Well, I’m back...and I must admit it has been very hard for me to free up some time to write my blog. I got back into town a couple weeks ago after being gone for two months and it has been full steam ahead. Not to mention the two months I was gone was all work...and a whole lot of fun! I was working on some pretty exciting stuff that took me to Miami for Super Bowl XLIV and then straight to Vancouver for the 2010 Winter Olympic Games. What a trip!
Miami was amazing. I was one of two Project Managers for our largest Super Bowl program this year. I had the chance to work on and develop four major events for one of our biggest clients from start to finish. We started working on developing concepts in spring of last year and it was incredible to see it all come to life the first week of February. To see a project go from paper to production is a great experience and a whole lot of fun (not to mention a little stressful...but well worth it).
From a “hit it out of the ballpark” successful program in Miami I flew straight to Vancouver to work on one of our Olympic programs. I had been working on this particular program for months leading up to games time, so was looking forward to seeing the finished product come together. Again, the program went great and the work our team did was a hit.
The two months I was gone we worked a lot! Long days, late nights, not much sleep and always something to be done. But I can’t tell you how incredible it was. I am very fortunate to work with the team I am on. We are always laughing, smiling and having a good time even at the end of some very long days.
After I returned from the Olympics I was home for a little over a week before heading to Indianapolis for the Final Four. I had been working on arrangements for each space and event we were producing at Final Four while onsite in Vancouver; and was feeling a little overwhelmed with all that needed to be done.
Again, after some long nights and last minute contracts everything came together and turned out wicked awesome (in the words of a cohort 28 grad). We were onsite for 10 days and I got back last week to finally settle back into life in the Bay.
As I said, it has been a whirlwind the last few months! Sometimes I have felt overwhelmed and at my max with all that has to get done, and you know it never ever stops. When I was onsite at one event I was thinking about the next. Even in Indianapolis I was thinking about what needs to get done for the upcoming World Cup. But life is like that I guess. There is always more to do and work to be done. It really does not stop. However, you must always take time to enjoy the moment. It may not be for long but it has to be enjoyed.
I have been fortunate enough to enjoy some incredible moments the last few months and I’m looking forward to many more ahead. The hard work, long days, late nights...it all pays off. And when it does it’s a whole lot of fun!
Wednesday, April 14, 2010
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
Hello and Bonjuer!
Hello all! I first have to say that you’ll have to forgive me. This is my first experience writing a blog so I’m not all that familiar with the ins and outs of blogging. However, I am excited to learn through this process and happy to have the opportunity to share my thoughts, theories, and the lessons I’m learning. I have recently graduated from the Sport Management Master’s Program and am in the middle of a whirlwind of experiences. Both life experiences and career experiences.
You see, I started the program two years ago January and graduated this past December of 2009. What can I say...applying to the program has been one of the best decisions I have ever made. Not only has the program given me the opportunity of a life time in the position I am in, it has taught me some great lessons along the way; and I plan to share them as I explore this unfamiliar world of blogging. However, I feel it’s important to share a quick over view of the last couple years and what brought me to this point.
After injury ended my playing career in college, I decided there was one more way to have a future in sports. Of course...getting my Masters in Sport Management. Once I started the Sport Management program, like most, the internships started shortly after. I began working for the Oakland Raiders as a marketing intern a couple weeks after our first class ended. While working for the Raiders I decided I would be able to take on a few more things. So I began taking on other internships and jobs. I worked as the grad assistant for the USF Women’s Soccer Team, worked at Koret as a supervisor and a Summer Kids Camp Coordinator, and took on multiple other internships and volunteer positions in an effort to gain experience and make myself more marketable. All the while, keeping my eye on the long term goal. One day I would become a GM for a professional sports team. Yes, it was a big goal, maybe more of a dream but that is what I wanted to do; or at least that’s what I thought.
