The Best Date That I've Been On
I had a life-changing conversation on a date with a guy that I met on Tinder -- let’s call him Jacob*. We shared a lot about ourselves as we ate our lemon pepper wings at JR Crickets in Atlanta. One of the topics that I couldn’t help talking about was how unhappy I was working as a social media manager for a large corporation. At the time I ran social media for a fishing bait company. It was cool at first, but your girl got over the thrill of being on the water real quick.
I told Jacob how I was bored with the work I was doing and felt that I had outgrown the job. I had absolutely no interest in growing with the company, and each day I was there felt like creative suicide.
Jacob was an entrepreneur who owned a cleaning company. When he told me that he chose that job because it was in high demand, I knew that I could learn a lot from him. But I didn’t imagine that he would say something that would shift my perspective and set me on a new path.
After I shared my desire to go back into the public relations industry, which was my major in college and first few jobs after graduation, Jacob responded:
“Social media is in its infant stage, you should stay where you are.”
A seed was planted.
I realized that it wasn’t social media that I hated… It was managing social media to promote products that I had no interest in. If only I could pivot to a job where I wasn’t trying to sell products online, but instead I was sharing stories about people. The journalist in me was clawing its way out and that conversation with Jacob inspired me to stop resisting what I’ve always loved -- storytelling.
About a month later I started working at the best job I probably will ever have -- a talk show hosted by four Black women called Sister Circle Live. I have stories for days about the unique experience of working in the entertainment industry and overseeing how the show was highlighted online. There I found my niche -- my sweet spot is helping people tell an authentic story on social media.
Jacob and I never went on another date (I should probably hit him up lol). During the pandemic, I reached out to thank him for inspiring me to stay in social media, as it has presented opportunities that I literally never would have imagined.
It was the best date that I’ve ever been on so far. Not because we went somewhere super fancy or that he wined and dined me all night. It was the best date because we had an amazing conversation and he poured into me in a way that I will never forget.
He showed me the freedom that comes with being high on life and knowing who your star player is (the person you’re trying to become). He reminded me that when you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change. Through Jacob I saw the importance of having grit + grind, but also a chill, go with the flow attitude.
The saying that people enter your life for a reason, season, or lifetime is true. Jacob crossed my path to help me believe in myself and give myself permission to create my dream life. That’s why it was the best date I’ve ever been on.