With the recent passing of my Ninong Willie, ipsy was kind
enough to give me the week off to get myself together. Although I was reluctant
to take the time off at first, I knew it was better to take it than have an
unfortunate break down in the office in front of my co-workers. That said, I’ve
spent most of this time off running, since I find that running is one of my
best outlets for reflection and deep thought. (Plus, I’m still in training for
my Tinker Bell 10K this Saturday.)
In my family, I’ve always been branded as the “smart” one or
the “nerd”. Unlike my brother and sister, I always enjoyed school, and I
excelled with very little effort on my part. I always had each chapter of my
life planned out, because I preferred to constantly be working toward a goal. I
actually changed my major quite a few times, with the primary notion that I had
to graduate in four years. I ultimately settled on Mathematics, with an emphasis
in Economics, thinking that there would be a variety of career paths to take upon
graduation. It wasn’t until I was in the workforce that I realized that it didn’t
matter how intelligent I was or how good I was at working in a particular
field, because if I didn’t enjoy it, I’d still end up unhappy.
For three years, I worked as a bank teller, which is
much longer than I had ever anticipated. I always thought that with a degree in
Economics, I’d simply start out as a teller, work my way up to a banker, then
ultimately get into Investment Banking. I quickly discovered that I hated how
the banking system worked. We were constantly pressured into meeting impossible
Sales and Customer Satisfaction goals, with unethical instruction at times. There were no opportunities for advancement, nor did they offer much guidance on how to move up in the company. Although
I could have quit at any time, I needed my paychecks, and being a Realist, I knew
that I had to find a new career path to follow before I made any rash
decisions.
The economy being as it is, many jobs were unavailable and
companies wanted vast work experience for entry-level positions. This is what led
me to YouTube. I was stuck at a dead-end job without any other opportunities
presenting themselves. Out of sheer boredom and curiosity, I took out my sister’s
digital camera, stacked a bunch of boxes on top of my desk to act as a tripod,
and clicked record.
If you go back in my video history and watch the very 1st
haul video I posted on May 2nd, 2011, you can see the horrible sound
quality, video editing, how bad my makeup and hair was, and how awkward I used
to be in front of a camera. Please be
forewarned, it’s NOT PRETTY! >_<
Nonetheless, starting a YouTube Channel was one of the best
decisions I’ve ever made. Since starting my channel, I’ve discovered my passion
for Beauty, which snowballed into creating this blog and as well as several
other Social Media Channels. Soon after, I started my search for a career in the
Beauty Industry, with hopes of eventually working in Social Media.
This past September of 2013, the stars aligned, and I found
my dream job working for ipsy. Not only is it co-founded by #1 Beauty Guru
Michelle Phan, but it’s full of wonderful people who want to help me grow,
learn, and get to where I want to be in the Beauty Industry. I am so thankful
and blessed to have the opportunities that I have now. I don’t even want to
imagine how unhappy I would still be if I never left the bank.
I want to have a career that I love that still allows me
to travel the world one day. With ipsy’s help, I finally feel at ease in my
life’s journey. I know that I’m back on track, and I can take the time I need
to simply enjoy my life more.
How do you see your future? Do you have any particular activities
that spark your thoughts? Have any fun endeavors you're working toward? Whatever the future may hold for you… I just want to wish
you GOOD LUCK!
xoxo
Denise Joyce