On Risks & Growth

Angie, Shipping & Warehouse Manager

Growing up, I always shied away from the question “What do you want to be when you grow up?” I remember always hesitating when giving an answer, though I genuinely was trying to figure it out in my head. While other kids loved this question and had an answer ready to give (a teacher! a vet! a firefighter!), I didn’t have a concrete vision of my future. The unknowing continued as I got older and began to worry me as I became closer to graduating from high school. I still could not pinpoint what I had a passion for, but I did not want to disappoint my parents. When I got to college, sticking to my original path of becoming an assistant buyer or a visual merchandiser for an apparel company was tough; unfortunately, I had minimal support from my counselors or teachers, who doubted if school was even for me. I felt stuck and with no support to reach my full potential. I refused to give up and instead allowed myself some time to explore various jobs in different fields.

Though the not-so-uplifting meetings with counselors left me discouraged and hopeless, I knew that simply changing my major was not the answer. I was determined to regain the drive I had lost. After months of babysitting (which I loved), I began looking for part-time positions in the wholesale industry of Downtown LA. I had been involved in retail for over 6 years and was ready for a different environment. I was hired at Our Heiday as a packaging assistant and the opportunity was exciting for me since I had no experience with wholesale nor the stationery business, but it gave me the chance to start somewhere and get my foot in the door. I knew I would be surrounded by beautiful products and actually be the hands behind a packaged order. Not long after being hired, I knew I wanted to be a part of Our Heiday, not just temporarily. The thing I loved most was that although we had our titles, we all did and continue to do much more. Wearing multiple hats allowed me to grow quickly and I never imagined I would become the Shipping & Warehouse Manager at Our Heiday after responding to a Craigslist ad for a part-time position. I’ve learned that seizing one window of opportunity can get you to places you never thought and I am always grateful for that. I’m a firm believer that timing is everything; when an opportunity feels right and seems promising, it’s worth it to take the leap because even if it may not not work out exactly how you planned, there is so much to learn from each experience.

Choosing a career can be so daunting, but having an open mind rather than restricting myself to only what I thought I was capable of has allowed me to grow in so many ways beyond the job; I’ve discovered new things about myself, that I’m a visual learner, I need to try things with my own hands, I’m able to respond to feedback well, and patience is a strength, but I need to work on communicating better. Opening up to the others on our team has really helped me, especially as we’re continuously having one-on-one discussions. These discoveries and growth are an ongoing process that I get to work on daily. I love telling my story to others who have no idea which career path to pursue because I too was unsure of where I was going. Diving into Our Heiday was the best decision for me and maybe taking that unexpected opportunity can be yours, too. When you come across a new path - one that might feel very different from what you planned for yourself - I encourage you to embrace it as more than just a part-time job because it can become an amazing opportunity to grow both personally and professionally if you only let it.

love,
angie