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“So what do you want to do next?” is the question I get asked constantly these days.  And it’s a fantastic question – one that I ask myself on a daily basis.  As someone who’s been on the same track her whole life, it’s a bit overwhelming when you decide to completely change course and give yourself the freedom to find something new.  From the age of 8, I made sure to get good grades, so I could get into a good college where I could get a good education, so I could get into Dental School.  Once I was there, I again made sure to get good grades, so I could do well on the boards, so I could get into a good residency and, you guessed it, become a good Dentist.  No deviation from the plan.  If I had only taken advantage of my liberal arts education, and paid attention to how much I really loved other classes like Art Appreciation, who knows what may have happened… Who am I kidding?  I would have still become a Dentist.

Through it all, the creative side of me has never really been given the chance to explore.  I realize, however, that I do have a good sense of style and an eye for design.  I am I child of the 80’s, so, of course, I have some questionable wardrobe choices in my past.  And I really have no idea where my obsession with cow décor (yes, you read that correctly – as in cow decorations) came from in the early 90’s, but thankfully my style has evolved with some designs to be proud of.  My husband and I have renovated our 100 year old home incrementally over the years, and I have designed most of it myself.  Also, my friends have long asked me for advice on anything from what to wear and how to wear it, to what furniture to buy, or what color to paint their bedroom.  I really enjoy giving that type of advice!

A couple of months ago, however, I realized I needed to make a decision.  At the end of a meeting for an event for MODA, everyone started exchanging business cards.  When someone asked for mine, I froze.  “Sorry,” I said, “but mine isn’t current.  It says ‘Dentist’.”   “Well, what should it say now?” he asked. That’s when I knew the time had come to give myself a new title, and I had the freedom to choose.  I had to push myself through that life-paralysis that my perfectionism tends to cause.   People gave me some great suggestions for what I should call myself, one of my favorites being “Cultural Attaché”.  I gave it some thought for a few weeks, then reached out to my friend who has a creative design background to see if she would design my new business cards for me.  She said no problem, but asked, “What is your new title going to be?”  I confidently told her “Lifestylist”, then held my breath and waited for her response.  Without skipping a beat she said, “That’s perfect – it could be so many different things!” 

So what is a Lifestylist?  I think of it as a fun term for a lifestyle consultant.  It’s essentially giving out the same advice that I’ve been giving all along, but getting paid for it.  And maybe actually doing some of the shopping for clothes, or researching the furniture, or picking out the paint samples; maybe finding art for their home, or possibly painting something myself.  It’s really an open-ended title, and I like it!  I think it fits for now. I’m already dabbling in a few of these Lifestylist roles, and I’m open to see what direction it may take me…