“We all have a plan, and then God laughs…”
In a conversation my Study Tour class and I had with Ezequiel De La Rosa this past week, we discussed the concept of change and how to handle it in a career.
With a varied background in design, makeup artistry, and photography, Ezequiel is a man who does it all. Now the Editor in Chief of his own magazine, Jez Magazine, he runs at opportunity- doing everything with purpose, passion, and direction.
Rather than lecturing, Ezequiel had a conversation with each and every one of us, capitalizing on three main things:
1. Find Your Essence
As Ez spoke of his background and past experiences, I immediately was hooked. Finding inspiration in everything he said, I was suddenly caught off guard when the conversation so quickly turned on me.
“What do you want to do?”
I paused.
What do I want to do…? Everything. Trying to curate an answer on the spot, I wasn’t sure which dream I should tell him about. Having just listened to him speak of his beginnings, in a matter of seconds, I thought back to my own. Where did my fashion story begin? When did I really determine it was no longer a hobby, but my future?
In my nerve-filled answer, dancing around a concise answer, I ultimately laid it all out on the table. “Dream job- celebrity stylist”, I responded. Over the years I’ve become hesitant to express that to others. Someone always has a comeback- “it’s not as glamorous as it seems.” Or, “that’s really hard to get into.” The judgements flood in, trying to invalidate that position as a real job. But not Ezequiel.
Instead, he said okay, followed by insight from his own experience. “You have to know people.” And more importantly… you have to know yourself.
Before we are able to reach success in this industry, we must know ourselves- our brand if you will. What do you want to do and how are you going to do it? Find your essence.
2. Connect and Be Kind
If there’s one thing that fashion school and moving into adulthood has taught me, it’s the power of connections. There to reinforce this idea, Ezequiel gave real life examples of how networking is a connector to success. Always lead with kindness because you never know who you’re talking to.
3. Know Your Worth
Last but most certainly not least, Ezequiel addressed one of the most important parts of forging ahead in not only our careers, but life in general.
He commented on how when people come to him with questions or a job, he doesn’t hold back. Leading with confidence, he takes pride in the amount of work he has put in to get himself to where he is today, and knows the value held in his answers and advice. Touching the topic of negotiations, Ezequiel added a few anecdotes about when he began getting asked to do jobs. His number one question after hearing the proposal was always- “how much does it pay?”- an interesting concept to grasp as we move from students into actual career professionals.
Leaving us, Ez mentioned the importance of resilience, especially within this industry. “People will tear you down”, he says. I found much appreciation in his reminder to stay true to who we are as professionals and people.
Be sure to check out Ezequiel De La Rosa and all of his work at both Jez Magazine – Fashion. Culture. Philanthropy. and Ezequiel De La Rosa.
