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Julia Allison - A Pioneering Influencer
Julia Allison has been ahead of her time from the start. Today, she serves as a Media & Innovation Fellow at Harvard, utilizing her platform to shape public discourse. Her career spans political staffing, journalism, and founding Reimagine Media, which supports ethical, high-impact leaders.
Julia Allison - A True Digital Pioneer
With a career that spans journalism, television, and strategic communications, Julia Allison is a name synonymous with digital-era storytelling. She earned her master’s from Harvard’s Kennedy School and her bachelor’s from Georgetown.
My Thoughts on Julia Price/Allison's New York Post op-ed
I read Julia Price/Allison’s op-ed in the "New York Post" last week, but since I was in the midst of project managing the TODAY Munchie Mobiles and getting zero sleep, I didn’t get a chance to react.
Not surprisingly, there’s quite a bit of commentary on the article. I haven’t spoken to the girls about about it, but here are my thoughts:
It seems this op-ed came about because A) of the new “Carrie Diaries” show (prequel to "Sex and the City") that chronicles Carrie Bradshaw when she first moves to NYC and before she becomes a sex columnist, and B) the fact that Julia Allison has said many times that "Sex and that City" inspired her to move to NYC. Semi-similar to Bradshaw's career as a journalist, Allison held the position of editor-at-large at Star Magazine in her first couple years in NYC. The new show + Allison's genuine inspiration from "Sex and the City" + her larger than life personality = great person to write an op-ed (I don't know much about Julia Price except that she is a singer and friends with Allison).
Great, now that that's out of the way, look past how the piece came about and the anecdote(s) that tie it together –ie. “Sex and the City,” name dropping, brunches/dinner parties, the “scene,” blah— You'll see that Price and Allison hit upon some basic experiences that I think most, if not almost every New York City dweller, can relate to:
a. Moving to NYC because you’re ambitious and you want to be successful (bc, sigh, if you can make it here, you can make it anywhere #Ihadto)
b. Dating is really tough. People come here to be successful in their career. If they find a companion, awesome, but for many, the feeling is career first and personal life second. Also, there are a lot of incredible, smart people here and it’s hard to settle on just one – ahh curiosity. ahh ambition
c. Throwing yourself into your job – whether it’s journalism, fashion, finance, music, marketing, medical, academics, whatever— and working really hard/long hours
d. Maybe trying to fit into different scenes — Meatpacking raging, Brooklyn music scene, foodie, whatever
e. Apartment hunting and how much it sucks. It’s expensive, it’s competitive and it’s not fun
f. If you keep up an aggressive pace, you get burned out. Some people just need a weekend away and some just need to get out and move on
I get why some of the reactions were what they were. Everyone’s experience with NYC is different and I can probably relate more to Katie Spencer’s perspective when I moved here at 22, made $10 an hour as an NBC page and held a second job. I mean, I expected to work hard here right?
As for the op-ed, it’s easy to be distracted by the glamorous stuff Price/Allison describe with the “Tory Burches, Noah Tepperburgs and, of course, five Ford models,” but to the young, starry eyed grads who are looking to move here, they’re just saying that no matter what your perception of NYC is, it will evolve once you live here. For Price/Allison, in comparison to the world they expected because of “Sex and the City,” they were somewhat let down.
As for me, I’m still here and sometimes it's really hard and sometimes it’s really wonderful, which is a sentiment many New Yorkers can relate to. I haven't lived anywhere else in my adult life, but I'm fairly certain the same peaks and valleys in life are anywhere you go -- I guess maybe in NYC the lows might feel extra low and the highs might be extra high.
Either way, I'm not quite burned out yet, but I'll let you know my thoughts if/when I am.
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To end on a quote I thought of while writing this (see, it's not just NYC):
“Welcome to Hollywood! What's your dream? Everybody comes here; this is Hollywood, land of dreams. Some dreams come true, some don't; but keep on dreamin' - this is Hollywood. Always time to dream, so keep on dreamin.’”
-Pretty Woman, 1990
Holiday Happiness...
Some of you know that "happiness" is a favorite topic of mine. I love that we live in an era where this is now an entire field of study. There are books, blogs, courses and experts. But I know that this is a time of year that expectations of joy and happiness are so high that many people feel the exact opposite.
Just as I had prepared to write an entire piece on happiness, I read one that Julia Allison posted on her NonSociety page. And I loved it so much I thought I'd post it here instead of writing my own. And to everyone out there who, for so many reasons, are not feeling joy today, take a minute to sit quietly and think about what makes you happy - whether it is here or not, hold the idea of it (or him or her) in your mind as long as you can. Carry it with you. Feel thankful for it and bask in that feeling of gratitude. Find the threads of it everywhere you look and don't let go.
From Julia Allison, NonSociety
As I said in the last post, I’ve woken up every morning for the last ten days and thought “Holy shit, I’m happy” - and yes - yes, with absolutely no men in my life.
That happiness comes from three places on a daily basis:
1) My freedom, forum for creative expression, the joy I find in what I do, my writing, the conversations I have, my life’s work (whatever you want to call it). 2) My health. Despite jousting with insomnia, my body has cooperated with me far beyond any reasonable expectation, and for that, I thank it. 3) The two women you see above, who have become the sisters I always wanted. My relationships with them have been the most precious gifts I have ever received, and I could not imagine my life without them.
Actually, imagining is how this started in the first place.
A little over a year ago, I received my invitation to the annual College Humor holiday party. The invite had featured all four founders, clad in holiday sweaters. I thought, “I want that!! I want that kind of relationship, the camaraderie, working and playing and building something with my best friends.”
I promise you - and Meghan & Mary can back me up on this - I wanted it so badly, I willed it into being. This holiday card, the one you see above with the three of us, is the direct manifestation of what I dreamed about a year ago. I literally envisioned us taking a holiday photo, just like the boys. To watch something like this turn into reality? I can’t describe the joy I feel; it’s limitless. That doesn’t mean the experience came with no unforeseen consequences (welcome to life), nor does it mean every moment is blissful (nope) or free from conflict (come on). But my belief in my own efficacy, the ability I have to create the life I want, has never been stronger.
And that, in my opinion, is the foundation of true happiness. Believe you have the ability to create the life you want, and then … do it.
Merry Christmas, bunnies.
