This was my first foray with a life coach...now they're all the rage:
At 23, I was bored. I had taken a job doing Marketing for a television network because it was stable and "close enough" to the entertainment industry. Yet only two years out of college, I wanted more. I knew my true career dreams and goals lived outside of my cubicle walls. I wanted to create. I wanted to make a difference, and more than anything I wanted to make people laugh. The truth is that while living in LA I was too intimidated to even take an improv class. I was too afraid of judgment from the peanut gallery to admit that acting and writing and comedy is what I, too, along with the rest of Los Angeles wanted to roll the dice to pursue. I, was much more responsible than that. (wasn’t I?) I had a college degree and could speak two languages and lots of internships under my belt. It felt like I’d already laid my path.
As if out of nowhere, suddenly I had two job offers—one with a major news network in New York, the other for a growing cable entertainment channel in Los Angeles.
While I didn’t know if either of these would get me to where I wanted to go, I did know that I needed a change. The small network I’d been marketing for was being sold for the second time; budgets were slashed and promotions were meager.
I was cognizant that my favorite moments from my two years with the company had been the invitations to take part in the creative content, yet I didn’t know what to do about it. I danced back up in a parody rap music video with Joan Rivers; I was Lisa Rinna’s stunt double; and asked to leg model after the woman we cast for our promo showed up anorexic.
That time I was a back up dancer for a Joan River's Rap Video.
Baffled by what to do and which job to take, I made a pro/con list, called every former mentor, interrogated my friends and colleagues, prayed, meditated, asked for signs.
It was the night before I had to tell HR in NYC whether or not I would move cross- country. I was still on the fence. My roommate and best friend came with me to the yoga class I taught Tuesday nights in Hollywood. Afterward, sweaty and spandexed, we stopped at our favorite frozen yogurt spot.
While I was busy trying every flavor at the counter, my roommate Lindsay had struck up a conversation with two guys sitting in the back of the shop.
ADAM: Where you guys coming from?
LINDSAY: Oh, we just went to yoga. My roommate is the instructor.
ADAM: Oh, cool. Rob does a lot of yoga. (nodding across the table)
ROB: What kind of yoga does she teach?
LINDSAY: Mal, come back here.
My mouth full of peanut butter fro-yo gapes open. Lindsay is talking to Adam Sandler and Rob Schnieder. Don’t freak out. Be cool. You’re cool. It’s cool.
ROB: What kind of yoga do you teach?
ME: Vinyasa flow. But I teach to contemporary music. I like to mix it up and keep it cardiovascular with some hip hop, classics.
ROB: That sounds great. Where else do you teach?
ME: Just in Hollywood at LA Fitness and privates.
ROB: Do you have a card?
ME: Oh, shoot. I don’t have my bag with me. No…and I might be moving soon.
LINDSAY: Wait, you should ask them what you should do.
ME: No, no…I’m not going to bother them with that.
My cheeks get rosy with embarasment and my palms are so hot it's melting my fro-yo.
ADAM: Ask us what?? We're here to help.
ME: Uh...Well, I have two job offers. One in NYC with a news network and one to stay in LA marketing for a cable channel. I’m just so torn as what to do. My family is here, most of my friends are there.
ADAM: Are you going to be giving the news...you know at the desk?
ME: Ha. Not quite.
ADAM: When I was in my mid twenties. I was in NYC. I was on Saturday Night Live. It was the best.
Really, Adam? No shit. Do you think I don’t know what SNL is?? Do you realize that I performed countless SNL parody sketches in front of my entire high school…that talking to you right now is making me hallucinate?
ME: Ha, yeah. Well, now that is a dream job for me.
ROB: I’ve lived in NYC too. I loved it. I definitely think everyone should live in NYC at some point.…Wait. But don’t let us tell you what to do. Why don’t you meditate on it? Put something on one side of the room that symbolizes LA and something on the other side that reminds you of New York and see which way the energy pulls you.
He rubs the meditation beads around his neck while he speaks.
Is this happening right now? Am I in an alternate universe where your childhood hero shows up to give career advice??
ME: Yeah, I’ve done about all I can do…meditate, pray, pros/cons…I’m feeling like I have to give NYC a try. Thank you guys so much for your advice. I can't tell you how much I appreciate it.
ADAM: Wish you all the best.
ROB: You’re gonna love it.
With high fives all around, I left never more confident of a sign received. I called HR the next morning and took the job in NYC.
#adamsandlerismylifecoach