On my journey...Oh the places you will go!

Oh “So be sure when you step, Step with care and great tact. And remember that life’s A Great Balancing Act. And will you succeed? Yes! You will, indeed! (98 and ¾ percent guaranteed) Kid, you’ll move mountains.”

― Dr. Seuss, Oh, The Places You’ll Go!

I have always known that there are some people who are only meant to be on your journey for a moment in time, whether that moment is to propel you, encourage you, or even release you to a higher path. I have many people on my path to success that played a major role in helping me find Tamara and know that she is great! Two of those early motivators were my cousin Christalyn Wright and former boss Maria Zimmerman. I remember sitting in my cubicle, not performing dance steps, but instead performing marketing tasks in my media planning position. Yes, I majored in marketing but I knew that this was not my passion. I remember having discussions with my older cousin Christalyn about my passion and she would offer me sound advice on how to achieve some of my goals. There was one obstacle in my way…I was still working full time in a position that I no longer loved in my hometown but I had a desire to move to the city that never sleeps in order to pursue my dancing passion. You see I thought it was an obstacle but once I opened my mouth to my boss and told her my goals, she helped me to move those mountains. With the advice my cousin Christalyn had given me and the phone calls to people who could help me in my move to New York, I began to take the small steps to success.

Christalyn, who I looked up to early on, is a singer/dancer turned producer who has danced with Urban Bush Women and produced for MTV. After a successful and long career as a professional concert dancer (singing and acting as well), she transitioned to the television and film world.

Maria was a top advertising sales manager with Fox Sports and was a powerful woman in a male-driven marketing field. Watching them achieve their goals struck a light in me and I needed to find my own light!

So I left a great job in Atlanta and leaped off to New York to begin my goal of becoming a professional dancer. When I left, Maria gave me a book that would become a motivating factor in my career. That book was “Oh the Places You’ll Go”. You see, I was nervous to leave a good job in a field that I actually majored in. I was doing well, I was dancing in Atlanta and living a good life. But I was not fulfilled.

I leave you with 3 questions to ponder:

• Are you living in your purpose?
• Have you been wanting a change but you are not sure how to take your leap of faith?
• Do you have people around you who motivate you to do great things?

Stay tuned to find out what happened when I arrived in the Big City!

“Congratulations! Today is your day. You’re off to Great Places! You’re off and away!”

― Dr. Seuss, Oh, the Places You’ll Go!