Chris Rich hasn’t lost his job as a business consultant for a local company, but he knows what he’d do if he did.
“I would put my heart into my passion,” he said, “and focus on charity work.” But for some people, like Rich, having a Plan B isn’t just a matter of pragmatic financial sense. It’s a way to turn tough times into an opportunity to fulfill a long-time desire. “I would go full course with planning (charity) events, not just locally but nationally also,” said Rich, 32, who is off to a head start on his backup plan. In between his full-time job, he’s busy organizing his latest event, “MStravaganza.” The March 27 soiree/fashion show, at the Muhammad Ali Center, will benefit the Louisville Multiple Sclerosis Center. If hosting parties with a purpose is Rich’s true passion, though, why hasn’t he already taken the plunge “I can take that chance,” he admitted, “but I still want to be able to pay my bills.” That’s smart thinking, said Michael Cunningham, a psychologist and communications professor at the University of Louisville.
“Sometimes your Plan B involves an element of fantasy or impracticality. If you’re laid off and decide you’re going to be a writer in Paris, now you can do that,” he said. “But you still have some issues to settle, like how are you going to pay your bills for the first six months before you sell your first story”