Hey lovelies! I have been wanting to write this post for awhile, but guess what motherhood + my current job is kicking my little tush. If you follow me on my social media platform (first of thank you!), you have realized that I will be showcasing my style but writing more about my life. When i first started connecting with fashion bloggers and influencers, they always assumed I worked in the fashion industry. Even though my career almost went that route (yes almost worked for Trunk Club), I found my calling in the hotel world. I have been working 6+ years in the hospitality industry, and it definitely has nurtured me on how I should approach any situation I encounter myself with.
Ok, let's start my journey. I can tell you I've known about the hospitality industry since I was 8 years old. My mom, a kindergarten teacher, who needed to take care of her 6 kids (yup I'm the last of 6 kids), started in a small Inn as a housekeeper. Around the late 90's, she paved the doors for our family with one of the major hospitality brands, Marriott International. Before my Nanny days, I recall her picking me up from school, taking me to her job where I would watch her work hard everyday. After a couple of years, she landed two huge opportunities in the NYC market to be part of an opening team of two new hotels. She decided with the beautiful hotel overseeing the Brooklyn Bridge. Around the early 2000's, she ensured to introduce me to managers, directors, which I will say til this day they remember the chubby 10 year old with pigtails. (that's around 18 years ago!)
Moving years forward, from my older siblings landing top roles within Marriott, I decided to give the hospitality world a try. I started in the Airport Market as a front desk agent, which taught me two things. Multi-tasking and learn to be very detail-oriented to ensure everything I was doing at once would be perfect. After a couple of months in the Airport Market, I landed a front desk agent position in the heart of Midtown East. It was a different clientele for sure, and I learned so much. After being there for a couple years, I was able to learn more about another side of the industry, sales & marketing. As someone that was studying fashion merchandising and marketing, this definitely became a desire interest. Of course, I was up for the next step and challenge in a career I already had invested enough years, that I took a role into management that didn't work out. And you know what, I'm ok with that. If I would've continued in the management role, I wouldn't have been able to step out of my shell, and find the silver lining to what I really wanted to pursue. I had lost focus on what I actually wanted to do.
It's been a year and a half since I started in my new field in the hospitality industry. Learning so much from the Operations side I have been able to join the sales & marketing team for such a growing area as Jersey City. I have been part of the pre-opening team, landed some fun events & accounts (I can't reveal this because well that would be giving up info, and a gal can't do that), and continue to grow. My goal for this year is to continue to grow in the sales & marketing aspect of hospitality, and all I can say now is that it's going in the right direction. I'll leave you with this, it's OK to continue your search, you don't need to have all the answers right away. Don't settle! Settling on something your heart isn't fully fulfilled will make you miserable. Your failures will make your achievements and success better memories. As always I hope I inspire you not only with my style, but with my words, remember to add some lipstick and go conquer the world. Xoxo, Abstractsmile
All pictures were taken by Leslie Moncada
Dress: Crossroads (Thrifted!)
Booties: Forever 21
