how one former e! producer quit the fashion world to explore the globe
Highly followed travel & food blogger and founder of the multimedia creative agency HUNGRYApe, Nicole Isaacs, had a comfortable and stable life that she walked away from in order to pursue her passions. As a field producer for one of the largest entertainment news networks, E!, Nicole had what felt like the “perfect” life being in television -- interacting with celebrities, attending red carpets, you name it! But her love of travel, food and ability to connect with people through their stories were more important to her than staying in a cycle that she knew. She quit her job, ended a long term relationships and bought a one way ticket to Europe. The rest is history.
As with most things, when you listen to your heart and take a risk on yourself, in spite of your fear and doubt, you can achieve more than you ever thought possible and become more fulfilled than you thought imaginable. Nicole arranged her life so that there was no turning back and shared how she embarked on living a life defined and told through her own terms.
"My biggest fear was leaving something stable and venturing into the unknown, with no set plan. Weighing the risk and not knowing if you are making the right decision, on top of the fear of failure after giving everything up.
There was something bigger at play that led me to the decision to invest in myself, build my brand and start something new. And I knew accepting the feeling of discomfort came with that in order to see change and growth in my life.
I quit my full-time job, broke up with my longtime boyfriend, moved all my things into my parents’ house and bought a one-way ticket to Italy. It was a gut intuition that I chose to trust, although I still had doubts and uncertainty. The only thing that kept me going was knowing I couldn't go back - that kept pushing me to keep going and be more persistent than ever."
TRUSTING YOURSELF THROUGH THE CHALLENGES
"I always told myself there was no Plan B. This was it for me. I went through so many obstacles on my journey, and still have plenty I face on the daily. Like everyone else, I have bad days where I get discouraged, but I remind myself to keep going and to never give up. That I've come this far and there is no turning back. Sometimes my discouragement motives me, while other times it brings me down and distracts me - but I try not to let it linger. One of the biggest things for me is to stay true to who I am and what I want to represent. I know the mark I want to leave and work hard to achieve that while doing what I love. I’ve found that doing what you truly love will always keep you focused and motivated. It's almost impossible to fail when you dedicate yourself relentlessly and whole heartedly to something you love and are passionate about."
LIFE IS FILLED WITH SIGNS - WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU RECOGNIZE THEM, TAKE ACTION AND TRUST IN YOURSELF
"I was working a great, stable 9-5 job, but deep down I knew something was missing. For almost five years, I was a field producer for E! Entertainment's show Fashion Police, which was hosted Joan Rivers. It was an amazing job - my life was comfortable, but I had the itch to get out into the world and do more. When Joan passed away, the show underwent a lot of change, and I saw it as a sign for me to make my move: so, I decided to leave E! and made some other significant changes in my life. The change was so dramatic that it actually started to affect my health. I had trouble sleeping; I developed TMJ (grinding your teeth while sleeping due to stress), and went through an emotional roller coaster from the anxiety and sense of not knowing where I belong. All I wanted was clarity and confirmation that I made the right decision. Time reveals all though, and with time, I learned I made the best decision of my life. With great risk comes great reward. I haven’t scratched the surface of what I want to accomplish in life, but I do know I am on the right path."
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