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Following Your Passion
Goodbye to $50 Lunches
and All That by Wayne Hopkins ’91
My career change began in 2005 after a period of spiritual development and professional curiosity. Having lived
in Los Angeles for some 11 years at the time, I had experienced economic downturns intermittently as a result of
working as a freelance television producer. Yes, the money was great, but there had been many times when I was
“between projects,” and I’d had to learn to live efficiently and be quick on my feet.
“I had to make the
tough decisions on
what to keep and what
to set aside in order to
afford a more serviceoriented
life.”
While I was not ready to completely ditch
the entertainment industry, I realized that
my better purpose at the time would be
to study God’s word and become more
involved in helping people to improve their
lives. Of course, this sounds great until all
this study has to be paid for!
Thankfully, I had developed relationships
with many people in the greater Los Angeles
area who understood the variables of “The
Biz” (aka “Show Business”). They offered
me opportunities to work while returning
to school to pursue my divinity degree as a
part-time student.
The difficulty of this lifestyle change was
very much noticeable in terms of finances.
Los Angeles is an expensive place to live,
even if one chooses not to flaunt real or
artificial wealth. I had to make the tough
decisions on what to keep and what to set
aside in order to afford a more serviceoriented
life. The tally: I kept my modest
apartment in a great neighborhood rather
than purchasing an overpriced tiny house
in a bad area. I also kept my luxury car,
since most of my time is spent sitting
in traffic. Alas, I had to bid farewell to
my daily 50 dollar lunches and monthly
weekend vacations to Las Vegas. To quote
former CCES teacher Monty Ball, “Oh,
darn!”
Personal Economic Downturns
Ultimately, as personal economic
downturns like mine have become an
issue for more and more Americans, I
realized that my experience in freelance
employment, change of career, and
adjustment of lifestyle were all great
builders of character and marketability.
My current employers were excited about
the fact that I had learned to survive in
various professional environments. Many
of my sermons have been helpful to
people who are hitting hard times for the
first time. Even my family has come to
understand the great value I have gained
simply by being flexible enough to make
the best out of my work rather than be tied
to a title. In my early years as a producer,
I mused that one of my long days on set
was still better than sitting in a cubicle.
Now as a cube-dweller, I miss some of the
glitz of the cameras, but I also have been
able to travel freely and stay out of debt
because of my steady diet of daily work.
My days are usually quite long. I leave
home at 6:30 a.m. for an hour-long
commute. After working until about 6
p.m., most days I head to my church
where I serve as youth minister and staff
organist. I conduct either a Bible study
or choir rehearsal. My weekends consist
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