The first step to winning an Oscar….

After having my son I was looking for a new survival job.  Though to be honest I hate that term! I don’t want to survive – I want to thrive.  Day jobs literally feed you and give you income to invest in yourself and your career – as Dallas Travers says “the first step to winning an Oscar is having food in your fridge!”

I’d been a bartender between acting gigs for years but wanted to do something new.  I was offered some Indie film production gigs but the long hours/low pay didn’t make financial sense considering I’d now need to pay a babysitter. I was aiming to work on weekends when my husband could stay with my son and I’d avoid losing money.

A friend told me the company she worked for hired actors and stand-up-comics and needed someone for the weekends.  She was a Sex and the City Tour Guide!  I’d done the tour once with my British cousin who was a huge SATC fan.  At first I wasn’t sure if it would be a good fit.  I remembered the tour guide being so perky and it seemed a huge amount of energy/work for a (tired) mom to generate.  On my first interview I was told I didn’t look the part.  For my second interview, I pulled out my Pooka Queen fascinator – it sealed the deal!

My Pooka Queen Fascinator

I sat on the back of the bus for three tours taking frantic notes and watched SATC marathons to re-fresh my memory.  I also spend 3 days cramming college-style for the NYC tour guide license exam.  (The monitor told me I finished in record time – you get very focused when you have a babysitter on the money-clock at home.)

Flashback – Heading out for a girls night to see the SATC movie in 2008.

It was very much like opening a show.  At first I felt wobbly and not entirely in character, but I quickly gained confidence. To my surprise, I don’t have to generate enthusiasm at all, I really enjoy doing “the show.”  There is a loose script but lots of room for improvisation. I show video clips from the show, point out locations and we do four “fields trip” off the bus including a sex shop, shopping, cupcakes and drinking – what is not to love?

It’s a great fit for me.  As an actor, I get mostly cast as women who are struggling between two choices – whether it be two worlds, two men or two cultures.  However in my life – I’m a fast talking, adventurous and fun-loving gal who adores NYC.  Guides have the freedom to inject their own personality and flair into the tour.  Being a bit of a foodie, I take pride in recommending little known hotspots that can’t be found in a guidebook.

Love to take you on a tour? On location tours run two or more SATC tours every day. It also makes for a fun gift for out-of-town visitors.  I have awesome dirty jokes!!

Ps If you need a SATC fix it is currently playing on the Style Network