Kyle Hepp

August 1, 2007

I feel like I have a purpose to my life again. I think a huge part of my mental breakdown was that aside from being in debt, I’m not doing any of the things I thought I would be doing when I graduated from college…we are light years away from having enough money to move to Europe like we’ve planned, we live in a student residence owned by my husband’s parents, and I am working as a celebrity gossip blogger. Now, there’s absolutely nothing wrong with that job, as a matter of fact, I really enjoy it. It’s just that I majored in Sports Management because that’s what I love. I had always dreamed of being part of an Olympic or World Cup organizing committee, or working for an organization promoting women’s participation in sports in Latin America. Then, towards the end of college, I discovered a passion for photography and as opportunities in that field seemed to land at my feet, I felt like taking photos was something I could turn into a career.

I arrived here in Chile filled with hope, ready to start a career, in photography or in sports…

I soon discovered that the idea of family portraits or senior pictures is completely foreign to Chileans. In a third world country, the truth is there is just not a lot of disposable income in the majority of the population. In the US my photo prices were geared towards middle class families. Here, a middle class barely exists. Heck, my husband and I are what would be considered middle class and we are struggling to get by. I would never spend money on photos myself as long as we stay in this current income bracket. So I understand why nobody is interested in my photo services.

And as far as sports go, opportunities are few and far in between. There is really only one sport in Chile with a developed infrastructure, and that’s soccer. But, even in soccer there are few clubs that have enough money or organization to pay people beyond the coaches and players.

Miraculously, I was in contact with a lady who started a professional women’s soccer team. She had been emailing me for ideas and help back in the day when I lived in the states. Well, when I got back to Chile I sent her an email asking if she knew of any positions available. I couldn’t believe my luck when she told me that she had gotten her women’s soccer team affiliated and sponsored by the most important men’s soccer club here (Colo Colo, in case you happen to know anything about Chilean futbol). She was looking for a Technical Assistant. I immediately went and interviewed with her, she gave me her total stamp of approval, and now we are just waiting for the club’s board of directors to approve the salary for the position. If I get this job it will truly be a miracle. How I found the ONE position in all of Chile (there are only like 3 other women’s “professional” futbol teams, and of those teams I’m pretty sure that most of their staff is volunteered) that is truly what I want to do in life…well, it’s just amazing.

I’ve always loved the saying, “We create our own luck.”  I think of myself as an incredibly lucky person, but a lot of it goes beyond luck. When I was in Chile studying abroad I tried out for the soccer team at the university I was studying at. I made it. When I left, I gave every girl on the team my email and told them if they ever needed anything not to hesitate to write. One girl wrote and asked if she could put me in contact with her friend, Paula, who was trying to start a women’s professional team. I said yes, Paula contacted me, and for over a year I sent her emails with suggestions and information on how the professional women’s soccer league in the US is run (the W-League). Now, two years later, the team is being sponsored for $100,000 a year by the biggest supermarket chain in Chile (ironically, not my husband’s supermarket), and I might have the opportunity to work for them. Some things are not coincidence. I really hope it works out and I’m hired!

And if it doesn’t, I have a back up plan. Actually, it’s not even a back up because I’m planning on doing this whether or not I get another job. Remember the project I talked about, that my mom is going to sponsor? That project is a photography studio. I CAN’T WAIT! We are fixing up a room in the upstairs part of the house that hasn’t been used for the last ten years. The room is huge and gets tons of light so it will make a perfect studio! Right now, we are in the process of cleaning up (and it’s quite the process, let me tell you). We have been sweeping up 10 years worth of dust, cleaning up bird crap (there was a broken window pane so pigeons had been living up there), and painting. And my mom is going to finance the equipment buying. We’re just starting out small with two muslin backdrops, solid black and solid white, and then buying a basic lighting kit. But even that wouldn’t happen if my mom wasn’t paying for it, bless her heart! Yeah, saying bless her heart sounds so old ladyish, but I had to…it just felt right.

Now, if you’re still reading this eternally long entry, you’re probably saying, but didn’t you say that nobody in Chile is interested in your photography services? You’re right…families are not. But, there is a huge demand for girls who work in promotions to get “model books” taken by professional photographers. So I am going to cater to that market. Instead of trying to create a family photography market that Chileans have never heard of, I’ll go where there’s a proven demand, the model book market. And, if everything goes according to plan, we will be able to rent out the studio as well. Not many people in Santiago have the space for a full-blown photography studio. It’s like New York City here…space is limited, expensive and filled with rats. JK, about that last part.

So I may be able to live two of my dreams, working in women’s sports, and running a successful photography business. I’m so excited about the possibilities of both! I feel like I have resdiscovered the purpose for my life.