You Can Check Out, But You Can Never Leave

My love for music came straight from my parents. The first concert was Woodstock (Jimi Hendrix with an all Nashville band of sessions players-more on that later) and then a series of rock and roll mixed with Americana, with troubadours taking center stage on our turntable. I’ll never forget the first time I heard the Eagle’s “Hotel California.” Mom had it playing as loud as the speakers would go one day coming home from school. She’d memorized every word. It became a mantra.

I’m still living lines from that iconic album and song “I had to find the passage back to the place I was before. “Relax, said the night man, we are programmed to receive. You can check out any time you like, but you can never leave.” My patchwork quilt of a career has come full circle. What I thought was my last move was check, not checkmate. Learned a ton. Met an amazing group of women. Created a home for my social media practice and handed over the keys. Forever grateful.

Then someone who shaped my life and career made a phone call that changed it all. He is, to this day, one of my absolute favorite people in the world. He recognized my differences from day one and fostered them. At a time when it made more sense to fit in than stand out.

And that’s where the next chapter in my story begins. I’ve returned to the world that gave me the wings to fly. To create, tell stories, and develop true and lasting relationships. The world of experiences. I’ve joined Freeman as the VP of Experience Strategy. You may know them as the guys I have to contract with when I do a show pretty much anywhere in the world. I know them as a group of passionate storytellers who are deeply committed to creating moments that matter. Incredibly collaborative, everyone brings their collective backgrounds and expertise to empathetic, human-centered design. Always challenging each other to imagine what’s possible through the eyes of our customers. We’re much bigger than a general contractor. We’re the sum of all of our parts. People at the center. Exactly the kind of people and place where I can thrive. On my own terms. And I am. Alongside a team of some of the smartest minds in the industry.

What a gift. Incredibly grateful to get the chance to do meaningful work. And have a lot of fun doing it. To continue my lifelong journey as a learner, to help others realize their dreams. To help them dream and bring those dreams to life. To create indelible memories. Those that last a lifetime. That’s the stuff of legacies.

Here goes……