I started university at 16, was expelled by 19.

My transcript ends with a line of zeroes.
Fair, I wasn't attending anymore.
But what isn't in the transcript was my hunger to REALLY learn.
A burning need to actually DO.
How I sank my teeth into the world.

Did sales & events,
Freelanced writing editorials,
Took gigs & shifts nobody wanted,
Earned becoming a celebrity stylist's fave one-gal crew,
Worked in shows like Project Runway Phils.
And, hun, there ain't no "work under pressure" like backstage at a Fashion Week.
When tobacco was banned from advertising (major club revenue), we hustled new income streams. Celebrity auctions, sports deals...I have so many stories.

Before 20, I already lived a career.
Negotiated, wrangled, made so many mistakes my peers were just about to.
They did case studies while I made (sometimes lost) real money,
dealt with staffing, industry disruptions, and solved actual business problems.

Yet many can't see beyond an expulsion.
I lost my spot in a global FMCG program,
and there are doors never to open for me again.
It took a while but I'm ok with it now.

Sure, I do not walk paved paths,
but I've come to learn that those who change the world never do.

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Hi, I'm Lizette.

This is Post six in a series of anecdotes you won't get out of a CV but tells you what makes me a great hire and addition to any team.

Originally written for a LinkedIn Post