New Paths: Changing Goals Does Not Make You a Failure
This post is the first in my et al. Spotlight series offering a quick peek into someone else’s career, industry, or experience. These individuals offer their unique perspective on topics that impact your personal and professional lives.
Last weekend my sister in law and I discussed professional goals and how they evolve over time. Not only have our goals changed in the last decade (aka we want different things), our approach to our goals is completely different. What does this mean? Well, in short, at 22 we were focused on what we wanted to do but in our 30s we’ve learned that goals are also about how we want to live and who we want to be. Our jobs are no longer a stepping stone to the next professional adventure, they’re a place where we seek fulfillment and the ability to support the lifestyle we want to have.
Elena Glass is all too familiar with this evolution. A talented actress and singer eager to make a career on Broadway, Elena left Minnesota for New York at 18 to study music theatre at New York University’s Steinhardt School. Elena’s goals were clear: Make it as a singer and actress on the East Coast. But a few years after graduating and working in New York, Elena started to see a new dream for herself, one that involved family, a smaller but equally rewarding theatre scene, and the ability to build a life for herself beyond her stage career.
In sharing the story of how she made the difficult decision to leave New York, Elena offers an inspiring and important message:
“Dreams can shift and change, and it doesn’t mean that you’re a failure. In fact, it really means that life can take us in unexpected and twisty directions, but as long as we’re staying true to our internal compass, we’re gonna be more than fine.”
As Elena’s journey to Broadway and home again demonstrates, when we hang too tight to specific dreams, we may miss new opportunities. If you’re finding yourself stuck in the pursuit of your goals or you’re questioning whether it’s okay to change course, I encourage you to read on to see how being flexible with your goals can leave you fulfilled beyond your wildest dreams.
A Dream is a Wish Your Heart Makes
Ever since she was a little girl, Elena dreamed of moving to and studying in New York. When she was offered a spot in NYU’s musical theatre program, she jumped at it.
“My goal was to be on Broadway, or at the very least, to make my living as a singer/actress that was based in New York or on the East Coast,” Elena explained. “Going to NYU is not an automatic ticket to Broadway, but it certainly makes that access easier.”
NYU’s four-year theatre program is designed to connect students with New York’s theatre industry. Elena’s time at Steinhardt culminated in an industry showcase where, according to Elena, “you had approximately three minutes to sing yourself into getting the best agent you could to put you on Broadway with the next year.” The stakes were high. It was Broadway or bust.
A few months after graduating, Elena took a big step toward the Broadway stage when she embarked on a four-month tour that earned the aspiring actress her Equity card.
N.Y.C. What Is It About You?
After a year and a half of travel, including a year-long stay back in Minnesota, Elena returned to New York City where she lived and worked in pursuit of her dream.
“A typical day for me never looked the same. Sometimes I’d sleep in if I’d had a late shift the night before working my waitressing gig, but if I was attending an audition or an open call, I’d get up around 7:30/8:00. If I had a morning audition, I’d warm up at my apartment, put on a full face of makeup, take the train 30 minutes from Astoria into the city, then sing my heart out for straight faced creatives behind the table, and then I’d either rush a show, have a glass of wine with a friend, or go to work at a babysitting or waitressing job. It was nonstop.”
While in New York, Elena built a supportive group of friends and took advantage of all the city had to offer, including $40 tickets to Broadway shows. But even though New York offers soaring highs, it also had its challenges. Elena was living paycheck to paycheck. Keeping up her performance skills required voice and dance lessons, which don’t come cheap. She also needed to pay for headshots. And she had to work lower paying service industry jobs that she could easily leave at the drop of a hat if she booked a national tour, or a great regional gig.
“I also struggled with the fast pace at times,” Elena admitted. “It often felt hard to just take a breath and be when you’re constantly rushing from place to place. And though I love the subway system, sometimes you have to wait really long for the train, or they’re unreliable, which can really f* up your day.”
Is This Home?
Despite the challenges, New York offered a pulse of excitement that the Midwest had never given Elena. And realizing her dream was becoming a real possibility. She received multiple callbacks for Broadway shows and saw so many dream roles within reach. These close encounters kept her in NYC for a long time.
