Over the past few months, I have been sharing different aspects of my life with my readers. Originally, I intended for this blog to be around the event management industry, my story in choosing that career and the things I have experienced in that department thus far.
While I did share the majority of those things, along the way we were placed in a Stay at Home order by the government due to the current COVID-19 pandemic. That is too unique of a situation to not touch on in my blog as well. Hopefully, nothing like this pandemic ever happens again.
If something like this does reoccur, I wanted to share my experience in something like quarantine. Tips on how to stay sane… because that actually became a struggle. Tips on how to stay occupied, motivated and focused and so much more.
I will be keeping this blog going with more evolving updates as time goes on. I strongly urge my event management interested readers to continue following along with me. I urge this because of how the industry will be drastically changing due to the pandemic and the fact that certain permanent social distancing measures will impact it all.
Good Afternoon blog readers! I hope your week has been off to a good start. Here in Michigan, the weather has been outstanding throughout the weekend and into the week. It brings the energy up in my household and I hope the same is going for you!
A while back, I interviewed Assistant Director of Events and Conference Services, Courtney Streich. Today, I am officially sharing that audio interview and I hope you all take the time to listen in. Though the advice she shared is specifically in reference to the Event Management industry, much of the information can be applied in other areas of life.
Good Afternoon my fellow quarantined bloggers! It’s a warm and sunny day here in Grand Rapids and I can only hope the weather is decent for you all as well. The weather holds so much power in the majority of people’s moods, which tends to be quite unfortunate for those Michiganders who experience a whirlwind of weather changes constantly.
My birthday was April 12th with which was full of sunshine and 50 degree weather. Followed by April 13th, which very literally had snow. So bizarre!
It has been very difficult for me to keep a positive mindset throughout this COVID-19 experience, as I mentioned in my last post. It’s not hard to imagine that my mentality typically takes a toll on the rainy/cloudy days of quarantine, rather than the sunny and warm ones and I am sure others can relate to that notion.
I am so beyond passionate about music and since I am confined to my home 24/7, I have found that going on long drives through the backroads of my town while singing my heart out to my favorite tunes, has been a sort of therapy for me throughout this entire journey. Unfortunately, it most certainly isn’t as enjoyable of an experience when it’s cloudy as it is on a sunny day. But never the less, it is a therapy that I urge other music lovers to try during quarantine and even after quarantine.
This may seem like a random topic to all you readers, and it most definitely is. But it came to mind because of the morning drive I had today. Yesterday was cloudy and I felt like my anxiety was at an all time high. Yesterday was hard. This morning, with the bright sky and the therapeutic drive I had this morning, I feel so much better. I just wanted to note it as another suggestion on how to deal with this experience.
We are making progress guys. States are starting to re-open, the country is seeing a difference and for the first time in a while… there is more talk of returning to “normality” than there is of maintaining economic shut downs. That’s progress in my book, that’s hope. Hope and progress is what the American people need to hold on to and that is exactly what I urge you to do.
No matter how “cheesy” it may sound, Brian Cole, is a prime example of how far hard work and dedication can take you in life. He is a Central Michigan Alumni, who graduated with a journalism degree. An entrepreneur with an incredibly strong work ethic paired with years of experience.
“I had an incredible skill for journalism,” Brian explained throughout the interview, “It came naturally to me, but I knew it was not something that I would want to do for the rest of my life.” Upon graduating from Central Michigan University, he landed a more business focused internship in Grand Rapids, Michigan.
After completing the internship with that company, he was offered a full-time position with which he happily accepted. Instantly, he excelled. Gaining more and more respect from his superiors and co-workers with every day that passed.
Flashing back to his school days, Brian mentioned his struggles. He has severe ADHD and refuses to take medication for it. Unfortunately, this is a disorder that does not pair well with a classroom setting.
However, he very quickly realized how to use this disorder as a strength in his work life and believes that is a big reason for his success.
Because of his ADHD, amongst other factors, Brian wakes up between 4:00-5:00 am every day. This is clearly not the most typical timeframe for most Americans and that is exactly why he enjoys it. Because of his early awakening, he chooses to use those extra hours for his benefit and get straight to work.
He is always the first one to arrive, the last one to leave and the hardest working there.
This is something that everyone should strive towards, no matter what stage in life or career they are in. However, Brian made it clear during the interview that this dedication and hard work was only half of his method to success.
