Day in the life of
Festival Coordinator – Sabrina Lomprey
As iHeartRaves’ Festival Coordinator, a typical day for me usually consists of a few major things. I plan and manage our festival promotions across our social media accounts along with posting recent collection launches and campaigns. One of the most exciting parts of this position is that our team has exclusive access to viewing unreleased collections as well as seeing what’s trending months before it is ever released to the market.
I also have the opportunity to collaborate with some of the top festival fashion content creators in our community. I often help them style their outfits for upcoming music festivals or photoshoots, as well as coach them on creating the best content. My favorite part about my job at iHeartRaves is getting to build genuine friendships with others who are just as passionate as I am about festival fashion.
Pros
I am so thankful that I get to put all of my time and energy into doing something that I truly love and feel passionate about. I start every day looking forward to working on projects that are unique and engaging. One of the most incredible perks of our job is how often we get to travel to festivals and represent our brand. On these work trips, all of our expenses are taken care of for us; our outfits, festival tickets, travel, accommodations, food, you name it! It’s just a few of the many benefits we receive from working in this industry.
Cons
Just like anyone I have my tough days at work. There are times I find myself facing challenges and feeling overwhelmed, but I always know I can reach out to my team when I need support. It’s really awesome feeling like I can be my true self with the people I work with and not have to hide my love for music festivals and festival fashion in order to create the illusion that I am a professional.
Something that people might not realize is that there is a surface-level charm and things aren’t always as glamorous as they might seem. Fashion is a fast-paced industry that a lot of people want to get into, but don’t always understand the self-discipline and sacrifices that it takes to be successful. At the very beginning of my journey into the fashion industry, I was faced with a challenge and I remember looking at myself in the mirror and asking myself, “If success is the difference between someone that will and someone that won’t, who am I?”. There are moments where it will be tough emotionally and physically. You will have to work late and wake up early, even times when you will have to work off the clock just to keep yourself ahead. This is not an industry for those who give up easily, but the reward of pushing through those tough moments and finding yourself living your wildest dreams is simply priceless. All those sleepless nights will be worth it, I promise.
Advice to students interested in this career path
As a student, I wish I would have had the scope to see the vast amount of opportunities I had in front of me. There are so many little things that you will do in your life that you don’t realize will be the beginning foundation for your future endeavors. If you think about it, every school assignment, personal project, or friendship that you make is an opportunity to learn something valuable and guide yourself into the career you want to be in. Take advantage of the opportunity to get to know your professors, they probably have a connection with that brand you want to intern for. In this industry, it isn’t about what you know, it’s about who you know. Networking and connections are everything. So be kind to everyone you meet, because you never know who you just might be talking to.
I am sure you are familiar with the saying “Dress for the job you want, not the job you have”. Well, I have a personal philosophy that I live by, “Take the job you are given, and create the job you want”. If you want to make it big, you’ll have to start small. Before my career really got started I would happily be the first volunteer for anything and everything. I knew if I could just get my foot in the door, I could get any job I wanted.
For example, you get an opportunity to model for a big brand you love. At the photoshoot do you hang out and eat snacks in the back with the models in between shots, or do you stand up with the creative directors and the brand owner talking about your goals, vision, and professional experience? If you treat every volunteer opportunity like a job interview, you will eventually get noticed. That’s exactly how I went from being a freelance product shot model to the Head of Marketing for one of the largest wholesale fashion manufacturers in the US. Without that experience, I might have never made it to where I am today. Working as the Festival Coordinator for iHeartRaves has been one of the most thrilling achievements of my lifetime. If you have something you are truly passionate about, never give up on making it your reality.
