Seri Kertzner left her corporate job to become a party planner.
Courtesy of Seri Kertzner
This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Seri Kertzner, 47, who lives in Florida. She spent a decade working in the corporate fashion industry in New York before founding a trio of event-planning brands: Little Miss Party, The Social Society, and Rev New York. She is also the mother of two teenage boys, ages 16 and 14. This interview has been edited for length and clarity.My love for fashion began with a childhood shopping addiction. I loved clothes, and I dreamed of having a lot of money so I could shop to my heart's content.That led me to an economics degree and a job in investment after graduating in 1999. When the market crashed a year later, however, I decided to explore other career options.A Google search of "fashion + New York City + job" led to my role as a financial assistant at Kate Spade. At 22 years old, I moved to New York City with $3 in my pocket.Over the course of a decade, I worked for Kate Spade, Club Monaco, and then J.Crew — the latter two brands giving me production department experience. It was truly a time to be alive. I got to attend fashion shows, become a fit model, and even help make the Obama girls' coats for their father's presidential inauguration.Having a baby changed things for meMy world changed when my first son was born in October 2009. After three months of maternity leave, I hired a full-time nanny. But I hated being away from my baby, and I cried at my desk daily.Jealous of my nanny and distraught over missing opportunities to spend time with my baby, I realized motherhood had become my new passion. And that passion surpassed my love for fashion. So with my husband's support, I decided to make a change.
