From Corporate Drudgery to Creative Freedom: My 3-Year Entrepreneurial Journey as a Work-at-Home Mom
Exactly three years ago today, I took a leap of faith and hit ‘publish’ on the very first post of my brand-new blog! It feels like a lifetime ago, yet the memories of that exciting, nerve-wracking day are still incredibly vivid. Today, I want to invite you to sit down with me – perhaps with your own steaming cup of coffee – and delve into a heartfelt reflection on these past three years as an entrepreneur. More specifically, I want to share the invaluable lessons I’ve learned and offer practical advice for other work-at-home moms, or truly, anyone who dreams of pursuing their true passion and building a life they love. This is a long post, filled with personal insights and actionable tips, so settle in. And please, don’t hesitate to reach out with any questions; I’m an open book and genuinely love to help!
My Journey from Corporate Constraint to Creative Entrepreneurship
For those new to my story, let me give you a quick recap. Just three years ago, I was newly engaged and immersed in college, diligently studying accounting. My entire life, the mantra had been clear: follow the money. Choose a career that promises the highest financial returns. Given my aptitude for math and a consistent record of high grades, accounting seemed like the logical, safe choice. It was October 2014, my third year of college was underway, and I was engaged to my wonderful fiancé. I had secured a highly coveted accounting internship at a prestigious nuclear plant, earning more than most interns could dream of, with the added perk of flexible hours. It should have been perfect.
Yet, after landing this seemingly ideal position, a stark realization hit me: I absolutely detested the work. Each day felt like a monotonous drag, leaving me utterly miserable and unfulfilled. I’d look around at my colleagues, and happiness seemed to be a rare commodity. It became unequivocally clear to me that this wasn’t the life I wanted. The thought of a rigid 9-to-5 (or often 6 or 7) existence, coupled with a profound disinterest in accounting, was simply unbearable. My mental health began to suffer, and panic attacks became an almost daily occurrence, a stark signal that I was in the wrong place.
My wedding to my now-husband was set for December 20th. Several weeks prior, driven by an overwhelming sense of conviction, I made the life-altering decision to quit my job. I still vividly recall the reactions: my boss, and virtually everyone else, thought I was utterly insane. Why would anyone walk away from a high-paying job that any college student would kill for? What they couldn’t see was the profound unhappiness, the suffocating feeling of being trapped. I knew with absolute certainty that staying there was not an option for my well-being or my future.
It was around this time that I discovered the world of blogging. I saw income reports from other bloggers and realized that this wasn’t just a hobby; it was a legitimate career path where people were making a living doing what they truly loved. As an engaged woman, my deepest dream was to one day be a stay-at-home mom. However, life is undeniably expensive, and making ends meet on a single income is incredibly challenging. My ambition was to cultivate my blog to a point where it could financially contribute, enabling me to be present with my children – a goal that holds immense importance for me.
In the months that followed, I took on a wonderful online job that provided crucial financial support for a little over a year, allowing me to diligently invest time and effort into growing my blog. Fast forward to just two years shy of my second blogging anniversary, we welcomed our first son into the world. A few months later, I confidently quit my second job, fully committing to relying solely on the income generated from my blog. It was a terrifying, yet exhilarating, leap of faith.
My third year of blogging has been a transformative experience, entirely different from the first two. This is when life truly got “real.” I wasn’t just building a business; I was simultaneously navigating the unpredictable demands of caring for a tiny baby. Being a work-at-home mom is no joke! This past year has presented significant struggles as I’ve strived to find my new rhythm. I’m sure countless mothers can relate to the immense difficulty of accomplishing tasks when faced with the constant, unpredictable needs of young children. Despite these challenges, sitting here and reflecting on how far I’ve come, I genuinely struggle to find the words to express just how profoundly thankful I am to call this career my job. The dreams I held three years ago have become my reality, and some days, I can hardly believe this is my life.
Nothing truly worthwhile is easily achieved, and my journey this year has certainly had its difficult moments. Through it all, I’ve felt a deep calling to encourage other work-at-home moms. (Disclosure: It’s important to note that this post isn’t about promoting one type of mother over another – whether you’re a working mom, a stay-at-home mom, or a work-at-home mom, you are all incredible!) My aim is to inspire and equip other mothers who dream of starting their own businesses, sharing the advice and valuable lessons I’ve gathered along the way. If you’re a work-at-home mom reading this, I would absolutely love to hear your story too! In my own life, my husband was the unwavering pillar of support, constantly encouraging me not to settle for average, and not to remain in a job that made me miserable. If you’re currently dreaming of breaking free from the ordinary and pursuing your deepest aspirations, then this advice is specifically for you.
Essential Lessons for Aspiring Entrepreneurs and Work-at-Home Moms: My Top 8 Tips
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You Have to Truly Love What You Do
While this might seem like an obvious piece of advice, its importance cannot be overstated, especially when embarking on an entrepreneurial journey. If your goal is to work for yourself and build the career of your dreams, it is absolutely imperative that your work stems from a genuine place of passion and love. Without this deep connection, you will almost certainly experience burnout and eventually quit. It’s this intrinsic passion for what you do that serves as your fuel, keeping you going when challenges arise, when things inevitably go wrong, and when discouragement threatens to derail your progress. Your passion is the core you’ll always return to, the constant that reminds you why you started.
