In seventh grade I had a teacher who thought it would be fun to have us fill out a form asking us questions about our favorite band, what our favorite outfit was – you know, the stuff that is super important to thirteen year olds. I am sure mine had doodles of which member of NKOTB I was going to marry. (It was Jonathan in case you were wondering.) One question sticks out very clearly to me, though – “Where do you see yourself in ten years?” My answer was a short & sweet, “Living in New York City.”
I graduated college on a Saturday and was sleeping on a futon in Brooklyn the following Tuesday. Less than a week later I was working at a hedge fund. It was there that I realized I could make a real career out of my obsessive need to organize and keep people in line. I fell in love with it all. I was a city girl for life. Until I wasn’t.
After a few years the novelty of living in New York began to wear off. There were major pieces of my life that were missing and I wasn’t able to find them in NYC. I wanted to work with a company that would allow me the time to have a family. I wanted a yard, not a public park. I wanted a house, not an apartment. I wanted more than the New York was able to give me.
Making the decision to move from New York to Columbus was not an easy decision, yet it is easily the best decision I ever made.
Living in Columbus gives me the things I was missing from my life in New York and so much more. At the end of the workday, I don’t spend 45 minutes on the subway to my studio apartment in Chelsea. I have a quick drive to my house. My husband and I have the time to push our daughter in her swing in the backyard before rocking her to sleep at night. There is space to breathe.
I am still challenged on a daily basis. The tempo is just as upbeat and fast-paced. I work with a team of incredibly smart and talented people. We all constantly push each other to be better. We have the same goals not only for Drive Capital, but for the whole Midwest.
Whether you’re hoping to build a family, a career, or a company, this absolutely is the best place to start.
