✨ The"Second Chapter"of My Career 🎩

Maria Vandenburg
Feb 8
2 min read

Updated: Apr 1

The Start of Maria in Non-Profit 🎭 Arts and Event Administration

I think I updated this blog maybe four times in 2025 (maybe). Why is this a big deal?

Well I created this blog with the intenton of sharing my life "just as I am"

AND... apparently in 2025, I decided that that happened all four times 🙈

Backstory (Kind Of)

Job Hunting: has been a disaster. I transitioned (definitely not willingly.. I was pretty much kicking and screaming) from 20+ years of working in Program/Project Management to having my role replaced by an algorithm
Reverting Back: because I had to start fresh (in the job application world). I decided... why not revert back to my child hood dream of being an actress... (vicariously of course)
Rejection (x10): Not going into details but....

The interesting part about this is, while I was beating myself up for "not being good enough," I turned that vulnerability into connection. I reached out to two woman within the company that I really respected, and gained not only invaluable insight but also friendship, Anne and Julie

Anne said: (and I am paraphrasing): Step back, Maria and look forward. Who do you want to be in 5 years? What do you want to be doing?

Julie said (again, paraphrasing... also she played Mother Russia in Mother Russia just FYI): I have had some of my deepest heartbreaks turn into some of the greatest moments of my life.

So.. I Sat with That

When I let go... I let the following come through:

NON-PROFIT ARTS & EVENTS ADMINISTRATION

That is my north star. I wrote about it in a completely different context. I was interviewing and wanted to identify what I was ultimately working towards

I really loved that I actually idenrified my 5-year plan about a month before I knew it.

What was nuts was, the minute that I made peace with it. understood it.... all the pieces fell into place.

The Start of the Second Chapter

Which has resulted in

💃🏻 Deeper Appreciation: with the jobs that I do have
💃🏻 Loss of Judgment: in "onlty being able to...
💃🏻 A Shift in Perspective: I started to view everything from the lense of if I was starting my own Non-Profit Arts 🧜‍♀️ 🧞‍♂️🐝 Interactive Immersive Experiental Company in X amount of years
- How would I run white glove events? Seattle Rep Donor Lounge FTW
- What would the next level beyond that look?
  Thank you Climate Pledge (Delaware North) and my WaFD Supervisor exp