“She blurted out “Ashley Albert has a kids band” and then called me 10 minutes later, hunkered in the corner of her office, saying “Oh my gosh, I don’t even know why I said it- how soon can you put a band together?'”
Student reaction: “The reason Ms. Albert’s case is so inspiring to me is because she doesn’t sugarcoat the truth.”
From the Hot Mommas Project Learning Series: Ashley Albert’s case, “From Dream Job to Dream Job in 1000 Easy Steps”
Case themes include: family, confidence, start-up, music , individuality, dreams, change, and balance.
Student contributor: Hot Mommas Project intern and GW graduate Rachel Roizen.
The Hot Mommas Project Learning Series showcases a female role model’s story selected by a student. Role models are tied to women’s success. Read, listen, and learn. More about the Hot Mommas Project here and here. Want to be a featured student? Contact us on Facebook or Twitter.
Click here to listen to the online version of the podcast with Kathy Korman Frey and intern and GW graduate Rachel Roizen. Or, click here to listen here to listen and subscribe to our podcast on iTunes.
Case Excerpt
I loom large above a sea of adoring fans, my hands grip the mic fiercely, sweat rolls down my face, eyes wince against the searing lights, gleaming faces stare up at me…expectantly.
A single voice, strong and proud, rises up out of the crowd and shouts over the din…
“I have a boo-boo.”
Just then, a beach ball bonks me in the head- a guitar jangles out a scratchy chord and I recover from the hit just in time to jump into a rousing rendition of “Do the Elephant” a song about covering your mouth when you sneeze.
This is just a typical day at work for me. 45 minutes of rocking it out on a Saturday morning, followed by 20 minutes of intense hugging and discussions about band-aids with 6 year olds.
Discussion Starter by Rachel Roizen
Ashley Albert’s case study, “From Dream Job to Dream Job in 1000 Easy Steps,” immediately appealed to me because of the valuable advice she imparts through her story. Having a successful career as a voice-over artist, Ashley did not need to venture into an additional line of work as a “Kindie Rock Star” but when the opportunity knocked she was not afraid to answer the door and take on the challenge. When Ms. Alberts received a phone call from a friend announcing that she had to start a kids rock band, she embraced the situation and created The Jimmies. She proceeded to write and record songs, hold auditions, and open Pluckypea Records putting everything she had into the venture.
The reason Ms. Alberts case is so inspiring to me is because she doesn’t sugarcoat the truth- that success takes hard work and there are always road blocks to overcome. She selflessly shares the lessons that she has learned along her road to stardom and includes personal anecdotes from her struggles. Ms. Alberts also has no shame in admitting that she cannot always follow her own advice, and that sometimes decisions are not all black and white. She explains that it’s hard to not accept offers from friends for help with her business, that she still has moments of doubt, and that it’s still uncomfortable to fire employees. By giving such straightforward advice and then an honest explanation of why her advice cannot always be followed, Ms. Alberts send the message to young women everywhere that successful people make mistakes along the way and perseverance does pay off. As her case study states, “Every moment feels like an opportunity to achieve something bigger and better and funnier. And while there may be some boo-boos along the way, there are also some pretty good snacks.”
Summary
To use Hot Mommas Cases in a learning, training, or bookclub environment:
- Read this blog post and Parker’s case “From Dream Job to Dream Job in 1000 Easy Steps“
- Listen to the podcast online or on iTunes.
- Discuss!
You can find other cases in this series by clicking “Role Models in the Classroom” under the categories heading in the right column of this blog.
Good posting, I bookmarked your blog post so I can visit again in the future, All the Best, Ronny Yen
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