OMG, my neighbor won a Grammy award this Sunday!
As you can imagine, I’m psyched beyond words for her and immediately wanted to celebrate her life changing career success with you all here at YoungandSuccessful.com….because well, that’s what we do, but also, because I thought you’d all appreciate the little taste of this experience up close and personal.
Living in Los Angeles is a pretty surreal existence. Sometimes it’s a little over the top, often it’s fascinating (mostly due to the crazy characters who reside here), frequently it’s perplexing (attitudes, values, paradigms, etc.) but the real reason most live here is for the unbeatable lifestyle – the relaxed atmosphere, the beauty, the beaches, the amazing weather. Sure some come to be discovered, others to escape the cold, and the rest in search of a better life.
Anna Joseph moved to LA from Minnesota to launch her career in the entertainment industry like countless others. For the past few years, she’s been a wiz at producing commercials and more recently started to take on some other projects – one of which was a music video. Long story short, the “Boom Boom Pow” video featuring the Black Eyed Peas was in part, her creation. And Sunday, they took home the Grammy for Best Music Video.
As I watched the awards that night (with my other favorite neighbor) I couldn’t help but look beyond the glitz, the glamour and the stage show that was put on to celebrate and publicize it all. When Taylor Swift talked about what it was like to be a kid in high school dreaming the impossible – to one day win a Grammy – then experience it actually happening that night, she reminded millions around the world that many on that stage have had journeys similar to ours. She ruminated about how those of us who start out all filled with fire and ambition, hungry to succeed, are all told at some point or another that much of what we dream of is unreachable…but clearly it’s not.
Listening to Taylor was a reminder of that. But helping Anna get ready for the actual Grammy’s herself was the best proof I could ever imagine. And I really wanted to remind you all of that. These kinds of successes really do happen.
Anna is the sweetest, nicest, most considerate, professional and talented person you could meet. She’s real, authentic and dedicated to giving everything she can to everything she does. She’s one of those people that you hope experiences a success like this…but still, you never dream it will actually happen. And yet, it does sometimes!
For the past month our building has been a buzz with getting her ready – dresses, hair, makeup, planning. Her sisters and niece and father flew into town this weekend. Everyone else at home huddled by their televisions with bated breath. Those in town got all dressed up, went to the parties, escorted her to the awards show, bit their nails as they waited for the category to be called, then were right by her side when it all happened. Totally surreal.
I know you don’t all personally know her, but I wanted you to share in this experience because it’s important for us all to see come to life. All this hard work, the late nights, the pain, the suffering, the dedication, the commitment…is worth it. Not always, but often enough to make the effort worth it. Plus, how much more exciting are our journey’s than everyone else’s? We lead these crazy lives because we want more out of life and we’re all curious to to see just how far we can go.
As you’re thinking about your path so far and all the things you aspire to do, take a look at this video and put yourself in Anna’s shoes. It is possible. This level of success can be yours. Anna is living proof.
