We recently connected with Celine Rille and have shared our conversation below.
Celine , we’re thrilled to have you on our platform and we think there is so much folks can learn from you and your story. Something that matters deeply to us is living a life and leading a career filled with purpose and so let’s start by chatting about how you found your purpose.
From early childhood, kids are asked, “What do you want to be when you grow up?” The idea that you have to decide on your career path, your one true purpose, and then spend your life trying to fulfill that goal is drilled into us from a young age.
I answered that question when I was ten: “I want to make movies!” So, I took drama classes at school, made videos with my friends on the weekends, and eventually went to film school for my degree. After college, I found myself sitting in an interview at Paramount Studios in Hollywood—with nothing to say. I’d made all the right moves, done everything I was supposed to do, but the reality was, as I’d grown up, my childhood passions no longer aligned with my adult ones.
I didn’t get the job at Paramount. Instead, I got the chance to try something new. I asked myself again, “What do I want to be when I grow up?” This time, I decided on photography—another passion that had developed during my time in college. I moved to New York to be among the artists and managed to land a job as an assistant photo editor at a magazine. I thought I had found my purpose, and in many ways, I had. I loved my job—working with some of the most famous photographers, producing wonderfully creative shoots, and curating images that told stories.
I worked as a photo editor for over twelve years, eventually moving to Arizona to edit the Features sections and magazines at the main newspaper there. But over time, traditional publishing started to decline, and I knew it was time for a shift. So, in my thirties, I had to ask myself again, “What do I want to be?”
This time, the pivot was even bigger. I took a job with a hotel firm, curating their rooms and lobbies, and programming events. I was still flexing my creative muscles, but in a completely new field. A year later, another opportunity came up—this time with a property development company, where I helped their tenants with marketing and community events.
With each new path I took, I learned new skills, met new people, and found new purpose.
One of my biggest changes came next. I was pregnant and realized that my position in marketing wasn’t going to allow me the flexibility I needed with a growing family. I dug deep and asked myself once again, “What do I want to be?” This time, there was no clear answer—except that I knew I needed to work for myself.
My husband and I found a beautiful, old building in downtown Phoenix that we envisioned as our office. It was too big for just the two of us, so I gathered furniture from our home and started creating a space that might also be appealing to others. Slowly, small businesses began approaching us, looking for an inspiring place to work. We filled our building and eventually took over the space next door. I designed the space using my photographically trained eye and my experience curating at the hotel. I also drew on my marketing and event experience to program the space and build a strong community. And we continued to grow.
We’ve now owned and operated The McKinley Club for ten years. And I can confidently say that over the years, I’ve found many purposes. I’ve learned that you don’t need to decide what you want to be when you grow up—you can simply decide what you want to be right now. And each time you make a new decision (because, hopefully, there will be many), you’ll learn new skills, be inspired in new ways, and build new connections. Purpose isn’t one singular thing; it changes with you and can be found in the most unexpected places.
Appreciate the insights and wisdom. Before we dig deeper and ask you about the skills that matter and more, maybe you can tell our readers about yourself?
At The McKinley Club, we’ve built workspaces around the understanding that our surroundings influence our ideas. From the interior design to our hand-selected event programming, we bring people together over coffee and cocktails because we get that the best ideas and connections don’t always happen around conference tables. We’re the kind of coworking office that believes the workday should be just as inspiring and fun as after hours.
As our community continues to grow, we’re excited to open a second location in early 2025! Our new space will be on the east side of Downtown Phoenix, and will offer all the same, great amenities as our original spot, plus the addition of a coffee shop and retail spaces!
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
Being flexible and open minded has been imperative to my success. If you get too locked into an idea or path, you might miss some really great opportunities. I can be very singularly focused, so it’s something I have to work hard at, but acknowledging that things might be different to how you’d imagined has led to so much growth.
How can folks who want to work with you connect?
We are always looking for small businesses and brands to partner with for our community and member events.
Partnering with us means not only reaching our membership base of over 300 entrepreneurs, business owners, and creatives, but also the greater Phoenix community, that has come to rely on The McKinley Club for our fun and thoughtful programming.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.themckinleyclub.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/themckinleyclub/
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