The bottom line is finding what works for you and going with your gut. If Brian had not looked into himself and chosen to follow a path that was different than journalism, regardless of his skill in the area, he may not of found such a passion for what he does today.
The accomplishment of coming out of his college graduation, directly into his first internship with which became his first job and proceeded to be his own company, is massive.
Brian skipped up steps in the workforce that many spend years perfecting. Maybe there was a little bit of luck in that, but there was definitely a lot of hard work and passion.
What is even greater than this accomplishment, is the message behind it: Realize in yourself, when something feels right or wrong for you.
When you find what fits, be the hardest worker in that room.
Good Afternoon fellow blog readers! As always, I hope you’re staying healthy and happy along with your loved ones. Last week, I wrote to you all about a few tips on how to keep “sane” during these hard times because unfortunately, this is an entire lifestyle change for the majority of us.
That being said, it is incredibly easy to adapt a negative mindset and not know how to get out of it. I have learned a lot throughout the past few weeks of quarantine and although this blog is technically about Event Management and career choices etc. I think having a blog and a community who reads it, is too great of an opportunity to not shed my personal experiences and tips throughout such a unique situation as this, COVID-19.
I am an incredibly passionate person. There are many situations and meanings to that word and how it applies to me but right now, I am referring to my passion in the area of excitement and looking forward to things. I get VERY excited about things to come in the future. So much to a fault, a fault that I have become very well aware of throughout this quarantine period.
I had numerous things that I had been incredibly excited for throughout the months of March, April and May that have since been cancelled due to the virus.
These things include my 21st birthday, my first event that would’ve been held a few weeks ago and a few other things. Having these things so negatively affected by the virus after being so profusely excited for them… I felt an enormous sense of depression in a way.
The highest of hopes, crashing down, left me in a state of utter sadness. This forced me to learn how to not only recover my mentality and pick myself up but to also brace myself for future occurrences such as this.
What I mean by that is it made me recognize that it is okay to be excited and to have high hopes, but that I also need to remind myself that everything will be okay if things don’t workout as planned. Brace yourself, but don’t lose your passion.
I have found that in the midst of all these exciting things that were affected negatively, I had to find new things to look forward to because it gave the sense of hope. It also gave me the opportunity to train myself to not be so negatively impacted if things fall through.
This is just an experience I have noted throughout this crazy lifestyle change we are all living right now. While I obviously know many of you can’t relate to the mentality issues I have been struggling with, I thought it could open up ideas or even just personal conversation in all of you on how to defeat the mental battles you may be dealing with.
As always, stay safe stay healthy and stay inside.
Afternoon to all my fellow bloggers! I am sending prayers, blessings and positive thoughts to every one of you and your loved ones during this awful time.
While there has been a common theme for my blog posts, I decided to make todays post a little different. We are in a unique situation that begs unique ideas on how to get through it. So, for today, we will be discussing just that!
As my 21 year old student self, I suffer with extreme ADHD and anxiety issues. These are two mental disorders that are VERY conflicting with a social distancing / quarantine rule. Years back, I was on medication for both disorders. I have since then stopped due to several reasons. Without medication and with such a huge change in daily routine, I have had to be incredibly creative on how to keep my sanity… literally.
My first tip: create a strict and consistent schedule. This can mean different things for different people. I personally, have a general time of the morning that I make sure to get the day started by. I carve out some reading time so that my brain isn’t so overwhelmed with electronics. I take both of my dogs for a walk individually etc. Whatever works for you, but I suggest including general time frames for each so that you are motivated to do so.
Just the same, I would also suggest a general time to get to bed at night by. It is so easy for our generation to screw up our sleep schedules throughout this experience.
I have heard a lot of feedback via social media, of people eating much more than usual during this quarantine because of boredom. Though it may sound silly, I would urge you to meal prep and create a general time frame for meals throughout your schedule as well. I also found that eliminating the majority of my snacks from my household, helped tremendously. Keeping your pantry and fridge specific to meals rather than snacks, makes it easier to keep a regular eating schedule because in order to “bored eat”… you would have to cook rather than snack.
These are just a few things that have helped me keep some sanity throughout this experience. Different things work for different people and I hope you are all figuring things out for your experience as well. At the very least, I hope this post inspired you to become creative as well.
Clean out your closet, hand wash your car, do things you haven’t had time for in forever. Make the most of this, keep your head up and STAY SAFE.
First and foremost, I hope you are all staying safe, healthy and well informed during this chaotic and scary time. Most of us have never experienced anything like this worldwide pandemic before and it has created such a wide spread of fear. Stay indoors as much as possible and blog ;).
