My past work experience & learning have led me to exactly where I am meant to be...

When I look back over the many "hats" I've worn in the working world, the first thing that comes to mind is "WOW, I sure was reaching out to find ME!" I remember when I was in high school and about to graduate, I envisioned myself as a 'corporate executive type' meaning I saw myself working in a big city, high rise building, dressed to the 'nth', large and in charge! I always envisioned making a difference in a major way somehow... I didn't consider that I lived in a small town, worked at a pizza parlor, relied on my boyfriend for transportation... I was a big dreamer and I didn't know my own worth.   

Well, I turned down an opportunity and a scholarship to a great university the minute my boyfriend proposed to me and decided, then and there, that my career was to be a great wife and focus on starting a family instead! (Who needs a college education or career? I was in love you know!)

I did get married, shortly after graduation and barely 18. I quit my job at the pizza parlor because it interfered with the plans David & I had to spend every possible second together! I went to work making a 'home' out of David's bachelor pad and put my energy towards starting a family - our first was born almost 2 years in to our marriage. I put all my energy into being Mom and did this full time until my 2nd child was almost 3 - then I was going stir crazy to do something "For ME" and decided to go back to school because one of my best friends was going to do that. We figured we could carpool and go through the nursing program together. David worked nights so he stayed home with the kids. Perfect!

Having 2 toddlers and going to school full time took it's toll. The nursing program wasn't a fit for me after all. I loved the idea of helping people and thought it would be a noble career, but I couldn't deal with the chemical fumes in the lab and the intensive courses in Anatomy & Physiology on top of the general ed requirements PLUS taking care of 2 little ones was more than I could really handle. Turns out I could use most of the general ed (such as microcomputers, speech, and accounting) towards a business degree which I knew, already, that I would excel in. The load was much lighter and I enjoyed the courses. And though I couldn't convince myself that I was capable of any more than this, I had no problem convincing my friend that she was perfectly capable and spent a lot of time helping her with her homework and studying for exams. She did get her nursing degree, by the way!

I realize now the blessings - I may not have decided to go back to school at all if it had not been for my friend choosing to go - thus the biggest reason for choosing nursing. My real skills were in business and I still did have the picture of myself in the corporate world in some capacity or another. Seemed the perfect solution at the time. So I attended for almost 3 years then discovered I was pregnant with my youngest daughter - and completed that year - never going back. It was apparent to us then that no job I would get could even pay the costs of daycare so I postponed any idea of working outside of the home. Turns out that it was a very good decision because a year later we ended up adopting our almost 4 year old niece when my sister passed away. She was high needs having been born addicted to drugs and living a pretty hellish life until her mom, my sister died from a drug overdose. It was important to me that I was available to her and all our kids as they transitioned within our changing family dynamics. I was coaching then, but didn't realize it.

When all of the kids were in school, I started my own home-based businesses. I had a word-processing business, tried Amway, became a distributor of health and nutrition products and grew an organization of about 1500 distributors who I trained and worked with over the phone - people all over the US. It was very fulfilling and I was closer to my original vision of myself, except that I was working from home. The best part of the job was the people. I loved inspiring, motivating and cheering them on in their own endeavors! These businesses eventually died out though. In fact the health and nutrition business was one that I was heartbroken about leaving behind, but the founder of that organization was arrested for fraud from a previous business endeavor and I ended up walking away before it was publicly announced. I couldn't continue to represent a company in which the founder was capable of such things! That was a huge disappointment, yet also was serious growth for me in learning how to work for myself and be profitable at it. Yet, I was devastated enough at the time that I decided to go to work outside of the home. I needed to feel grounded in some way again. The kids were all in school full-time now so the timing was good.

I went to work as an activities director at a local nursing home - very rewarding actually. My good friend who had completed her nursing degree convinced me to try it. I loved working with the elderly and people struggling with Alzheimer's. Many had no family to visit with them. I loved to hear their stories and making them feel good. I know that I brought joy and light to some of these people, but what I got in return was priceless. Turns out this was the most rewarding job I ever had, but I still yearned to work for myself so I could have the flexibility I desired around my kid's chaotic schedules of sports & music events, etc.

After about 6 months at the nursing home, I was then introduced to a woman who helped me land a nice state job working with teachers of the deaf & hard of hearing, visually impaired and autistic children as well as occupational and physical therapists. Strange that I was now using both the nursing skills & business education in this new position. The beauty of this was that the schedule was based on the school schedules so I now could be home whenever my kids were - including spring break and summers off. I did this for 6 years up until my youngest was a junior in high school. I also worked for a short time taking care of an elderly woman (her daughter was my daughter's teacher at the middle school) during the summer months until she finally had to go into a nursing facility due to increasing dementia. Funny how one thing just automatically led to another at just the right time. I still yearned to have my own business though. I was constantly looking for the right opportunity.

In the fall of 2004, we were in the process of selling our home - which took 3 weeks from the time we put a sign in our yard until closing - when a new Realtor came by to introduce herself and see if we needed her assistance. She seemed so excited with her new career and I had to know what was required to become a licensed Realtor. After all, I had just sold my own home fairly simply... how hard could it be right? I learned later how hard it could be, but suffice it to say I was intrigued enough to go get my license and practiced real estate over the past 4 years.    What I loved about the job was the systems, the flexibility, the professionalism, but mostly teaching others. What I hated about the job was that it was hard to remain excited about the industry with the current economy. People can be very difficult & high stress during the home buying or selling process. I often felt helpless to alleviate their fears in this economic downturn we were experiencing in the housing industry. I was in the middle of serious depression and feeling as if this was no longer a healthy career choice for me.

I want to help people in a way that is meaningful in a more profound way. Now I am starting my new career as a life coach. Many arrows pointed me in this direction over the years - I know that I am in the right place at just the right time. All I have learned and am learning has brought me to this place. YOU University came into my life at the most desperate of times in my search for ME. I am blessed to have FINALLY discovered who I am and what my calling is. I have been coaching for as long as I can remember - in many walks as mother, business owner, assistant... I have been training my entire life to be a Life Coach and now am finally going to live my passion!     

Click here to watch a beautiful movie created by my amazing life coach, Maia!