I have the blood of an entrepreneur rushing through my veins. Have you ever closed your eyes, eliminated all sound, sat quietly still, and felt the blood traveling through your arms and hands? It's a tingling sensation that brings the function of living to reality.
As far as I can remember; as a child, I wanted not to work in the tallest, most sparkling building in the city but own the company located in the tallest, most sparkling building in the city. I imagined myself being a power girl of business and I could hear the click clack of my heels sounding off with each power step leading to my office at the top of the high rise, but life lead me in a different direction and instilled within me a fear of heights. I was heading south but life's compass was pointing me north west.
College was not a success for me because I was a life learner. I needed to touch, feel, see, and do so I put my college education on hold and headed into the land of the working. Where paychecks come before happiness and a dollar earned is a dollar spent. My first job as a Retail Sales Representative with a contemporary young women's apparel retailer provided me a start in what I never knew would be my career for many years to come.
Before Wade
After spending 15 years in retail as a manager and trainer; gaining age with each passing year, I was no doubt at the brink of change. The end of the road was caressing the very tips of my toes and with one more step or nudge I'd be over the edge and plummet to my death. I can't say that it was retail specifically that I needed to part with, it was the thought of not accomplishing my true dreams. My spirit was unsettled, I felt uncomfortably imbalanced, and dissatisfied with a sense of not belonging in a normal society where people worked like zombies. I can describe it as the feeling your body has when you've had too much caffeinated coffee on an empty stomach. The worse part was that I had no idea what I truly had a passion for besides entrepreneurship. I knew I wanted to lead a revolution, bring a big idea to life, and make a social imprint with my name stamp.
Throughout my retail career I was inspired by fashion and beauty organizations, I enjoyed writing and was lucky enough to get paid a little cash on the side for doing it, I loved creating business plans, business logos, tag lines, DIY websites, I marveled at the concepts used for commercials and print ads, and I was obsessed with the thought of owning my own business but I liked the thought of creating one more so than running one. Hopping from business idea to business idea, project to project, those close to me knew I had something special but hoped I would stand still long enough to make that something happen.
I realized that although I was financially successful in retail, I was dissatisfied with my life's progress. With a 90 day notice in hand, I vowed to follow my gut and end my career. After leaving retail I spent two years trying to find my passion, learning my likes and dislikes, and just trying to figure me out. During my period of unemployment I completed an esthetician program, obtained my license and freelanced as a skin therapist and certified eyelash extentionist. That's how I tapped into the whimsical world of beauty. I attended The Makeup Show-Los Angeles, IECSC-the International Esthetics, Cosmetics and Spa Conference, IMATS-the International Makeup Artist and Trade Show, and a variety of educational seminars. Although I had not pinpointed an actual career path, I felt a sense of belonging. Something was nudging me further.
What I learned is that I'm an 'IT' girl. I want to do it, whatever it is, in a big way. The consistent prodding and poking from the idea that my work must fit into my lifestyle is suggesting that freelance work in the beauty and/or fashion sphere is turning out to be my fate. Freelancing offers the freedom I crave, multiple streams of income, an opportunity to be creative, and variety (anti-boredom). My goal is to simply do the jobs and projects that I love and my hope is to combine all of my experiences and turn them into one big melting pot of gold. After 3 years, I think I'm finally on to something and it feels right.
My next step was to get involved in a group or organization that could provide me with the resources I need to hone in on my niche or group of niches that would feed my entrepreneurial spirit and lead my freelance venture. Going back to school for me was a great way of doing this but obviously I had to select anything other than a traditional college and focus more on my personal interests. I considered FIDM as well as MUD because both schools would connect me with beauty and fashion. Not wanting the expense of either school at the time and being on my last financial leg, I headed to Dallas for a lower cost of living and a well needed change. Unknowingly, Dallas had a lower cost educational option right in the heart of the city and in the midst of Dallas Market Center where IT all happens.
Wade College
WADE College of Merchandising and Design is located in downtown Dallas, TX at the World Trade Center and has office space within the Dallas Market Center. Just like Los Angeles, DMC brings fashion buyers and exhibitors (wholesale retailers) together, houses wholesale fashion brands, and hosts fashion events and trade shows. As a Merchandising and Design school, the location is perfect.
Opportunities
The school provides opportunities for students to work as an intern during Dallas Market Week, which happens four times per year, to volunteer for fashion events throughout the city of Dallas, attend events, and reach out to employers through the school's career connections. With resources such as a library with thousands of fashion, design, business, and beauty related material, a career website with available job, volunteer, and internship opportunities, and guest speakers within the industry making campus visits, the school is a nesting ground for a passionate and hungry merchandising and design student.
Degree
All students receive an AA Degree in Merchandising and Design with a concentration in Merchandise Marketing, Fashion Design, Interior Design, or Graphic Design. Merchandise Marketing was my preferred concentration. There is also a BA degree available in Merchandise Management, which I may pursue. The AA degree program is 2 years in length but with college transfer credits I will be able to accomplish my goal much sooner. I attend classes once per week leaving room for volunteering, interning or maintaining a job.
I will continue to share my journey with my readers. I hope that it will be inspiring and provide you with a realistic look at what attending a fashion merchandising and design school is like. With permission I'll take you on a tour of the school, interview students and instructors, and share my experience at various events. So stay tuned for more articles, blog entries, and YouTube videos about my Wade College experience.
Until next time, see ya lata'!
XoXo,
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