I'm not your average PMSer. Why yes, I am prone to the "standard" type-A bitch fits, shameful carb binging, and crying over the Crazy Stupid Love 30 second movie trailer in between sobbing uncontrollably watching Surprise Homecoming. But one thing I'm thankful for during these 6 days of terrorism, is my superhero-like creativity.
It happened last night. I was parked at In N Out by LAX at 11:30pm. Listening to Drake's "Marvin's Room" and eating a hamburger and a fry well done. (I wasn't joking about the carb binging.) I had the most brilliant, actually feasible idea for a small business. My brain was exploding. I was typing fervently with my greasy fingers into an iPhone note.
It isn't the first time. It seems about once a month I get a burst of hormone fueled entrepreneurial creativity. Last time it was to start a cooking school for little girls. (Still want to do that by the way.) The time before it was to start a smoothie food truck. (Still want to do that by the way.) Some times they're little: Have a dinner party! I bet I can make ice cream with coconut milk!
A few weeks ago, as I told you, I was able to go back and speak to the intern students of University of Dreams about all that I've accomplished in the last 3 years here in Los Angeles. While it's nothing exciting, to them, it's as if I've successfully flown to the Sun. I was able to speak with a few of the girls after the seminar, and in my overstimulation I blurted out to a group of them, "OH MY GOD LET'S HAVE A LADIES NIGHT!" They were pretty excited. Once the endorphins of my new found "fame" died down, on the car ride home I thought, "What did I just promise? And what does 'ladie's night' even MEAN?" I decided to Facebook a few of my favorite ladies in the industry (who also happen to be my really close friends, aren't I the luckiest?) asking them if they'd be willing to come down to UCLA, have some wine, and speak with a bunch of 18-23 year olds about moving to LA, and "making it" in the industry. A meet and greet/Q&A if you will. Of course, because they are all fun, smart, sexy, successful women who also happen to be the sweetest people alive, most actually obliged!
Last night as I waited for Elise to land, I had this epiphany about what Los Angeles was lacking: Bad ass women in the industry. Now, don't get me wrong, there are upstanding women in the industry, but they are few and far between. LA is full of low self esteem plastic cougars, Playboy gold diggers, disheartened bitter singer songwriters, cowardly set PAs, and silent, terrified, ambitious girls who are ready to kick all the male directors in the balls with their talent and creativity, but don't know how, and don't have a voice. We need a community to back these girls up. We need to encourage the future bad ass women of Hollywood to come forward with conviction and be people worth celebrating. We have "Women in Hollywood" organizations around here, but its strictly based on achievements and millions made. I want to promote and honor truly good people. Who the core of them is to reach their dreams and be the best they can be as a woman.
I decided I need to create an outlet for girls moving to LA, or those who have been here but can't find good role models or a good community of healthy, fun, hard working, kind women to build them up and encourage them. We need a young women's society that has the Hollywood community in mind. We'd hold mixers and meetings every week to give these girls a place to network. Seminars from top, respected women in the industry who made it to where they are not by being a back stabbing bitch, but by hard work, passion, friendliness, and thankfulness. We'd travel to other cities, or set up an online community to answer questions from girls who have thought to move here, but are crippled by fear of the unknown. While I haven't achieved all my career goals, I'm still in the very beginning stages, I feel like I have a lot of advice to give about being out here, and about self esteem and growing up in general. I want girls to see how proud my friends and I are, and know they can be the same. And it will only get better as each of us continues to grow and accomplish in this town.
I am thankful for all the good people I have as friends here. Successful, driven, worthy women who glorify those around them and are always looking for ways to help others and improve themselves as an individual. It sets me on fire! And we need to spread it! This UOD Girls Night is just the beginning.
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What a great idea! You're just the person to make that happen! We have something in town called Thursday Night Drinking Club (obviously you'd choose a much better name) but they meet once a month somewhere different each time and they charge $5 at the door and it gets the person a free drink and sometimes some appetizers. The venue provides the location/free drink and in turn they get publicity. The money raised goes to some sort of charity. It's a way for people to network and support each other and I think that kind of idea is perfect for you. The group doesn't even advertise. They have a mailing list and facebook page only and yet it gets a huge turn out each month. If you could get a venue to provide you with some sort of special you could use that as a way to lure people in. I think that part of the money collected goes to running the organization but the other part goes to a charitable organization so people don't complain about having to pay. It works out really well. GOOD LUCK!
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