As promised, I’m bringing you my interview with one of the most inspiring women I know, Ricki Goldhamer. Ricki hired me at Digitas and we immediately became good friends (although she seems to have that effect on everyone). Her title was VP Director, Creative Staffing where she oversaw 275 full time employees and up to 75 freelancers at any given time in the creative department.

In addition to being a friend, Ricki became a very significant professional mentor to me. She showed me that you can work within a corporate environment, but still be completely and totally yourself. This concept had eluded me up until then, and I was inspired to further develop my own career being nobody other than myself.

Me: How did you get started in the advertising industry?

Ricki: I don’t know about you but when I got out of college I took the only job that appealed to me, and where I could survive financially. That happened to be in advertising. It wasn’t because I had a related degree or any relevant experience, it just seemed like something I would enjoy. So voila I was an Account Executive, then Supervisor, then recruited to the client side as Director of Advertising, and so on, until I jumped into Operations. A blessing and a curse I might add. Fast forward almost 25 years later and I asked myself “How did I get here?” I didn’t choose it, it seems to have chosen me.

Me: So then what did you do?

Ricki: Over the last year and a half I’ve had the most amazing time turning my life upside down and inside out. I quit my job, I slept 14 hour days, traveled for months, and after many years of being glued to NYC, and the stressful advertising world, I packed up my life and moved across the country to California. And I found a job that is practically created for me (perhaps that’s because I wrote the description myself, but that’s besides the point).

Me: What made you start thinking about making a change like this?

Ricki: For me change happened over time. In fact I think I was preparing for this moment for a decade. Don’t laugh, that might sound ridiculous, but I lived my life happily and productively, but always waited for something more. I wanted more. But comfort and safety and the ‘known’ can dig you in so far that you’re stuck. You’re good at what you do professionally, you make a decent living that enables you to live well, you have great family and friends surrounding you and you fall a bit in love with a city like New York. But as life has it, I think there are three or four events that propel people forward. The death of someone close to you, a break-up, an act of nature, friends moving away, a failing economy…..or the drive to find something more fulfilling, that makes your heart sing, where your life has a better balance. Whatever it may be — it felt as though I could check off any one of the aforementioned, I was in the eye of the storm of change. And a light bulb went off. I could do it. And I wasn’t afraid.

Me: What gave you the courage to keep moving forward?

Ricki: Honestly, I had a little help from my friends (present company included). Literally. And a little nest egg of my own. I had the most amazing words of encouragement….living breathing examples of people who I admire – who took risks – who picked their own paths and made their own opportunities. And I wanted some of that. And the stars aligned. I’m a late bloomer I guess. Once I got over the insecurities of not having an income, I left my job of eight years, which was sucking the life out of me, and I knew it. I wanted a newer healthier life in every sense of the word. And I felt relieved to have walked away and walked towards something else. I was just mentally and emotionally ready. Don’t get me wrong, there were scary moments in there where I doubted myself, the economy, my sanity, but I managed to push through it because I knew this was it, my time to take control of where I was going instead of continuing to let my life just happen to me.

Me: What did people think of your plan?

Ricki: Most people thought I was brave and gutsy and a bit insane leaving everything I know. The money. The comfort zone. The network. But everyone, I mean everyone said, “go for it.” They could tell I meant business and frankly ‘announcing’ my plan kept me to it. I wanted to stay committed and focused.

Me: What are you doing now and how do you feel?

Ricki: I’m now Director of HR & Operations at a Media Company in Burbank. We’re part of the WPP Network. And how do I feel? Glorious. In shock. Happy happy happy. It’s all still very surreal but it still feels like it was meant to be. Every day I’m more sure. More certain that I did the right thing. I have a great new apartment, terrific new job that seriously taps into what makes me happy. And I still have phase IV and V of the master plan to see through….stay tuned.

Me: What advice would you offer to people that are thinking about shaking things up?

Ricki: Do it!!!! You have nothing to lose. If something within you drives you, pokes at you, hints about ‘what if’ then go for it. It’s a cliche but it’s better to have tried and failed, to have loved and lost, to have (you get the picture) than to wake up one day and say I wish I had….. I’ve never felt so accomplished. Don’t stay stuck!