that comes with going after what you love and celebrating it! Of course not every success happens overnight but that’s the beauty of being patient and waiting for your dreams to happen. I’ll share mine first. When I first finished college, I had a degree in Education but wasn’t sure if it was my true passion. I then decided to go into Library and Information Science ( aka a Librarian ) and after two years and a Masters under my belt, life got in the way. I married my college sweetheart and we soon after started a family. With a baby and then a huge move across the country a year later, I wasn’t sure where my passion was taking me. I had always love to write and began writing a blog.
After sharing my blog, Cait’s Cozy Corner,  with a few close friends and family members, I saw a rise of comments and social media questions asking how they could start one, advice on fashion and fitness tricks. Suddenly many people were wanting my help and I loved connecting with other people both in the United States and across the world! It opened my eyes working with brands, sharing my honest opinions on products and genuinely loving what I was doing. I also was able to find a full time job after our move and be able to do both; work full time and blog on the side. Of course it can be challenging being a Mom of now 2 kids, but if you find your passion, work isn’t really work now is it?
Let’s share another success story. Matt Anton had earned top rankings in his graduating high school class, receiving one of the 16 scholar athletes honored and began attending The College Of New Jersey, a top public college in New Jersey. Despite his scholarship, Matt looked as sports as a hobby and per usual freshman, began working out, partying, playing video games and enjoying his time at school.
By his junior year, loans were adding up and Matt wasn’t able to pay. He ended up leaving school and working jobs he hated just to try and keep up with his debt. He was hitting rock bottom and wasn’t sure where to go. He began living with his parents and three years later and kept trying to earn something of value for himself and for the debt collectors. Image: NJ SEO Matt’s older brother called informing him that he was seriously considering creating a social network for gamers. This simple conversation sparked a creative passion in Matt. He began researching and studying everything to do with promoting a website online. A man who used to spend hours playing video games, now was finding a passion in website developing, learning everything  about SEO tips and how to make the most of the internet. He developed his own site,NJ SEO. They can help build a meaningful relationship with clients using social media. They also develop effective content strategies for forward thinking companies, bloggers alike. A true success from having nothing to almost everything you want! Our last success story comes from the lovely and talented Anyelis. Anyelis migrated to this country from Cuba with her mother when she was 3 years old.  As a first generation college student, she had to figure a lot of things out on her own.  She went to Drew University, a small liberal arts college in NJ where she minored in Behavioral Sciences because she’s always been curious about the inner workings of people’s minds and why we behave the way we do.  But she had no idea what she was going to do with that major as a career, she just knew she wanted to help people.  
After college, Anyelis went on to work for a non-profit organization where she coordinated personal and professional development classes and workshops for immigrant women.  Though helping these women was rewarding, Anyelis wasn’t fulfilled - she wanted to grow and have more opportunities to develop.  She tried going back to school for a master’s degree but ended up withdrawing from the program.  It took her 4yrs at that job and the onset of a layoff to really figure out what and who she wanted to be.  Like with most challenges in life, knowing she was going to be laid off gave her the fire she needed to do some soul searching.  She decided that she would turn that negative experience into a positive opportunity and pursued a Master’s degree in Human Resource Management which she completed in a year.  
Soon after graduating she started her career in Corporate HR at a major financial services company where she ended up working for 4yrs in numerous roles until she realized she wasn’t being developed or valued for what she could contribute.  Today, she works at a purpose-driven, fortune 50 financial services company, with great people, doing impactful work connecting talent to career opportunities, and she loves it.
Most recently, Anyelis decided to start a blog as a creative outlet.  Although she enjoys working in Corporate America, she’s a Creative at Heart.  Anyelis has loved writing since she was a little girl.  She’s always kept some kind of a journal.  For her, writing is how she best expresses herself.  Though she could’ve started a blog about anything, Anyelis decided that as a single woman in her 30’s CreateConnectCelebrate, would also serve as a way to hold herself accountable to living a life full of the adventures she’s always imagined.  
Once upon a time, Anyelis felt like her Corporate and Creative identities pulled her in different directions.  Now, she celebrates the fact that she’s embraced this duality and that she can be successful doing both & she loves it!
Share a success story of your own!