Taking the Leap of Faith to Follow My Passion

Walking away from a full-time steady paycheck to follow a dream is both scary and exciting. I was exhilarated the moment I woke up on Monday morning and didn’t have to go to work, but the months before that were agonizing!

I always knew I wanted to be a working mom, but it wasn’t until my son was born in 2012 that I experienced first-hand all the challenges that come along with this life.

There’s a quote floating around social media: “Working moms are expected to work as if they don’t have kids, and parent as if they don’t work.”

This describes exactly how I felt for years. I had this immense desire in me to work and to do work that made me feel good, yet I couldn’t find a balance that allowed me to both work and be a mom and feel successful at both.

If I was succeeding at work, I was failing as a mom. If I was succeeding as a mom, I was failing at work.

Since becoming a mom, I’ve worked both part time and full time, but behind the scenes I was was trying to build multiple failed side hustles—from an online fitness business to network marketing. The entrepreneurial desire was in me, but to walk away from a steady paycheck seemed impossible. I thought that once I built my side hustle, I would leave…but that never happened.

Instead, I found myself working in a toxic environment. One that pulled me to either be a really good employee or a really good mom. The stress from work led to health concerns where I spent thousands of dollars and tons of hours at doctors’ appointments trying to solve the issues.

Something needed to change, and my ultimate goal was to just find a way out of that job. I began applying to jobs and went out on five different interviews, none of which worked out. I found myself at square one again.

Then, a few weeks before I would finally put in my resignation, I made the decision to not attend a work event—and instead, to be at a mom-and-me activity with my son. I chose family over work, and was told by my supervisor that I should have been at the event, not with my son.

For months prior to that incident, I had been trying to explain to my supervisor that the additional work they were giving me was overwhelming. It was more than one person could handle. On my yearly review were the words, “Her overwhelm is an exaggeration.”

These two defining moments were what led me to make the ultimate decision to quit my job and start my own business. I was afraid, but I could no longer choose between work and family. My stress level was through the roof, and my health was declining.

I knew there was a better way to live life as a working mom! I took the leap and have not looked back since.

Has it been easy? No. Has it been worth it? Absolutely!

I had four months without a single client. We raked up credit-card debt to stay on top of our bills and buy groceries. I applied to multiple part-time jobs, I networked with anyone who would meet with me, and I told everyone that I was looking for part-time work and clients.

Today I am serving nonprofit clients with event management and consulting, I do work from home on a part-time basis for a higher-education company, and I host a podcast and mastermind for working moms. My health has returned, and I feel better than ever, physically and mentally!