Guest Soraya O’Brien Jollon started her career in management consulting but realized that there were elements of corporate life that didn’t suit her. She also realized that she wanted to do something that made people happy and she was also a bit of a control freak. Enter event planning.

She found she liked all the things that make most people panic, dealing with other people's emotions and with the stress around planning stemming from such uncomfortable topics as family, religion or money (or all three). She started her own company in New York City where she planned cross-cultural and interfaith weddings, same-sex weddings, and more—all events for people with interesting stories and challenges figuring out how to navigate who they are as individuals and in partnership and with families. Yes, she was picking out napkin colors, but it was really all about building connection and negotiating inter-personal dynamics in service of celebrating life's highlights. At a certain point, she took a look at her own family situation and asked out loud how she wanted to be celebrating life with the one's she loved most deeply. The answer led her to an unexpected place.

In this episode, find out from Soraya how listening to what people need can create connection and lead to new adventures…on ROADS TAKEN...with Leslie Jennings Rowley.

About This Episode's Guest

Soraya O'Brien Jollon is currently Chief Strategy Officer for Wedsly, a digital wedding planning start-up, where she can use her industry experience and not have to attend an event every weekend. For more than a decade, she ran the New York-based SORAYA weddings, gatherings and destinations. You can stiil find her work on her beautiful website. She now lives in Stockholm, Sweden with her husband and four children.

Executive Producer/Host: Leslie Jennings Rowley

Music: Brian Burrows

Find more episodes at https://roadstakenshow.com

Email the show at RoadsTakenShow@gmail.com

Find more episodes at https://roadstakenshow.com

Executive Producer/Host: Leslie Jennings Rowley

Music: Brian Burrows

Email the show at RoadsTakenShow@gmail.com

Creating Connection: Soraya O'Brien Jollon on celebrating life and starting new adventures

Roads Taken