Two years later I am so far from that goal and I could not be more pleased. You see, going through the program you hear people talking about trying different things and being open to different jobs and internships. When I first heard this I thought to myself, “I don’t think so, I’m going to stick to my goal.” However, as I went through the program I found myself more willing to try different things. After a year with the Raiders I decided to apply for a new internship. I wasn’t convinced it was the right thing for me, but thought what the heck, why not. If anything it would give me the opportunity to work on my interview skills and see what else was out there. Along with applying for the Sport Management program, this was one of the best decisions I could have made; although I did not know it at the time. I met a great contact, who actually went through our program, and eventually connected me with the Creative Service team at a company called SportsMark. I am now working in the Creative department for SportsMark, an event management and sport marketing company and have been here one year this month. I absolutely love what I do and feel so fortunate to have found myself a place in this industry; and a wonderful place at that.
If I could suggest one thing to those of you going through the program, or thinking about applying, I would say what so many have said before me. Keep an open mind to new experiences and different opportunities before you. I am an advocate of chasing your dreams and going after what you want, that is for sure. But I also know that being willing to try something different, something I was not sure of, has given me an incredible opportunity. The opportunity to see the world, do what I love, work in this great industry, and attend the most exciting sporting events in the world. Be open to it all because you never know when you will stumble on the chance of a lifetime. I sure did.
So, as I am getting ready to return to the Bay Area after what has been the most incredible two months, I have many thoughts and stories to share. I will leave that for my next blog though, as I’ve probably written too much already. So until next time...
You see, I started the program two years ago January and graduated this past December of 2009. What can I say...applying to the program has been one of the best decisions I have ever made. Not only has the program given me the opportunity of a life time in the position I am in, it has taught me some great lessons along the way; and I plan to share them as I explore this unfamiliar world of blogging. However, I feel it’s important to share a quick over view of the last couple years and what brought me to this point.
After injury ended my playing career in college, I decided there was one more way to have a future in sports. Of course...getting my Masters in Sport Management. Once I started the Sport Management program, like most, the internships started shortly after. I began working for the Oakland Raiders as a marketing intern a couple weeks after our first class ended. While working for the Raiders I decided I would be able to take on a few more things. So I began taking on other internships and jobs. I worked as the grad assistant for the USF Women’s Soccer Team, worked at Koret as a supervisor and a Summer Kids Camp Coordinator, and took on multiple other internships and volunteer positions in an effort to gain experience and make myself more marketable. All the while, keeping my eye on the long term goal. One day I would become a GM for a professional sports team. Yes, it was a big goal, maybe more of a dream but that is what I wanted to do; or at least that’s what I thought.
Two years later I am so far from that goal and I could not be more pleased. You see, going through the program you hear people talking about trying different things and being open to different jobs and internships. When I first heard this I thought to myself, “I don’t think so, I’m going to stick to my goal.” However, as I went through the program I found myself more willing to try different things. After a year with the Raiders I decided to apply for a new internship. I wasn’t convinced it was the right thing for me, but thought what the heck, why not. If anything it would give me the opportunity to work on my interview skills and see what else was out there. Along with applying for the Sport Management program, this was one of the best decisions I could have made; although I did not know it at the time. I met a great contact, who actually went through our program, and eventually connected me with the Creative Service team at a company called SportsMark. I am now working in the Creative department for SportsMark, an event management and sport marketing company and have been here one year this month. I absolutely love what I do and feel so fortunate to have found myself a place in this industry; and a wonderful place at that.
If I could suggest one thing to those of you going through the program, or thinking about applying, I would say what so many have said before me. Keep an open mind to new experiences and different opportunities before you. I am an advocate of chasing your dreams and going after what you want, that is for sure. But I also know that being willing to try something different, something I was not sure of, has given me an incredible opportunity. The opportunity to see the world, do what I love, work in this great industry, and attend the most exciting sporting events in the world. Be open to it all because you never know when you will stumble on the chance of a lifetime. I sure did.
So, as I am getting ready to return to the Bay Area after what has been the most incredible two months, I have many thoughts and stories to share. I will leave that for my next blog though, as I’ve probably written too much already. So until next time...
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