Sometimes, the biggest career moves don’t begin with a promotion. They begin with the courage to walk away. Just a few months ago, 26-year-old Zoe De La Paz was working as a drafter at an engineering construction company in Chicago. Today, she spends her days repairing uniforms in Yellowstone National Park, surrounded by mountains instead of office buildings. The career switch may seem unconventional, but for De La Paz, it is a deliberate step towards an even bigger dream, working in wardrobe and costume departments for Broadway and film productions in New York City.Speaking to CNBC, De La Paz said the decision to leave behind the security of corporate life was driven by a desire to pursue the passion she had quietly nurtured since high school. What began as a hobby with a sewing machine has now turned into a career she once believed was out of reach.
She didn’t wait for luck, she chased it.
De La Paz’s story did not begin with a dramatic resignation letter or a perfectly mapped-out plan. It began with a hobby.She first learned to sew in high school simply because she enjoyed it. As adulthood arrived, however, practicality took over. She pursued a college degree, accepted a corporate job and, like many young professionals, tucked away her creative ambitions.But the dream never really disappeared. According to CNBC, she began spending evenings and weekends working odd jobs at music venues around Chicago. She sold tickets, handled catering assignments, and stocked dressing rooms for visiting artists, not because those jobs paid well, but because they brought her closer to the people working behind the curtain.“I knew that if I wanted to be in wardrobe, I needed to figure out a way to be in the same room with people that were in wardrobe,” De La Paz told CNBC. That mindset eventually paid off.
The napkin that changed everything
The breakthrough came during a concert by The Weeknd in Detroit. While working a catering shift, De La Paz overheard someone from the touring crew mention they were looking for a seamstress when the production reached Chicago. Without overthinking it, she scribbled her phone number on a napkin and handed it over.That spontaneous conversation became her first wardrobe-assisting assignment. Looking back, De La Paz told CNBC it felt like luck, but not the kind that simply falls into someone’s lap.“It was luck because I happened to be there at that place and at that time,” she said. “You can manufacture luck in your life.”It is a simple idea, but one that shaped every decision she made. Rather than waiting for opportunities, she deliberately placed herself where opportunities were likely to appear.
Choosing uncertainty over comfort
By the beginning of this year, De La Paz realised she was ready to leave corporate life behind. “It was really scary to be leaving corporate and chase my dreams, and do the thing the adults are telling you, ‘you shouldn’t do that,'” she told CNBC.Instead of searching for another office role, she remembered visiting a friend who had worked a seasonal job at Yellowstone National Park. Inspired by that experience, she came across an opening for a seamstress with Xanterra Parks & Resorts, which manages hospitality operations inside the park. She applied, interviewed over the phone and got the job.
More than repairing uniforms
Today, her work revolves around keeping uniforms in working condition for thousands of Yellowstone employees. Buttons need replacing, zippers break, patches come loose, and garments require constant repairs.But the role also demands creativity. According to CNBC, damaged uniforms and old materials are often repurposed into completely new products instead of being discarded.Jeanne Holmes, a retired educator and fellow seamstress who helped recruit De La Paz, told CNBC that the young applicant stood out because of both her practical skills and creative thinking.“She had really good instincts,” Holmes said to CNBC, adding that the projects De La Paz shared during the hiring process reflected imagination and problem-solving, qualities that matter as much as technical ability.
A different measure of success
On paper, De La Paz earns less than she did in Chicago. She now makes $19.25 an hour, with subsidised housing and meals provided by her employer.Yet she told CNBC that she is actually able to save more money because her day-to-day expenses have fallen sharply.More importantly, her life outside work has changed completely. Instead of commuting through city traffic, she spends her free time hiking, horseback riding, and exploring one of America’s most famous national parks.The trade-off, she suggests, has been worth it.
The dream isn’t finished yet
Yellowstone was never meant to be the final destination. De La Paz plans to stay until the end of the season before taking the next step towards New York City’s theatre and film industry. For someone who once believed she had left her creative ambitions behind, that goal no longer feels distant.Reflecting on how dramatically her life has changed, she told CNBC that two years ago, while sitting at her corporate desk, she could never have imagined this version of her future.Her story is less about sewing than it is about conviction. It is a reminder that careers are rarely linear, and that sometimes the boldest decision is not chasing certainty, but choosing the work that makes you feel alive.
