June 2017 was the last official competitive game I played. That was in Colombia in the first Women's Professional League.
It was VERY hard for me to stop / put a pause on professionally competing two years ago. An athlete's transition to the "real world" is no joke, that's for sure. I struggled. I cried. I felt lost without the ball at my feet. But, I had to pay the bills.
I returned to West Palm Beach, Florida and worked for my family's company in Accounting and Marketing. I was so grateful they gave me an opportunity to work but something inside me felt so entirely incomplete.
I decided I needed to do something. I was unhappy.
I needed to live my passion. I asked myself... well, what is my passion? What is something that I absolutely loved through the ups and downs it served me.
SOCCER. FOOTBALL. FUTBOL. CALCIO.
One year ago I launched my own soccer vlog series, "The Soccer Blogger". It started as a series of fan experience videos during the Russia World Cup to then The Soccer Blogger "Weekend Preeve" where I discussed weekend previews of various leagues in both men's and women's football. I did this as a "passion project" with hopes to showcase my talent and love for the sport. Furthermore, I wanted to create engagement and help with the growth of soccer in the USA.
Little by little, more opportunities came knocking at my door. Collabs with large companies, travels, networking, soccer games, paid contracts. The result of an athletic mindset and entrepreneurial work ethic. For months I worked full-time during the day and vlogged / edited my own videos at night.
Fast forward literally ONE YEAR later-
From vlogging in my make-shift Soccer Blogger studio in my apartment using lamps as my "lighting"... to now just finishing freelance work with Bleacher Report and interviewing Carles Puyol and Andrea Pirlo for the UEFA Champions League Trophy Tour.... I truly just am in total gratitude of my journey.
Today, I just randomly felt like writing these thoughts because I had to put it out into the universe. This passion project led me to full-time freelancing in the world of soccer. Life sure has its ups and downs, its ambiguity, its unknown, its scary transitions. But if there is one thing I learned in solely ONE YEAR, that's ownership. OWN YOUR JOURNEY. When you really want to do something, DO IT. Don't care about what other people think. Care about the happiness it can one day bring to you. Believe me, I am not going to lie, launching my first video I was questioning "what will others think when I post this?!". Well, you know what? If I never would have posted that first video, I wouldn't have just interviewed two absolute football legends just months later.
Create as much content as possible. Showcase your talents.
OWN YOUR JOURNEY
1. Find your passion
2. Make a plan
3. Write down your goals
4. Mentally imagine yourself accomplishing your goal
5. Forget about what others think
6. Own it.
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