Shortly after my arrival to NatGeo I was told about an upcoming event that would be moderated by Ann Curry. I grew up with the Today Show. Ann Curry gave me the headlines everyday during junior high and high school. Needless to say, I was excited that I might be able to see her in person if I was able to go to this event. I was really new, I didn’t know how this worked. Could I go? Did I need a ticket? Would I be working it? I really had no idea, so I just waited and hoped for the best.
As the event approached, I realized that I wouldn’t be working it, but my boss would and I would be running a similar event the following week. I would shadow him at this event to prepare for mine.
We went to rehearsal the afternoon of the show. Shortly after we arrived, Ann Curry walked in. She walked up to each of us, shook our hands and said, “Hi, I’m Ann.” The teenager in me was thrilled. I desperately wanted to ask her for the headlines.
From the moment she walked in, she knew exactly what she wanted. She reviewed the outline we had for the show, but suggested changes. She was confident and articulate. I knew in that moment that I wanted to walk in to every meeting as Ann Curry. Know what you want. Go for it.
By the time rehearsal ended, my day had already been made. I was hoping to be in the same room with Ann Curry, but now I had met her and shook her hand. But it was about to get better…
The event was called “Women of Vision.” Earlier that day an exhibit of the same name opened next door in the NatGeo museum with a big reception in the exhibit space before the show. Most people on my team get excited for these receptions – and who doesn’t love free food and drinks – especially when we’re working until 10 o’clock at night! Still, I wasn’t sure if I would go. I didn’t know many people that work there and standing in a crowded room of strangers is certainly not my idea of a good time. I finally went over. I chatted with some people I knew and met some new people. I eventually set off on my own to view the rest of the exhibit.
I had barely started exploring the exhibit when I saw Ann Curry chatting with other guests. I also saw a Vice President I had met earlier that day. She made eye contact, and I said hello. As I approached, she leaned in and said, “Will you take Ann to the Green Room?” After a split second of stunned silence I replied, “Yes. Of course.”
Wait, was I just asked if I wanted some one on one time with Ann Curry? Who would turn that down? This was incredible! But there was a problem, I didn’t actually know where the Green Room was. There was no way I was going to turn this opportunity down, so I was determined to figure it out. I knew the general area of it. At prior events people had pointed to a door and said, “The Green Room is back there.” But had this terrible scenario flash through my mind in which I walked through that door with Ann Curry and there was just a long hallway with door upon door and I couldn’t find which one led to the Green Room. Or even worse, that door was locked and we were stranded in the lobby.
Thankfully, on my way out of the exhibit I crossed paths with my boss and when Ann stopped to take a photo I quickly explained the situation to him. When she was ready, my boss, Ann Curry, and I left the exhibit and headed into the courtyard. It was raining outside so when we got to the marble steps she grabbed my arm as we descended them – so now I can talk about the time I walked arm in arm with Ann Curry.
When we got into the other building, we walked up to the door I mentioned above, my boss pointed at it and said to Ann, “The Green Room is right through there.” That was it?!??!?!?! That’s the actual door to the Green Room?!?! I could have done that!!! Now I know.
This situation was a mini-version of my life. People always ask me how I got where I am. How did I go from a small town to living on a tour bus to cruising the world to working for National Geographic? They also typically ask me if I’m a risk taker. Actually they typically insist that I must be a risk taker to set out on all these adventures. But to tell the truth, I don’t think of myself as a risk taker at all. I’m just a person that has been presented with a stream of incredible opportunities that are too good to refuse. I don’t always know what I’m doing (in fact, I usually don’t), but not doing it would be more of a failure than not even trying. When a door opens, I walk through it and figure the rest out as I go. Sometimes that door even leads to the Green Room.
