I have always been a working woman, right from a young age I wanted to earn my own money. I never saw it as someone else’s responsibility to provide for me, I grew up believing that if there were things in life that you wanted, you had to go out and graft for them. After finishing my A levels I moved to London, I worked part time during the three years of my undergraduate degree, I went on and worked to fund a 6 month trip around the world and when I came back I worked whilst studying for a Masters.
I then landed a job with a local authority in Alternative Education and for the last five years that has been my existence. I have loved and hated what I do, it has challenged me, inspired me, grounded me and at times, almost killed me! I have been fortunate that I never really had that ‘sick in the stomach’ feeling of not wanting to go to work but I have not always loved my job. I’ve had the pleasure of working with some amazing colleagues over the years but equally I have had to endure personalities and practise that has compromised who I am and what I believe in.
Being in an office environment can create a huge sense of belonging and security but it can also stifle you and lead you to believe that you are not capable of more.
Having studied a specialist leadership course as part of my professional development I began to realise that what surrounded me was uninspiring and actually quite deskilling, there were no real opportunities to progress unless you fought for them.
I had a promotion, I gained a strong level of expertise in my field, I developed new initiatives but I reached my limit, there was little else for me to do and no exciting opportunities to move on to.
Then something happened that changed everything. I fell pregnant. I remember walking out of the office on my last day before maternity leave as an emotional wreck. All I knew myself as was a professional women, I couldn’t wait to be a mother but I was terrified I was giving up a huge part of who I was and what I had worked all my life to achieve. I was at the top of my game and the future was unknown.
This feeling didn’t last long, I slipped naturally into motherhood and as with most things in my life I embraced it with passion and commitment. It challenged me in a way I didn’t think possible, it opened up a whole new world to me and it introduced me to people that have inspired me on another level. My little girl became my everything from the moment she arrived, and together, her daddy and I are determined to build for her the foundations that we never had.
Before I knew it nine months had flown by and that dreaded ‘return to work’ phrase was constantly on the tip of my tongue. I went back because I just thought thats what people do. It wasn’t a comfortable place to be in and I struggled with the whole process more than I ever imagined I would. I was devastated to leave my baby and felt I was split into a million pieces. The first few months were just awful, I didn’t want to be there it was as simple at that. I was a different person with different prioritises and I felt like I was always compromising something. If my daughter was sick I was under pressure, if there were problems with my childcare I was under pressure and if there was stress in the workplace I felt I couldn’t commit in the way I had done before.
Not only that, there was no real financial gain in my being there, I was working to someone else’s agenda, I had to ask permission to take a day off or feel uncomfortable if my child was sick and needed me. I was stuck on a pay scale that I knew wasn’t likely to change and I found the daily environment negative and oppressive. There were constant politics, constant frustrations and the work did not hold the same meaning for me. Every day I questioned why I was there and what I was gaining from it?
Fast forward a few months and by Gods grace I discovered I was pregnant again, this was the moment that I knew that I had to change things, for myself and for my family. I embarked on a journey to find a way that I could transfer my skills, build on my personal strengths, use my intellect and continue to develop myself professionally, all whilst putting my children and my family life first. Without giving up the best job of being a mother to sing to someone else’s tune and without running myself into the ground in the process.
What I found and what I have gone on to invest in, is a business opportunity that can enable me to reach all of these goals and more. It provides me with the ability to be my own boss, set my own pace and be surrounded by positive and motivated people that are determined to build their own success – this vibe becomes your tribe and it is infectious. My passion has always been to help other people, to support people to overcome difficulties, to believe in themselves and find the strategies to enable positive change in their lives. My whole career so far has been built on the principle that everyone deserves a chance, an opportunity for a better future and no one should be left on the side lines. The business I am developing now is no different. In fact it builds upon that because it focuses on your health and well being as the basis for your growth both physically and mentally.
The most exciting thing for me right now is that there is so much potential, there are no limits as to how far I can go with this, there is no set pay scale, I am not dependent on anyone else for promotion or professional development. I go as far as I push myself to go, I earn as much as I am prepared to work for and the only thing between me and my financial freedom is myself and my own determination. I have more belief in my potential than ever before, I know I can change lives and I know I can give back and above anything else I know that from this day forward I will always be able to put my family before anything else.
So my message to you, don’t feel constrained by the 9-5, don’t allow anyone to convince you that you aren’t worth more and don’t make sacrifices that you will regret later in your life.
Anything is possible.
Naturally New You 