Sometimes the biggest career moves don’t start with a promotion. They start with the courage to walk away. Just a few months ago, 26-year-old Zoe De La Paz was working as a draftsman for an engineering and construction company in Chicago. Today, she spends her days repairing uniforms in Yellowstone National Park, surrounded by mountains instead of office buildings. This career change may seem unusual, but for De La Paz, it was a step toward a bigger dream, working in costume and costume departments on Broadway and in film productions in New York City.De La Paz told CNBC that she decided to leave the security of the corporate life because she was eager to pursue a passion she had quietly cultivated since high school. What started as a hobby with a sewing machine has turned into a career she once thought was out of reach.
Instead of waiting for luck, she chased it.
De La Paz’s story didn’t begin with a dramatic resignation letter or a perfect plan. It started as a hobby.She first learned to sew in high school simply because she loved it. However, as adulthood comes, practicality takes over. She pursued a college degree, accepted a corporate job, and, like many young professionals, hid her creative ambitions.But the dream never really goes away. According to CNBC, she began working odd jobs on evenings and weekends at music venues across Chicago. She sells tickets, handles catering duties, and provides dressing rooms for visiting artists, not because these jobs pay well, but because they bring her closer to the people working behind the scenes.“I knew that if I wanted to be in the closet, I needed to find a way to be in the same room as the person in the closet,” De La Paz told CNBC. This mindset ultimately paid off.
The napkin that changed everything
The breakthrough came during a concert by The Weeknd in Detroit. While on a catering shift, De La Paz overheard someone on the tour mention that they were looking for a seamstress when the production arrived in Chicago. Without thinking twice, she wrote her phone number on a napkin and handed it over.That spontaneous conversation became her first costume assistance assignment. De La Paz told CNBC that looking back, it feels like luck, but not the kind of thing where you just fall into someone’s lap.“It was lucky because I happened to be in that spot,” she said. “You can create luck in your life.”It was a simple idea, but one that influenced every decision she made. Instead of waiting for opportunities, she deliberately placed herself where opportunities might arise.
Choose uncertainty over comfort
At the beginning of this year, De La Paz realized she was ready to leave corporate life behind. “It was really scary to leave a company to pursue my dream and do something that adults tell you, ‘You shouldn’t do that,'” she told CNBC.She remembers visiting a friend who had a seasonal job at Yellowstone National Park instead of looking for another office position. Inspired by that experience, she found a job opening as a seamstress with Xanterra Parks & Resorts, the company that manages hotel operations within the parks. She applied, interviewed over the phone and got the job.
More than just repairing uniforms
Today, her focus is keeping the uniforms of thousands of Yellowstone employees in working order. Buttons need to be replaced, zippers break, patches come loose, and garments need constant repair.But the role also requires creativity. According to CNBC, damaged uniforms and old materials are often repurposed into brand new products rather than thrown away.Jeanne Holmes, a retired educator and seamstress who helped recruit De La Paz, told CNBC that the young applicant stood out for her practical skills and creative thinking.“Her instincts are very good,” Holmes told CNBC, adding that the projects De La Paz shared during the recruiting process reflected imagination and problem-solving, qualities that are as important as technical ability.
Different measures of success
On paper, De La Paz makes less than she did in Chicago. She now earns $19.25 an hour, and her employer provides a housing and meal allowance.But she told CNBC she was actually able to save more money because her daily expenses dropped significantly.More importantly, her life outside of work completely changed. Instead of commuting in city traffic, she spends her free time hiking, horseback riding, and exploring one of America’s most famous national parks.She believes the trade-off is worth it.
The dream is not complete yet
Yellowstone is never the final destination. De La Paz plans to stay until the end of the season before taking the next step toward theater and film in New York City. For a man who once believed he had given up on his creative ambitions, that goal no longer feels far away.Reflecting on how much her life has changed, she told CNBC that when she sat at her desk at the company two years ago, she never imagined her future would be like this.Her story is less about sewing than it is about faith. It reminds us that careers are rarely linear, and that sometimes the boldest decisions are not to chase certainty but to choose work that makes you feel alive.
