From Corporate Chicago to Yellowstone: Why 26-Year-Old Traded Desk Job for ₹1,860/Hour Seamstress | Today’s news
Zoe De La Paz is a firm believer that happiness isn’t just found—it’s made.
That proactive mentality recently gave the 26-year-old the courage to step away from her corporate career as a designer for a Chicago engineering construction firm, according to a report by CNBC.
Her goal? To break into the highly competitive world of professional costuming, she temporarily moved to Yellowstone National Park as a full-time seamstress.
Eventually, De La Paz charted a course toward New York, with her eyes on Broadway and major motion picture productions.
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“Production” big break
While working her 9-to-5 corporate job, De La Paz found herself creatively unfulfilled. Since she had been sewing purely for fun since high school, she began going to odd gigs at local music clubs at night and on weekends. Her strategy was simple: get in the same room as the people overseeing the wardrobe search.
She started at the bottom, taking tickets and taking care of catering orders – before moving into the supply rooms for visiting artists. That closeness paid off during a catering gig for The Weeknd in Detroit.
When the tour crew mentioned that they needed a local seamstress for their upcoming stop in Chicago to repair the backup dancers’ costumes, De La Paz seized the moment.
“Get me to write down my number on a napkin and tell them I have sewing experience,” De La Paz told CNBC. “It was luck because I happened to be there at that place and time, but I believe that you can make luck in your life.”
Yellowstone Crossing
By January, De La Paz was ready to formalize her career. She remembered a friend whose life had been changed by a seasonal stint in Yellowstone, and began looking for opportunities there.
“It was really scary to leave the company and follow your dreams and do what adults tell you, ‘You shouldn’t do that,'” she admitted.
She soon secured a role as a seamstress in the uniform department at Xanterra Parks & Resorts, the master concessionaire operating hotels and restaurants in Yellowstone.
De La Paz immediately stood out, according to Jeanne Holmes, a 73-year-old educator and fellow Yellowstone seamstress who assisted with the recruitment.
The role requires immense adaptability—Holmes herself hemmed over 1,000 pairs of pants in her first season alone. In addition to basic repairs, the department focuses heavily on upcycling, turning damaged inventory into new items, such as turning destroyed backpacks into employee packages.
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Lower salary, higher savings
De La Paz officially began her new role in June. According to a CNBC report, her daily duties now include sewing patches, replacing zippers and repairing uniforms for Xanterra’s massive workforce of housekeepers, security and hospitality staff.
Here’s a breakdown of her current setup:
- Schedule: 40 hours per week (Monday-Friday, approx. 7:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.).
- Compensation: $19.25 per hour ( ₹1,860/hour)
- Advantages: Subsidized staff accommodation and meals, plus free access to the park’s natural amenities.
While her hourly rate is less than her former corporate salary in Chicago, the dramatic reduction in the cost of living has shifted her financial reality.
With subsidized rent and unlimited free outdoor entertainment — from hiking to horseback riding — De La Paz said she can now save more money than in the city.
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Eyes on Broadway
Yellowstone’s season-long contract runs through October, a CNBC report said, and serves as a critical stepping stone in her broader career plan.
What was once just a high school hobby traded for a “serious” degree has now blossomed into a viable, long-term career. “Two years ago, when I was working in a corporation, I would never have dreamed that this would happen,” she said.
