These bi-weekly letters document my journey of monetizing creativity. Take what inspires you and leave what doesn't resonate. xx

Movin’ On Up

I've been freelancing for ages. Bartending is kind of my thing, and I get tons of requests for work from private clients. The pay is solid and the work's a breeze, so I usually do it.

People don’t hire me because I’m just a bartender. They hire me because I’m a vibe and I add to the party’s atmosphere.

Last week I reached a breaking point. I had a client who really tested my patience. She failed to provide an umbrella to cover my bar from the sun, and then, she had the audacity to not leave a tip at the end of the event.

While tipping is not mandatory and I never expect a tip (which is why I charge a premium), I've noticed over the last few months that her tipping has decreased and the workload has increased.

I thought to myself, "do I need this?" So, I made the decision then and there not to work for that client again.

Fast forward to another week, and bam, I working another gig. I just can't help myself, I keep grabbing these gigs, sleep or no sleep.

It was at a venue I've worked at frequently and loved, but for some reason, I wasn't feeling it that day. Maybe because it was my seventh day straight working, all thanks to a special event at Desert Five Spot.

I found myself feeling moody and resentful towards the guests, which is totally not their fault.

I also left feeling “why am I still doing this shit”? Yes, the extra cash is great, but when I zoom out and look at the bigger picture, these little gigs are hurting my potential of moving up in the company I’m at now.

How can I get a return on Desert Five Spot if I'm spreading myself thin, bartending for a bunch of numbskulls?

Is the quick money worth my time. Im thinking not.

You might be wondering, why am I so invested in this new job? Well, even though programming is beyond my pay grade, I feel a natural inclination towards it. Perhaps landing a management job was the universe's way of pushing me towards something bigger.

As I delve deeper into programming at Desert Five Spot and with Pride Month around the corner, it's shaping up to be a very busy summer for me!

That being said, I'm very excited to announce a recent collaboration I facilitated.

Desert Five Spot hosts an annual Pride Pool Party. However, the event has a reputation for being vanilla. As the new queen in charge, I'm committed to make sure this does not happen on my watch.

I got in contact with Matt Ravey, the mastermind behind the Maurice Party at Los Globos.

His parties exude chicness, which is exactly what our rooftop is intended for.

After a quick phone chat, I brought him to the venue to meet our marketing team about a Pride collaboration.

Everyone is eager to make this happen, and both sides have come to an agreement on terms for the event.

Please welcome “Buck” June 9th to Desert Five Spot.

In addition, I’m slowly creating a burlesque-themed show based on "The Best Little Whorehouse In Texas". It's a little bit of soft-core meets country.

Time to focus my attention on things that align with my big picture… and big money!

Discipline

If you don’t plan your day, your day will plans you.

I bring this up because I’ve been experiencing, for the first time in my life, what I believe is anxiety.

It's partly due to my caffeine intake, but it's also because my life has become so chaotic. Balancing a full-time job in nightlife and committing to produce another live show has been challenging.

I'm trying to prove myself at my job by taking on more responsibility, and everything was fine until this week.

I had rehearsals for the live show and I just realized how much actual work needed to be done. That caused me to spiral and doubt everything I was doing with the show.

I'm understanding it's not the circumstances that prevent me from greatness. Instead, it's my hard wiring of giving "just enough" and then coasting by.

Ask yourself, "how many times am I going to have a chance to do this?" because you might not get another opportunity.

The 80 Percent Rule

"Who Not How" by Dan Sullivan.

I’m so glad I found this book again. Despite some fluffy, repetitive stories in the book, a few key insights made it worthwhile.

The author explains that you can complete 80 percent of a project quickly, such as writing a rough draft. However, going from 80 percent to 90 percent is way more work than going from 0 to 80 percent. Going from 90 to 100 is a mountain.

I’m in my mountain phase with my Fringe Festival show. I have a great script, amazing cast and a beautiful venue, locked and loaded.

You would think it was all downhill from here, but it’s not. Stop, take a breath, drink some water and remind yourself why you’re here in the first place.

There's a reason why I'm so obsessed with this show. I may not have the answer, but I do know this next run at Fringe will make me a stronger individual, and it will put a lot more into perspective regarding my next moves as producer in nightlife.

I know that for this show to succeed, I need order back in my life. I’ve picked up a few bad habits while working in nightlife and it’s finally catching up with me.

In closing, there have been some major updates at my place of employment. The company decided to let go of the Director of Hospitality (my boss) over some internal issues.

He hired me and essentially guided me through the process. I now feel as though the rug has been pulled out from under me. Leaving me very overwhelmed with new duties and finishing up Möther’s Creme Diaries in June.

I'll have more updates for you next time, but y'all... I'm getting worked!

If you’re in town and want to support my show, I’ll leave the link below.

Thank you all for reading xx

If you have any questions or suggestions for the newsletter, please feel free to contact me directly at [email protected]. This is an open creative space!