When I started out going to school at Fox Valley Tech for Event Planning, I knew that it was going to be a wild ride and one that I likely wouldn’t forget. I knew what I was getting into, as I had worked many events in the past.
On my first day of class, we were asked what program we were going into. I said “Meeting & Event Management”. My instructor stared at me as if I had said something she didn’t like. Without hesitation, the words “You’ll regret that” came out of her mouth. At the time, I didn’t think much of it. I was just starting the semester, new school, new friends, new living arrangements. I was going to make the best of it, and that’s exactly what I did.
Looking back, I’m four days away from my graduation and that “moment” seems like yesterday… There have been other times too, where people have doubted my program, the field, and me transferring schools. Things like “You’ll never make it”, “That’s easy, of course you have an A.”, etc. constantly came out of my friend’s mouths.
Not only has that conversation, as well as the others, made me think about my future career, but they have continuously pushed me harder and harder to work towards my end goal: being the best that I can be.
Along the way, I’ve realized a few things:
1. Never let someone else’s opinion impact your future.
When I transferred, people thought I was insane. I was dropping a Criminal Justice Major to become an event planner. It did seem crazy, but at the time, I wanted and needed something different. I was scared because I didn’t want to fail or disappoint those close to me. Then it hit me… Why should I need to “impress” those around me? If they really cared, they would support such a decision, and I was right.
2. Always follow your passions, you’ll end up being happier.
I feel like this is common sense, but not everyone does this. I’ve always been a creative person and loved crafting, teaching myself how to do/make things and simply have loved to allow myself free reign of certain things. I loved decorating, making floral arrangements, taking pictures, etc. So I packed up my bags and decided to go after that. It wasn’t easy, but I couldn’t be happier with the turn out. You’ll also meet others who have the same passions that will inspire you along the way.
3. Nothing ever stays the same.
An event wouldn’t be an event without something going wrong at some point, right? Every single event is different and every single one will teach you not only about the field, but about yourself and who you truly are.
4. Speak the language.
Everyone in the event field knows and speaks the same language. That’s why it’s super easy to make friends and have great relationships with other businesses.
5. Don’t over analyze.
As long as you make a plan A, B and even C, things will go fine. People will drop things, customers will complain, things happen. It’s an ever-changing industry and you can’t expect everything to go perfectly. No matter what, always be proud of yourself and the effort that you put in.
6. Event Planning isn’t easy and it’s not for everyone.
As event planners, you run around, you get yelled at, you organize everything and have to remember it all. It’s a tiring job. You can spend anywhere from 8-40 hours on your feet in two days depending on the event. It’s demanding both physically and emotionally. It drains you and makes you sometimes want to sleep for days. However, there’s the “WOW” factor when a client sees what you’ve been working so hard to produce that cannot be compared to anything out there. For some reason, that smile, laugh, hand shake or “Thank You” are completely worth feeling like you’re going to fall over.
Simply put, if you want to be something, go after it. If you want something, chase it. Life is short and if you’re not going to use your talents and abilities, are you wasting them? Tomorrow will come and go, so will the next day, but all it takes is one college application, one smile, one workout, etc. to get you going.
Most of all, never let someone tell you that “you can’t do it” or that “you’ll regret that”, often times, it’ll end up to be one of the best decisions you ever make.
As always, Happy Planning. 🙂
