Me, the Butterfly

I know that I am always preaching for you to get personal and tell your story to help your clients connect, so to be fair, I’m going to share mine.

I was always the decisive and determined type. When you are interviewed for a position at a company, they are likely to ask you what your five-year plan is. If I had been interviewed at the young age of 10, I would have told you that I was going to be a famous chef. I spent my high school years attending culinary boot camps, studying and cooking in various kitchens, and even doing a short stint at TheCulinary Institute of America.

One day, day I woke up and didn’t want to be a chef anymore. I felt disappointed, confused, and overwhelmed as many do who have to change their career path. It was time to keep food as my passion and move on. My parents refused to let me transfer out until I had a plan. Planning was in my nature, and it wasn’t long before I saw myself as a journalism student at SUNYPurchase. “I’m going to be a food critic,” I said confidently.

By the time I was finishing up my freshman year, I had started the food beat for their online news source, ThePurchaseBrick.com, created my own cooking show on Brick TV, and started a thrilling social media marketing internship. As if I wasn’t busy enough, I joined endless clubs, ended up helping with events as a member of the executive board of the oldest and largest club on campus, and co-founded another. Somehow, I still had enough time to throw some of the biggest and wildest themed parties on campus. Maybe you see where I’m going with this.

My last semester of college came and while others were freaking out about what they were going to do for the rest of their lives, failing on purpose to stay, or getting trashed; I was focusing on my next move. I completed my senior thesis on the link between food and social media in New York City, “The New York Food Chain,” and was on the prowl for a position that would be meaningful.

Yes, I was having a small existential crisis, but that only motivated me to dig deep inside and evaluate my talents and think about my desires. After a great deal of thought, I decided that I wanted to work in social media marketing and event planning. The two go hand-in-hand, really. Naturally, with this economy, it wasn’t easy to slip into the impressive full-time job of my dreams. However, I moved into working as an assistant to several executive vice presidents at a prestigious residential real estate firm, Halstead Property, LLC.

It only took eight months for the word to get out that I had social media experience. I found an incredible agent to be my first client, who then went on to refer me to many others. And this is when I transformed. With the support of my friends and family, I harnessed my entrepreneurial spirit, and started Social Butterfly Consulting. 

I became a butterfly and like real butterflies, I made an impressive journey, which got me where I am today. Now, as I spend my time trying to fly up my business ladder, I only wish to help you fly up yours.