But family and opportunity were waiting for her in Minnesota.
“Whenever it came time to leave [Minnesota] after visiting my mom and dad, I saw the palpable sadness in their eyes.” Elena’s father Gene had moved into a nursing home after Elena completed her first national tour and his health continued to decline as part of his long and courageous battle with multiple sclerosis. Elena knew her family needed her support and wanted her close as they navigated the many challenges associated with her father’s disease.
Then, two years after moving back to New York, Elena was offered the opportunity to perform in the ensemble for “The Sound of Music” at the Ordway, an accredited Minnesota theatre, along with understudying the role of Maria.
“I was welcomed with open arms by the Twin Cities theatrical community. The work was challenging, fulfilling, and the actors were just as talented as I’d seen in New York.”
Not to mention, driving a heated car to rehearsal was a whole lot easier than that unreliable subway system.
Could the Twin Cities be the place for her? Elena consulted with her therapist – and made – in her words – “oodles” of pro and con lists but she knew deep down that she could have a vibrant performing life while living in Minnesota.
“So I took a breath, sent good energy to my heart, and made the final decision to move.”
A New Dream
Elena’s decision to leave New York didn’t happen overnight. It required a lot of thought, reflection, and a few big nudges from the universe but ultimately it presented her with the opportunity to pursue her dream in a new way.
“It’s always difficult to give up a dream, especially one that you’ve spent time, money, and energy on,” Elena explained. “I was worried that Minnesota wouldn’t challenge me enough. I was worried that I’d be bored and unstimulated. But most of all, I was worried that if I gave up on this dream, it meant that I was giving up on myself.”
But being a big fish in a small pond created new opportunities for Elena. She’s worked more consistently in Minnesota than she ever did in New York and has performed roles that, according to her, she would never have been considered for in NYC.
She has also enjoyed the opportunity to build a career outside of acting. As an actress in NYC, Elena had to take “survival jobs” like babysitting or waiting tables. While Elena enjoyed this work, these types of jobs don’t necessarily pave the way for long, meaningful careers.
“In Minnesota, I’ve been able to tap into another part of myself that enjoys having a salaried job while still being artistically fulfilled.”
Since 2019, Elena has been the Development and Production Manager for a local theatre company in the Twin Cities where she’s learned valuable skills in grant writing, non-profit politics, and leadership. “Having another job doesn’t mean that I’m giving up on my creative side,” Elena said. “It just means that I’m able to have the space to cultivate other talents and passions.”
‘Til I Try I’ll Never Know
So what advice would today Elena give past Elena as she was navigating this decision?
“I wish I’d given that starry-eyed, neurotic girl a big hug and told her that she can do no wrong as long as she’s making the decision from her gut and her heart. I wish I would have told her that your dreams can shift and change, and it doesn’t mean that you’re a failure. In fact, it really means that life can take us in unexpected and twisty directions, but as long as we’re staying true to our internal compass, we’re gonna be more than fine.”
And Elena says she would make the same decision again, “100 times over.”
When people ask her if she misses New York, Elena’s answer is always, “Yes. No.”
She explains, “If I hadn’t moved back, I would have missed out on the last years of my dad’s life (which were magical, by the way). I would never have gotten to play Maria, Grace Farrell, Judy Garland, or meet the two men I’ve had meaningful relationships with. I wouldn’t have lived with my aunt and uncle for almost a year, and opened a family tie that had been closed for many years. I wouldn’t have reconnected with high school friends that are now some of my longest and most cherished friendships. I definitely wouldn’t have been able to afford the two bedroom I’m living in now.”
Space, time, and professional growth were just some of the many benefits Elena reaped by making the difficult decision to leave New York. And – most days – she doesn’t look back.
“I don’t know what my life would have been like if I’d stayed. But I do know that the life I have now is pretty great.”
Elena Glass currently serves as the Development and Production Manager at Lakeshore Players Theatre in White Bear Lake, Minnesota. She is a proud member of the Actor’s Equity Association and has performed across the country, including roles at The History Theatre and Ordway Center for the Performing Arts in St. Paul, Minnesota. She is the proud mom of a diva cat named Scarlet.
All photos courtesy of Elena Glass
