I met my good pal Dorothy 15 years ago nearly. She was an intern at a well-known celebrity magazine where I was working. And she joined me one evening to cover a big party with a lot of A-list talents filling up a room.
For a student, it was a big, darned deal, a heady mix of beauties and actors and even a few Academy Award-winners among this group.
"Go over there and talk to him," I encouraged her of a big-name star we hoped to chat with that evening. She balked, briefly. Her trepidation resonated. I'd been where she was years before. Scary.
"Go," I said. "He's just a person. Stick your hand out, introduce yourself and have a nice conversation. You can do this."
Dorothy went. She got the story that night. And the rest is history.
I won't mention her full name here but you've seen her giant smile and high-Philly energy swirling on major television programs that cover the entertainment world. She's now a super success and also someone pulling for others to earn their dream gigs, too.
Dorothy not long ago posted some serious wisdom of her own on social media. It meant so much to me, that I'm sharing it here. She was candid about her tough journey launching herself as a brand in the celebrity media world.
And her heart sung out from her post, which read: "Do what you love, people, even if it means, in the beginning, you can only do it as a side hustle. Keep working hard and if you love it enough, it will become your main hustle. #inspiration #workhard #passion #dedication #positivity #energy #instainspiration #inspired."
Lots of us have a side hustle. Our company was mine as I pieced together enough writing work to support this dream now coming to fruition.
The "brilliant" lesson: "Working hard for something we don't care about is called stress. Working hard for something we love is called passion."
Keep going. Pushing. Digging in for your higher aspiration. As Dorothy noted, your "main hustle" could be right around the corner. Fight for it.
