Sometime earlier this year I answered an ad online looking for brand ambassadors with college degrees who were familiar with whisky and were interested in working local events.

Fast forward a month or so to when I found out they liked my work so much that I was asked to travel the country with them to help sell in the program. Boston, Dallas, Los Angeles, Chicago, New York, Harford, Denver, Phoenix and the list goes on… I got paid a ridiculously great amount of money to fly all out, speak for 20 minutes, and spend the night discovering a new city with that wonderful feeling of anonymity strange streets inevitable give you…

Then came the completely unexpected opportunity to conduct national portfolio tastings. I flew to Denver for the first presentation and I swear I thought my heart would thump right out of my chest when people in suits began trickling in. I skipped an entire section of the script, I got my facts crossed here and there and at some point I picked up a 12-year old bottle while candidly speaking of an 18. Next time, I only forgot one or two things, and after that it was just me having a good time, joking around, and wondering if I needed to reapply my lip gloss.

I had no idea you could have that much fun working! Was I really getting paid for this? I decided that everyone should feel that way and that there’s absolutely no reason why you shouldn’t pursue it… or at least TRY. One day walking around Lost Angeles I strolled right on to the UCLA campus where I sat on the grass facing the library and thinking it was about damn time I put on my now-famous big girl panties and do something aaaawwwwwmazing.

The rest you know… school, love, life, bliss, carpe diem! and the eternal pursuit of all things anti-vanilla…!

The opening of a permanent national brand ambassador job was there with the company and I gracefully bowed out without a doubt in my heart. It’s a glamorous life – I can personally attest to it, but I knew I had other things to do (they really wanted red-headed Scotsmen in kilts by the way… I definitely can’t compete with that kind of authenticity!)

[Original pilot team - yours truly, sweet Carlos, and gorgeous Serena]

[First local event in Miami, FL]

[Portfolio tasting in Phoenix, AZ]

[Hotel in Phoenix... wishing I wasn't working!]

[15 minutes of fame when I found out my picture was plastered all over the venue in Springfield, MO]

[Aimless wondering in Boston]

[Rockies vs. Marlins in Denver, CO]

Lessons Learned:

• Never, ever, EVER under any circumstance pass up an opportunity to do your best. There is NO WAY to know where something may lead and what you might discover in the process.
• Never, ever, EVER underestimate the power of “thank you” and “good job” – it can make all the difference in the world. I never pass up the chance to thank them for the opportunity to learn and discover a side of me I never knew existed.
  
• Take chances and be fully uncomfortable and nervous as much as humanly possible – this is how you know you’re learning! What’s the worst that could happen? You’re terrible and now you know what NOT to do.
  
• Travel – make it a priority and just do it. Save up all year if you have to and take that trip to a strange city. It’s exhilarating!

I found out not too long ago that they initially interviewed over 100 candidates for the local gig…

…talk about meant to be, huh?

A Story About Chance and Opportunity