What a Decade in NYC Has Taught Me About Change, Risk, and Finding My Way

Ten years ago, I moved to New York – not because I dreamed of being here, but because of a LinkedIn message I almost ignored.

At the time, I was living in Atlanta and happy with various aspects of my life. However, something wasn’t fully clicking into place for me. I’d been on a month-to-month lease for almost a year and was craving a different energy in my career. Still, I wasn’t doing much about it besides staying focused on what was right in front of me.

I remember a conversation with an old coworker turned friend in which we discussed the reality that sometimes, when life feels off, you need to act – and act boldly. Other times, you need to sit with yourself and reflect on what should come your way.

That spring, a recruiter in New York messaged me on LinkedIn about a PR agency role for a “global food and beverage brand.” I wasn’t looking to move, and I certainly wasn’t dreaming of New York City. But I took the call. 

I remember researching the agency and watching a video on YouTube about their annual “Expect the Unexpected” party in London. Well, this was the unexpected. That one conversation became nine exhaustive interviews. And then everything changed for me. 

On Tuesday, May 26, 2015, I said goodbye to my communications job in Atlanta. By Thursday, May 28, I was watching the skyline fade in the rearview of an Uber as I rode to Hartsfield-Jackson Airport with two suitcases in the trunk and maybe $1,000 to my name.

By Monday, I was in my new role. After all, financially independent 20-somethings with credit card debt don’t get to take much time off between jobs. You just have to get after it.

While I felt lonely, excited, and out of my element that first week, I still remember how my new boss introduced me to the team. “Our new media bulldog” – encouraged to build new relationships on behalf of the team. 

It was a whirlwind, but as I look back, the cliche turned out to be true: It was all within me. 

In the years since, I’ve had three full-time roles and five apartments in New York. I launched a coaching practice. I’ve explored new passions and rediscovered old ones. I’ve deepened my self-awareness and survived a global pandemic in a too-cramped city. I’ve gone on too many dates to keep count, fallen in love, and rebuilt community again and again as life and people moved around me.

I’ve started over more than once. Each time, a little wiser. 

Recently, I was talking with author, lecturer, and The Financial Times columnist Enuma Okoro. She said a statement that jumped out at my soul: “Your gifts will make a way for you… Your relationships will too.” 

After 10 years in a city that pushes you to find the truest version of yourself, she summed it up so well for me. 

When you’re navigating what the future has in store for you, your skills, your presence, and your connections will create your path forward.