The Intuitive Track: 10 Jobs, 21 Lessons: Working, Living, and Surviving in Nyc

By Mo Marshall

Are you wanting to make a career change or trying to figure out what to do with your life? This book is written to help readers create change and get hired in any business because the skills that are most valuable are not industry-specific. Mo learned this by pounding the pavement of NYC, and she takes you on that journey, outlining the lessons she learned.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Balboa Press
• Release date: Nov 17, 2018
• ISBN: 9781982211684

Mo Marshall

Mo has been navigating the New York City job market for two decades. From the fast-paced film industry to the rarified world of exclusive interiors to high finance, she’s climbed a ladder of her own making. Along the way, her intuition has been her most powerful teacher and guide. Mo blogs and writes newsletters to inspire her readers to live their best lives. This book is a compliment to her experiences.­

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Copyright © 2018 Mo Marshall.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by any information storage retrieval system without the written permission of the author except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

This book is a work of non-fiction. Unless otherwise noted, the author and the publisher make no explicit guarantees as to the accuracy of the information contained in this book and in some cases, names of people and places have been altered to protect their privacy.

Balboa Press

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www.balboapress.com

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Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

The author of this book does not dispense medical advice or prescribe the use of any technique as a form of treatment for physical, emotional, or medical problems without the advice of a physician, either directly or indirectly. The intent of the author is only to offer information of a general nature to help you in your quest for emotional and spiritual well-being. In the event you use any of the information in this book for yourself, which is your constitutional right, the author and the publisher assume no responsibility for your actions.

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Getty Images are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Getty Images.

ISBN: 978-1-9822-1167-7 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-9822-1169-1 (hc)

ISBN: 978-1-9822-1168-4 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2018910592

Balboa Press rev. date: 11/14/2018

Contents

Preface

PART I Running on Faith

Chapter 1 The Job Hunter- 1998

Chapter 2 The Casting Assistant- 1998

Chapter 3 The Talent Agency Receptionist- 1999

Chapter 4 Antique Showroom to the Trade- 2000

Chapter 5 The Casting Associate- 2003

PART II Hearing Your Inner Voice

Chapter 6 The Real Estate Agent- 2004

Chapter 7 The Waitress- 2004

Chapter 8 The News Archive Temp- 2005

Chapter 9 The First Hire for a Hedge Fund Start-Up- 2006

Chapter 10 A Fork in the Road- 2007

PART III Manifesting You

Chapter 11 A Breath- 2010

Chapter 12 The Next Opportunity- 2012

Acknowledgements

Preface

What does it take to stick out in the workforce? What is it that makes you just as or more valuable than even the girl or guy with the Ivy League education and Master’s degree? In this book, I’m going to lay the answers out for you through real life scenarios. I have navigated New York City’s workforce for almost 20 years, managing to obtain nontraditional jobs within a competitive job market time and time again. There are always people who are smarter than me, and this is one of the many reasons I love living here. Why was I given the opportunities I have been fortunate to have over other applicants? The following pages contain my insights into that answer, the traits and skills that gave me an edge – and that can give you an edge too.

People have always told me I’m ambitious and that I’m a lucky girl. I am lucky, but I have always worked for it. Like my grandma Emmy used to say, Throw enough sh-t against the wall and something’s gotta stick. Sometimes things fall off my wall and sometimes things stick.

I am a high-energy introvert. Yes, a big-time introvert, and when I don’t get my alone time, I just sort of zone out because my body says, Enough. I will force you into down time. So, if I am getting foggy I know the introvert in me is being neglected. I have always been forced out of my introverted ways because I grew up as one of ten kids. With so many people around, I had innumerable moments of zoning out in order to get myself back to me.

How on earth does an introvert like me, who more often than not just wants to be left alone, survive New York City? My high energy. I like to keep moving and be productive. Beauty and depth are my two major passions- I love creative minds, so things like interior design, fashion, culture and learning about the unusual are what feed me.

Working, surviving, and living in New York has been a journey, one that I have been happy to take. It has not been easy. At times I have really screwed things up and had moments where I have lost my grounding, but I always try to be authentically myself, pick myself back up again, and find it within myself to go back at things with the gusto that I know I hold within me.

In the following pages I have honed in on some of the most important life skills and lessons I have learned throughout my journey in the hope that it inspires you to continue moving toward your dreams to create the life you love.

The fact that I’m writing this book is a part of the path I have taken in discovering my own writing capabilities- this has been a journey in itself. This book is for so many: maybe you’re a new college grad, want to make a career change, are looking for tools to help you excel in the game of life, or perhaps you are simply looking for inspiration to go after your dream, even if it’s ‘out there’.

I have forged my own way with unexpected occurrences and life lessons that often repeat themselves to the point that I know for sure that something greater than myself is in charge of this journey. In the chapters that follow, I give you a snapshot of each different job and highlight the most important lessons I have been privileged to learn.

The people that I worked with in my 20s are, to this day, the friends I reach out to, whether I speak to them on a regular basis or not. They are my people: creative, quirky, hardworking, original and 110% themselves. For me, these people make New York City the place dreams are made of. I hope once you’ve read my story that you find it in you to never give up on making your own dreams come true.

PART I

Running on Faith

CHAPTER 1

The Job Hunter- 1998

I pick up the phone and dial Phyllis. I have never called her before. Despite my feelings of uncertainty about my decision, my desire for change is greater. Phyllis has always pulled at my heart because she has created a life I admire. She is a successful Casting Director, worldly, has a great family, and lives in a beautiful home and neighborhood. Phyllis’ life is unique, and I’m curious as to how she created it. How did she forge her way to create something so different? She wakes up my spirit.

The answering machine picks up. Yes, the answering machine- it’s 1998 after all. Great, she’s never calling me back. My one idea, nixed. What do I do next? I have no idea.

One hour later, my cell rings.

It’s Phyllis. OH MY GOD, she actually called me back.

What’s going on? Are you okay?

I have met Phyllis only a handful of times because she’s my Mom’s cousin who’s lived most of her life on the West Coast. Only in recent years has she moved back to the East Coast, to New York.

Yes, I’m okay.

So, what’s going on?

Well, I graduated from Loyola a year ago and I’m still living in Baltimore with friends. I took a job working for a Speech Therapist as a teacher, and while I’m happy I did it, I just want to try something different and I don’t know what to do. I was hoping you might have some suggestions.

I do. Do you have a pen and paper? Already, I can feel how direct Phyllis is. I fumble across my desk for a pen and some scrap paper. "This is what you do. Go pick up the New York Times and flip to the classified ads. Anything that says Administrative Assistant and sounds interesting circle and send your resume with a cover letter out too. Do you have an up-to-date resume put together?"

Not right now, but I can do that right away.

"Great, get your resume done first and remember, it doesn’t matter what industry it is, the most important thing is if the job