My career at Flute Center started over four and a half years ago, but my Flute Center Journey started way before that. (You can read about my full circle experience here!) Since working at the Flute Center, I have traveled to many different cities for flute shows + conventions, but I never would have thought that I would have the opportunity to relocate to a new city. After all, it has always been the Flute Center of New York! Well, this October, Flute Center hit a major milestone and opened its second location in Chicago and I have been the lucky one to relocate and help open our new store. 

As a member of the Leadership Team, I was a part of the Chicago planning process from the very beginning -  from location scouting, hiring of my team, rebrand input, etc. However, I have had the unique experience of personally setting up the shop with the new team. I moved to Chicago at the beginning of September with just enough time to set up and help train the team for our opening on October 1st! This has been an exhilarating and unique experience and one that I am honored to have taken. I have watched our 6 new employees we hired flourish! Everyone came in ready to work and exceeded my expectations with the knowledge they have, the expertise they bring, and the passion they have for everything flute. We have quickly become a unified team here and work together seamlessly with the New York store. 

As a city, Chicago has been easy to fall in love with. I am a native New Yorker, but am no stranger to living in new cities. Moving to the MidWest was not something that was on my bucket list, but it has proven to be a city I can easily call home. The people are kind and compassionate, the city is bustling with music and culture, and every flutist I have met here is beyond excited that we are open! I am excited to meet every flutist that walks through our doors and show them what the Flute Center Experience is all about. If you are in the area, please come and visit our gorgeous store with the city's most beautiful views (I promise, the views do not get better!) 

While the plan is to move back to New York in a few months, I know that I will hold the time I spent in Chicago very close to my heart. I will certainly miss the warmth of the people, the richness of the city, and all that Chicago has to offer. No matter what city I am working from, I cannot wait to watch the Chicago team continue to grow and see the new store take off!

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