The Upside of a Non-linear Career Path.

I’ve had some of the most wonderful experiences in advertising — meeting interesting people, staying in 5-star hotels and enjoying elaborately catered meals. On the flipside, I’ve stood in a bathroom stall choking back tears between meetings and nursed my neuroses with alcohol and excessive workouts.

I think it’s safe to say nothing about my career and my experiences have been linear in nature. I’ve been fired, laid off and quit more than one job. I’ve been tossed under buses and publicly humiliated. No matter the circumstances, I have always wholeheartedly believed I am stronger than any of it. I will not be broken.

How I got where I am now, is a bit of a wandering tale.

Some people are born knowing exactly what they want to be when they grow up. Some discover it somewhere in middle school, meticulously choosing a high school, college and post- grad program that aligns with their plan before they’ve even hit puberty. Others discover it somewhere in between bombing Biology 101 and discovering that lab rats are, in fact, terrifying.

Mid-sophomore year of college, I stumbled, most likely hungover, into a Journalism 101 class when an old ad guy was talking about copywriting. Radio scripts and throwing the rules away and a completely absurd sort of process sounded closer to my cup of tea. He became my…