Working from home since 2009, I’m often asked “what do you do?”
My business, my career path, it’s an untraditional one– and to others, it is at times confusing– “She’s a writer… a blogger”, “She runs a website”, “She hosts events”, “She ‘does’ social media”, “She’s a spokesperson”, “But wait, I saw her taking pictures with that big DSLR camera the other day? I think she’s a photographer.
Truth be told, I do a little of all of those things.
When I opened up this little piece of the blogosphere back in 2008, I had just become a Mom of two and had just moved to a new town where I knew virtually no one. The blog was simply an outlet to connect and share things with other Moms… and keep my brain from feeling like the pureed mush I was feeding my infant.
What it has become has been so much more.
In addition to scoping out and chatting about style and beauty, I enjoy challenging myself, learning (I am a research JUNKIE!) and creating things– and all of it is exactly what this site and the freelance business that has grown from it, allows me to do. Running this site “requires” me to be up on style as well as online trends. It pushes me to produce engaging content and images and have at least a basic understanding of the “techy side” of it all. It has made me part of a mutually supportive community. And because of it all, everything I do professionally continues to stem from here.
My day to day never looks the same and like any other career, the work/life balance can get stressful.
There are times a project or post takes more hours than originally planned for, times I have to muster up a “No” when I’d love to blurt out a “Yes”, times I am working amongst taunting laundry piles and dozens of ridiculing Legos strewn across my office floor, and times I have to recruit team members or a sitter to cover my after-school-hustle (which might I note, I am always convinced is not going to work out … and it always does) because no matter how many times I wish for more hours in my day, I continue to be allotted the same 24.
Just recently after a few days in a row of working outside of the house while the kids were home with a sitter, Laina turned to me and said “Mom, you didn’t get a different job did you?”. I reassured her it was just one of those crazy busy work weeks for me and she said “Oh. Ok. Good.” and moved on with her day because over the years, our kids have been conditioned to both count on me being here for their day to day and to also roll with the punches during the occasional crazy busy day or week. It’s that give and take thing that is the only balance I believe in and I truly believe they “get it”.
|Skinny Jeans c/o Cabi ||Siena Blouse c/o Cabi || Elan Shaggy Faux-Fur Vest |
Work ebbs and flows but as an entrepreneur, the bottom line is I am typically as busy or not busy as I want/need to be; it all depends on my hustle-meter and as a Mom of 3, being pulled in a million directions, having the ability to manage that is something that I am forever grateful for and an opportunity I wish for every woman.
||Skinny Jeans c/o Cabi || Siena Blouse c/o Cabi || Necklace and bracelet c/o Cabi|| Fringe Bag | Fringe Boots ||
Giving Back
Earlier this month was International Woman’s Day, and I partnered with cabi to support and empower women entrepreneurs.
Cabi not only has some super cute styles, but they are a woman’s clothing company that truly sets out to support and inspire women.
The cabi Siena blouse I’m wearing in this post is referred to as the “Heart Of cabi” because when you purchase the Siena blouse a portion of the net proceeds from the sale funds The Heart of cabi Foundation’s efforts around the world– which distributes clothing to U.S. communities affected by natural disasters as well as empowers women entrepreneurs around the globe to work their way out of poverty.
Cabi also gives back to women entrepreneurs through their W.E. are cabi program, where for every new cabi Stylist that joins the company, cabi funds a small business loan in her name for an aspiring woman entrepreneur in a developing country