As I have discussed throughout previous pages of mine, I am an event management major. For one of the classes I take in this major, we are put into groups and are to put on our own event. Over the past few months of the semester, my group has meet three times a week and created an event from scratch. We have done everything from sending out our promos and reserving a space, to receiving sponsorship money to help fund the event.
Due to the recent health risks throughout our country, our event for the first week of April… has been cancelled. This was heart breaking for our group as we have put so much work and passion into this event. However, after shaking off the sadness, we realized how great of a learning experience this is for us. The event management industry is full of curve balls and expecting the unexpected.
While I can only pray that situations similar to this current one do not happen again, it is great practice. Throughout the next few weeks of the semester, we will be following a variety of steps to handle this event cancellation efficiently and recover.
I also work at an event management department on campus that is in charge of all events held on academic spaces throughout our university. This has been a challenging but important experience as well as my shifts recently have been a chaotic blend of disappointment and stress.
I will be taking you all through this entire journey and reporting back about my experiences while handling these situations in the event management world. Once again, I hope you and your loved ones are staying healthy and cozy in the comfort of your homes. Be well.
As the week before spring break approaches, I hope you aren’t all as overwhelmed as I am. The main reason for this is because I am putting on my very first event as an event manager.
In the Recreation Parks & Leisure department here at Central Michigan University, we have a class called RPL 430. This class is a programming class where the singular assignment for the semester is to not only come up with a unique event idea, but actually put it on.
That sounded fun and somewhat simple at first… until we realized how many different aspects there are to that. I have a group of six, assigned to each other the first day of class. After weekly meetings for the past three or so months, we have decided on hosting an event called the “Self Care Retail Fair”.
Held in the UC Rotunda on April 8th, my group members and I will be compiling all of our collected clothing donations and creating a “thrift shopping” experience for those who would like to attend / shop. There will be small stations around the clothing items, that encourage self care. Such as tips on how to stay focused, organized, or relaxed. As well as a bracelet making station and a stress ball station.
The event is free admission and all our welcome. There are many things we have to think about for this event: risk management, security, charities to donate to, donations, advertisement, PR and so much more.
Though we are stressed about the event going smoothly, we are also incredibly excited. Throughout the next few weeks, I intend to bring you all along for the ride. I hope it sparks some interest and maybe shows a little insight into the beginning steps of becoming a professional in this career.
Though I have been doing a lot of event management talk… I promised my readers I would share tips on how to find your passion as well. I think it is important to know that not everyone will have a light bulb moment with a major or industry in college… at all.
For example, my dad was a journalism major in college. He is now a business owner and it fits him perfectly. He was amazing at journalism and it got him his degree, but it wasn’t what he wanted to do for the rest of his life. Life will fall in to place at different times for different people and there is no right way to go.
I can’t speak for all universities but I know that at Central Michigan, our academic advising department does a phenomenal job of guiding students and educating students on the possibilities.
Going through your general education requirements throughout your freshman and sophomore year can really help narrow down the search while introducing you to new departments. Doing research through your peers, your academic advisors, school postings and advertisements etc.
I am a strong believer in word of mouth. When you are all going through things together, as freshman for example, you can learn a lot of new things through what your peers are going through.
GET INVOLVED!!! Look at your schools student organization postings for their events or meetings. Keep searching and keep your options / mind open.
There are millions of things I love about the event management department on campus and the industry in general. One of those things is how wide of a range the industry has… there are endless possibilities. Today, I want to discuss what some of those possibilities look like.
When most think of event management, their minds either go right to “party planning” or wedding planning. Those are the two concentrations that some would say are most commonly known. However, there is so much more.
As I previously mentioned, I work at Events and Conference Services in the University Bovee Center. That department is a prime example of a concentration of event management because the event managers within the department, handle the education / business side of events such as conventions, conferences and general business meetings. You can take that business are of event management practically anywhere as well. You can be in hotel management and specifically be working with conventions and the business side of things still.
Event management can also funnel in to the music industry, which is another area I am interested in. Anything from helping put on after parties or launch parties to putting on large scale concerts at huge venues.
There is wedding planning, sports, entertainment, business and so much more. So if you are interested in ANY of these categories but are still unsure of what major or concentration you want to end up in in life… I strongly encourage you to please look in to event management and do your own research on all the places you can take it.
Madison Cole: JRN102 