Unforeseen Reroute

Have you ever experienced an unforeseen reroute that changed the trajectory of your life?

In 2011, I had $8,000 in my pocket, and I was living on my friend’s couch in Brooklyn. My dream was to be an actor.

One day, I walked into Urban Outfitters to apply for a job. On my first day of work, I wore khakis and a polo shirt—clearly out of touch with the urban style of my future coworkers.

A manager spotted me right away and told me she didn’t think I belonged there. “Go start your life elsewhere,” she said. “You’re going to be fine.” And she fired me.

As fortune would have it, that night, I met Tony Lo Bianco, who soon hired me to produce theater around the world, and specifically in Italy, where we produced a Broadway play about the former NYC mayor, Fiorello La Guardia.

Being a foodie, being in Italy for that period was a dream—one that sparked a dream outside of theatre I didn’t have before.

In Italy, I cultivated my tastebuds for a divinely prepared pasta sauce. When I returned to New York City, spending time in my kitchen and recreating pasta sauce led to gathering people for meaningful conversations over dinner.

Those conversations ultimately formed the bedrock of what 7:47 is today.

Learning to trust reroutes in our lives isn’t always a straightforward process, but cultivating gratitude allows us to look back with appreciation for those moments.

Which reroutes have shaped you?