Creating your own path

Working from home, launching my own brand and being a large part of an all female start up company has been the best decision I have ever made. It was also the hardest. When my son’s father and I divorced several years ago, I received 3 1/2 years worth of a humble but very helpful alimony cushion, which was enough to help me decide how I wanted to rebuild my life (in a new state far from family with a little boy in tow). I could have gone back to museum work full-time (I had been freelancing for several years) or I could just switch it up and take new risks that would allow me the flexibility I felt I needed and wanted as a mother. Sounds awesomely ideal, no? But that is what I chose and I was determined to make that work. I was adamant about using this period in my life to work my butt off and try new creative outlets within the arts. Being part of the first wives club was synonymous to living in a fish bowl with a circle naysayers scrutinizing your every move as a woman and mother as you work toward building a new life (not the same for men, eh?). The less my choices made sense to them, the more I knew I was in the right direction. I used that time to take chances, carve a new path and piss people off – new career, new life, new friends, new me. Fast forward to today, I’m working full-time from home (in the process of decorating my office), I attend all my son’s school functions/meetings/appointments and am available to make his friends after school snacks when they come over – exactly the life I visualized for myself and my son. And although it’s a lot of work and it took several years, my son saw first hand what it takes to start over and build a new life – the failures, the triumphs. An experience that I hope he carries with him when life takes a different turn than expected.

To be honest, sharing these details is not easy for me because, even though I work online, I keep much of these things to myself. But one thing I’ve also learned in this journey is that I am not alone, and neither are you. There are so many women and mothers out there who are trying to find ways to write new chapters for themselves. Believe me, I get it and if my story can shed some light and inspire .. Then it’s worth it to put myself out there by sharing my path, my truth. Re-invention, rebuilding, starting over … is a lot of work but so worth it when you realize what you envision for yourself. There’s nothing more empowering than getting up in the morning and walking into my office with a cup of coffee in hand ready to start the day doing something I love.
As I mentioned in this post, ANDREA is a company that helps to empower women by supporting their dreams of starting their own business. Whether large or small, you can work from home and make an income for yourself. They’re one of our clients, and I can assure you they’re a great group of people to work with – Very helpful if you decide you would like to become an affiliate (selling shoes, clothes, lingerie). You can become an affiliate by either signing up online, at a store or by phone. Once you’re part of the family, you can purchase ANDREA products at a discounted rate for yourself and/or make a profit. If you’re looking to start a new path or just bring in some extra cash flow, check them out. Whatever you choose, I wish you tons of luck and success in pursuing your dreams, goals and life’s purpose.