I originally wrote this a while back as a MySpace blog, but I wanted to share it here so all of you can read it:
Saturday, July 14, 2007
Quit Your Day Job
Lately it seems the trend amongst a number of people I know is to work two jobs. One job to pay the bills, and one job to pursue their passion. I used to be one of those people.
Since I was in eighth grade I knew I wanted to move to the big city and work in the entertainment industry. I wanted to sculpt stories out of film. My second favorite thing in life, after film and television, was music. I was deeply involved in music performance all the way up through college.
I spent my college years focused on reaching my goal of going to film school. I discovered that post-production was my favorite part of the process. I studied hard. I worked all hours. I applied to the top ten schools and no others, and was accepted to the number one graduate school in the country – USC.
For the last ten years I worked in the film and television industry. I did freelance video and sound editing, but my main work was as a music editor. It was a blending of my two loves from childhood. I worked on a variety of projects, from the infamous Mariah Carey film, “Glitter” to spending the last five years on the crew of NBC’s sitcom, “Scrubs.”
It was a great job. I met some amazing people and had some very unique experiences. I spent time with world class musicians and on the sets of television shows. I got paid to sit in a recording studio listening to live jazz being recorded for the score of “Watching Ellie,” written by none other than one of the creators of the bossa nova. I got to eat lunch with Randy Jackson and be entertained by his collection of great storeis. My “office” that I drove to for work was a Hollywood studio. I had gone to film school at USC with the goal of working in post-production in film and television and that is exactly what I was doing, and doing very well at.
But as we age, we hopefully also grow. And as we grow, our dreams hopefully evolve.
About seven years ago I discovered martial arts. From there I discovered CrossFit and the world of fitness. That part of my life grew over the last few years. It became my passion, and editing became my day job.
I began to teach CrossFit classes. I began to study in my free time for certifications. I began to take on private clients.
I began to dream of doing this for a living.
One day, just that opportunity presented itself. I took it. I grabbed it and said yes. I had, after all, earned it. Opportunities are not luck – opportunities are rewards we are handed because we earn them.
The joy I got from being in the recording studio, or being on the set, or accomplishing some creative and successful edit of a song, is the same joy and satisfaction I get from teaching in the gym. I used to help people achieve their artistic goals – now I help them achieve their physical goals. And more importantly, I help them discover achievements they didn’t know they could reach.
Some people might wonder at my choice. Did I go to graduate school, much less did I pay for graduate school, “just” to become a personal trainer? No, I did not. I went to film school because it was my dream and passion. I am now changing people’s lives through fitness because it is my dream and passion.
I have always done exactly what I wanted to do. I have always succeeded at whatever I set my mind. I am quite sure I will continue to do so, no matter what the dream.
My advice to you – find your passion and find a way to make it support you. Quit your day job. Live your dream.
June 15th, 2008 at 12:54 pm
You are an inspiration, Becca….. Becca for World President! Becca for World President!
June 15th, 2008 at 4:38 pm
Thanks, Richard!!!
June 28th, 2008 at 3:51 pm
I just discovered your blog today. I read a lot of blogs related to health and fitness (I write a bi-weekly post for BlogHer.com on fitness topics, as well as a weekly post for BlogHer on topics related to single women). Yours is definitely one that I’ll be adding to my feed reader so I can keep up with what you’re doing. You’re so inspiring!
Especially this post. I’m a firm believer that people should do what makes them happy, so whenever I read about someone who’s actually making that happen, it’s SO inspiring for me.
I just started working out regularly with weights about a year ago (before that, I went through a period of time where I was too thin, and had absolutely no energy). The gains I’ve made in my self-confidence have just been amazing to me. I’ve been wanting to take it to another level, and I’d heard about Crossfit, which is how I ended up at your blog in the first place (just searching for various blogs related to the subject).
Right now the cost of classes in my area is holding me back ($200 a month at a local gym). I live in the DC metro area, so I imagine the prices around here are probably pretty comparable to what people pay in Los Angeles (I lived in the Antelope Valley for a year, by the way — summer ‘05 to summer ‘06).
But can we really put a price on fitness? That’s a question I ask myself, too. Should I be putting that $200 into the bank and saving for a house, or should I be focusing more on my physical fitness? Questions, questions…
June 29th, 2008 at 9:54 pm
Awesome, Zandria - thanks for the response! I will definitely check out BlogHer.com - I just took a peak and it looks pretty interesting. I will explore it more!
I am glad that you enjoying this entry and found it inspiring - that is exactly why I wanted to write this and also to share this blog with everybody in general. I think it’s important for people to know it’s okay to take risks and do what their heart wants.
I hope that you check out one of the classes at the CrossFit near you - just see what one is like! We have a guy here at our gym that has trained in DC, I wonder if it’s the same one?
When I first started CrossFit a little over 3 years ago, I couldn’t afford it either. I decided to give up my vice of Diet Rockstar so I could pay for it! It’s all about priorities really — we have people come in who say our prices are too high, but they drive a BMW. It’s all about what makes you happy and what you want to focus on in life.
Take care and I hope you have a wonderful week!
July 6th, 2008 at 9:59 am
I’m glad I came back here to let you know I linked to this post on BlogHer (and it’ll be cross-posted on my personal blog tomorrow morning). I was able to read your response!
I think you’re absolutely right, Becca — it’s all about priorities. I’m sure I could find the money the take these classes if it was something I really wanted to do. But how will I know if I don’t make the attempt?
I like trying different things to see what they’re all about, and if it’s something I’d like to continue. (I’ve done that with both belly dancing and krav maga recently.) I think I need to do this with CrossFit as well.
Thank you for being such an inspiration!
July 7th, 2008 at 6:14 am
[...] Becca quit her job in the Los Angeles entertainment industry to work as a CrossFit instructor. I think it’s awesome when people make a job switch because they’re so passionate about what they do. Posted on July 7, 2008 at 9:14 am, filed under BlogHer. Bookmark this entry.Follow any comments here with the RSS feed for this post. Post a comment or leave a trackback. [...]
May 27th, 2009 at 8:08 am
[...] read this post of Becca’s some time ago, but sometimes I’ll go back and read it again just because I like it so much. She [...]