Want the full story? I'm not completely sure where my obsession with music and venues started. My first concert was Tori Amos at an outdoor amphitheater when I was 5; my mom tried to get us backstage by getting me to start crying to the security guard - it didn't work and we both have yet to meet Tori Amos.  ​ Really though, it was probably when I was 8 and my mom's new boyfriend was a guy in a local band. He introduced me to the Beatles and one of my favorite things became chasing the disco ball reflections on the floors of the venues when I was allowed to be there. I have a distinct memory of my mom being so concerned that I was dancing so close to the speakers but I didn't have a care in the world - I was my happiest self.  When I was 17 my mom opened her own local venue in our small town of 2,000 - I (albeit illegally) worked my first bartending job there and knew I just wanted to be surrounded by music forever.   ​ At the same time, going into college, I knew I really enjoyed the business side of things and realized that my marketing could give me the best of both worlds - creative and analytical. On the weekends I worked at Black Sheep Burrito because that was the only place within walking distance of campus that had live music every night of the week - and conveniently the owner also owned The V-Club, which meant that as an employee, I was able to get free entry into every show; most notably it gave me a front row seat to watching a guy named Tyler Childers become more than just "a guy."  My senior year, after completing a year-long internship in a marketing agency and realizing just how much it was not for me, I applied for a Box Office Assistant role with the Keith Albee/Marshall Artist Series. My first show was Tony Bennet, which they ended up putting me on stage security during. I will say I wasn't the best security guard due to the fact that I was just so in awe, not just of the talent that was Tony, but in that moment I felt overwhelmed with gratitude for the arts and the utterly human experience that is ​ After that, I landed a job at Mountain Stage, which was a big deal for me. Growing up in West Virginia, where there aren’t many venues—especially not major ones—opportunities like this were rare. Mountain Stage gave me the chance to work with both legends like Patti Smith and future legends like [insert band], all in one place. What I loved most was the hands-on experience that came with being part of a smaller team. We had to wear a lot of hats, and that’s where I really learned how to juggle different responsibilities—whether it was marketing the shows, handling artist relations, or managing day-of-event logistics. It was such a unique opportunity that allowed me to see firsthand how a small but passionate group could create something that impacted people on a huge scale. I was ready to move to a bigger city and dive into larger opportunities—working with major venues, taking on bigger projects. But then COVID hit, and like everyone in the event world, my plans were completely derailed. I had to pivot fast, picking up a few contracted event roles to stay connected to what I love. ​ At Fever, I was an Events Coordinator, scouting out venues and making sure everything from bookings to artist logistics was in place. I was in charge of setting up events, managing payments, and handling on-site ticketing so things ran smoothly. Then I worked as a Seasonal Event and Box Office Manager at Gaylord Palms during their holiday season. That job was intense but rewarding—I co-managed a team of 40 seasonal workers, built schedules, and tackled any customer service issues that came up. I ended up being the one who fixed escalated ticketing problems and turned potential negative experiences into positive ones. ​ At first, I thought these roles would just be temporary until the event industry bounced back. But what was supposed to be a short-term solution turned into two years of working with startups. I learned a ton about marketing and project management, but now I’m ready to jump back into the event world. That’s where my heart is, and I’m excited to get back to what I’m passionate about.