Part II: Play Hard, Hustle Harder

Working with creatives reignited the self-discovery I felt when I held my first digital camera.

I knew I wanted to work with creatives when I found myself with my first paid contract, managing volunteers for Melbourne’s fashion festival in 2013. I managed 350 volunteers that year--all creatives with various specialties like photography, makeup, and fashion, to name a few. It was there that I discovered my superpower in my ability to walk into a room and instantly find like-minded people to build strong, genuine connections with.

I wanted to help these creatives achieve more and collaborate. Following the fashion festival, I developed a project to help them achieve more with the right systems and collaborations. I invested over $5,000 trying to create this platform. It was called Odkaz

Eventually, the project needed more capital - which I didn’t have at the time. That was my first business failure, but I wasn’t going to let it control me. You won’t have all the answers, projects like that will fail, and you’ll pick yourself back up.

So I did just that, taking on my next role as an Audience Development Producer, which was a fancy name for a 3-person job all to myself, working on Marketing & Event Partnerships for a booming New York startup. The work environment was so toxic. With an impossible workload and 14-hour days, I knew that that kind of work culture didn’t align with what I wanted.

I left that job and decided I had nothing left in Australia, so I left. This was a turning point for me. I found creativity in everything from my surroundings to my relationships and business.

Once I started traveling, I didn’t stop. I’ve worked remotely for seven years and traveled to over 50 countries in total.

Eventually, it became clear that my drive to travel was because I felt so disconnected from the linear norms of what people TOLD me I needed to do. 

I didn’t want to have a mortgage for the rest of my life. I didn’t want to chase a six-figure salary. I didn’t want to tolerate toxic work environments. People told me I needed these things in order to be successful, but I couldn’t understand how they led to happiness. It didn’t make sense to me. What’s success without happiness?

None of the traditional outcomes people wanted for me connected with me. Starting a business taught me how to stay accountable to my vision, live a life of my own design, and finally, love myself. It showed me I didn’t need to be controlled by the traditional outcomes people wanted for me. It showed me that despite the pain, I could thrive.

Scaling a business while traveling taught me to be self-disciplined with where I spent my time and what truly needed my focus. I learned to balance travel, life, and work so that I could play hard and hustle harder.

I prioritized hiring a team to help with jobs that didn’t require my presence. With my team, SOPs, and PM software, I created a better use of my time, focusing my energy on jobs that needed me.

When you scale a business as you travel, you can find ways to get more time back for yourself. 

With a business, you also have complete control over what you choose to achieve and manifest. It’s an entire journey - and it’s not always easy. You won’t have all the answers, shit will fail, and you’ll pick yourself back up.

You’ll find your way - and define the path to success for yourself.

You don’t have to let your past control you or your future.