NEW YEAR, NEW BEGINNINGS
Like everyone else on Planet Earth, I was happy to bid a not so fond farewell to 2020. A new year brings hope and the promise of renewal, both of which are badly needed right now. I’m counting the days until this pandemic is over and we can be with loved ones freely and safely again.
As I think about what I’m looking forward to in 2021, I also think about the new chapters this year will bring for me. Personally, professionally and creatively, I’ll be taking on some long-awaited new titles.
For quite a while now, my job title hasn’t reflected the scope of what I do. As a Marketing Manager at Starwood, I went from supporting one NYC hotel to juggling three properties — with no title change. At The Pierre Hotel, I accepted a position with a downgraded rank, confident I could change that. Which is what happened two years later, when I was promoted to Associate Director of Marketing. Getting laid off because of COVID-19 made an exciting new role possible — Senior Vice President of Marketing/PR for Illusso.
Founded by my favorite Starwood boss and mentor, Illusso’s mission is to help independent luxury hotels recover and rebound from these challenging times. I’m so proud to be part of this great venture, one which also reunites me with talented dear friend and Turn Key Designing founder Lisa.
The second new title for me this year will be one that I’ve dreamt about since childhood — author. From blogging to journaling (I’m currently on volume #107) and pretty much every job I’ve ever had, writing has always been a big part of my life. I’ve spent a lot of the pandemic working on my memoir. It’s an undertaking that has given me an even deeper respect for authors. The great and prolific Jane Austen completed her entire body of work — six novels — in just seven years. It’s taken me a decade of writing on and off to close in on finishing Tales from A Former Bachelorette. Of course, it wasn’t until a few years ago that my book finally had its happy ending, when I fell madly in love with my now-fiancé Steve.
Which brings me to the third and most life-changing title I’ll take on this year — wife. After rescheduling our wedding twice because of the pandemic, Steve and I are planning to say I Do in November. We’ve been together for almost two years now and I’m still awestruck by this extraordinary man, still overwhelmed with gratitude that we found each other. At 47, I feel like I’m bringing my best, most fully realized self to our relationship. It took this long for me to be able to say that, but that’s okay. As my future husband has shown me, it’s never too late for love to come into your life and wondrously change it forever.
Happy Valentine’s Day all!
