Full Circle in the City

Being invited to Squarespace’s Circle Day feels like one of those full circle moments you don’t see coming.

Back in 2007, I was fresh out of Flagler College’s graphic design program - which back then, was a degree that wasn’t just handed out, you had to earn your spot through a portfolio review and prove you had the grit to make it. After graduating, I was sending out applications anywhere and everywhere I felt like I could see myself living for a while: California, Florida, Hawaii, Virginia Beach, NYC. Coastal girl through and through.

One day, while waiting tables, I got a call. An art director in New York City wanted to interview me. Two days later, I hopped on a plane with my oversized black portfolio case (yep, that was still a thing), landed at JFK, and headed straight into the city for the wildest 24 hours of my life. I interviewed, wandered Times Square with my portfolio still in hand, and flew back home the same night. A couple days later, I got the job.

Three weeks after that, I packed up my life, moved to Staten Island (my co-workers never let me live that one down 😅), and started my career at a nationally distributed wine & spirits magazine. The job gave me access to parties, concerts, and a version of New York City I never could’ve afforded as a junior designer. I biked along the river during the 4th of July fireworks, got lost on the subway at 3am, and did yoga in my tiny studio while watching the sunrise over Manhattan. It was chaotic, it was magical, and it shaped the trajectory of my design career.

Now, almost 15 years later, I get to return to NYC - not as the nervous 20-something year old with an oversized portfolio case, but as the expert.

Being invited to Circle Day as a brand consultant is surreal. The first time I came to the city, I was just getting started. This time, I get to walk in with clarity, confidence, and a career built on the foundation of that very first chance.

Full circle.