As you know because you diligently read my blog, I have a bit of an obsession with sports. I grew up an athlete and dreamed of working in sports for my entire life. And for 8 years of my career, I worked in sports.
Now - I indirectly work in sports. I do a lot of events that take place at sporting venues and with athletes, but I do not consider what I do working in sports.
And that's weird.
Everyone looks at the sporting world with envy. They see the glitz and glam world meant for consumers and they assume that's what working in that world is like. They're not entirely wrong. I got to do some really cool things because of my job in athletics. I've been on the sidelines at incredible games. Sat on the floor in $15,000 seats. Worked with the commissioner of the NBA. Flown private with the team. Enjoyed $5,000 dinners. And man, was it all everything you could ever dream of and more. Some of my bucket list has been fulfilled purely because of my job.
But there's also a dark side to the industry. I experienced the lowest of lows in my life because of how I was treated by individuals in that world. I lost passion for the world that raised me. And certainly my experience is not every experience. I've got some friends and colleagues still in the business who have felt nothing but joy for working in sports. For me, it was not worth enduring the misery. So I left. After a lot of thought, fear, and doubt, I got out.
So what's it like to leave the world of sports? A lot of people who are contemplating leaving ask me, is it worth it? Does it get better? Do you miss it? The answer is I miss it all the time. And there are moments I wish I was still part of the nucleus of my passion. However, I now get to enjoy sports as a fan. I get to go to games and debate the good and bad - without a stake in the game. I don't have any rules that define what I talk about, what I say, I'm just a bitter 49er fan like the rest of you.
I now work for a marketing agency. I work on big brands. I still engage with celebrities and athletes. I still plan some one of a kind events. I get to check off my bucket list. I travel a lot.
Not working in sports has taught me that it's eerily similar to working in sports. Granted, I don't work in a formal environment. I'm not ever going to be in corporate America. At my agency I have a less strict dress code than I did in sports. The hours are more flexible. I still travel to a lot of the big sporting events and am sitting at the big games.
Maybe I'll go back to sports one day. Maybe I'll break into writing. Maybe I'll go into entertainment. I don't know what my future holds because I've stopped holding myself to this strict plan. I go where I'm happy, where I'm learning, and where I'm passionate about the job. Focus less on what you think you should be doing, what you planned for your whole life, and start listening to what gets you up and excited in the morning.
Who cares if you worked in your dream industry if what you do isn't your dream. Listen less to those calling what you do glamorous and listen more to what you define as the dream job.