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You Don’t Need to Know Exactly What You Want to Do
But wait, didn’t you just tell me I have to do what I’m passionate about? Yes, I did! But this is a slightly different, yet equally crucial, point. Very few, if any, who embark on a new goal or dream have a perfectly clear vision of what the final outcome will look like. It’s simply impossible to foresee every twist and turn. My goals and dreams for this blog, for instance, have continuously evolved, sharpened, and solidified over these last three years. Do not allow the fear of not knowing your precise desired path to paralyze you and prevent you from taking that crucial first step. Start where you are, with what you know, and trust that clarity will emerge as you move forward.
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You’re Going to Have to Do a Lot of Selective Listening
Throughout your entrepreneurial journey, you will encounter many—and I mean many, many—people who feel compelled to tell you that you’re foolish, that your idea is absurd, or that you’re destined for failure. While some of these comments might genuinely stem from a place of concern, in the vast majority of cases, there’s something else at play. When someone witnesses you passionately pursuing your dream and daring to deviate from the ‘average’ path, it often triggers an uncomfortable feeling within them. Deep down, they might recognize that they aren’t doing what they were truly meant to do. Whether it’s driven by jealousy, fear, or a misguided sense of protectiveness, it’s vital to take what others say or think with a significant grain of salt. Do not, under any circumstances, allow their opinions to override your powerful gut feelings and intuition. Only you truly know what you should be doing. This is far easier said than done, especially for a self-proclaimed ‘people pleaser’ like myself. One of my biggest struggles has been the perception among many who know me that I don’t “really” work, that my blog is just an easy hobby, or even silly. Does it sting? Absolutely. Does it deter me from continuing my chosen path? No, never.
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You Can’t Be Good at Everything (and That’s Okay)
This profound insight is one of many that I gleaned from Jon Acuff’s fantastic book, “Finish: Give Yourself the Gift of Done.” It’s one of the rare books I’ve preordered, and I’ve already read it twice. The core premise is brilliantly simple: if you’re committed to pursuing any significant goal, you’re going to have to consciously choose the things you will intentionally be ‘bad’ at, or at least less focused on. For me, these non-negotiable sacrifices included daily dishes, thorough cleaning, and staying on top of laundry. Any stay-at-home mom understands how these household tasks can consume all your time and are seemingly never-ending. By nature, I’m a bit of a clean freak, and I used to dedicate naptime to tidying or catching up on chores. Now, I adhere to a strict rule: naptime is exclusively work time. As a direct consequence, I am perpetually behind on many of the mundane tasks of running a household. I manage dishes while my son eats lunch in his highchair; major cleaning often happens on weekends or late at night when my husband is home and can help. Laundry piles up to an incredible degree and is frequently tackled in the evenings when all I crave is relaxation. These are the aspects of home life that I consciously choose to be ‘bad’ at, in order to excel at my primary goal: consistently producing more high-quality content and working smarter, not just harder, on my business.
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Don’t Compare Your Life or Goals to Anyone Else’s Success
You’ve heard this a million times, but it bears repeating with fervent emphasis: comparing yourself to others is a top reason why people fail to achieve their goals or feel truly successful in their endeavors. Your definition of success is uniquely yours to decide. No one else’s business, life, or journey is identical to yours. You are a unique entity, forging your own distinct path. Nothing squashes happiness and breeds discontent faster than constantly comparing your dream to someone else’s highlight reel. I have achieved a level of success far beyond what I could have ever dreamed of three years ago. Yet, if I were to compare myself to, say, a major food blogger with a decade of experience and a multi-million dollar business, I would inevitably fall short. I would feel inadequate. I would feel profoundly discouraged. You, and only you, define what success truly looks like for you, and you should be immensely proud of every step you take. Comparing yourself to anyone else is, without exception, always a detrimental idea.
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Listen to Motivational Podcasts and Read Self-Improvement Books
This piece of advice is monumental. If you’re among those who think self-help is for “losers,” I’m here to wholeheartedly tell you that couldn’t be further from the truth. We only have one life to live, and my firm belief is that we should strive to live it to its absolute fullest. I am committed to being the best version of myself that I can possibly be, and that means genuinely investing in my personal growth. 2017 marked the first year I truly delved into self-exploration, starting to consciously identify and address negative habits I had developed or was taught, and critically examining the ‘why’ behind my actions. You would be astonished at the myriad ways your subconscious mind can influence your daily life. If you’re looking for an excellent starting point, I wholeheartedly recommend every book by Jon Acuff (such as “Start,” “Finish,” “Do Over,” and “Quitter”) for business and entrepreneurship-related insights. As for podcasts, my absolute favorite is the “Awesome with Alison” podcast. Alison and her husband host it together, and she is simply a radiant source of sunshine and profound encouragement. While I can’t fully describe every single episode, they are free and utterly amazing. Head over to iTunes, type in “Awesome with Alison,” read the podcast recaps, and give it a listen. Trust me, you’ll love it.
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Don’t Wait for Inspiration to Get to Work
If you find yourself waiting for inspiration to strike before you start your work, you will, quite simply, be waiting forever. There are far more days than not where I have absolutely zero desire to work. I am perpetually exhausted, having not slept through the night in 14 months (thanks, baby!). When I’m tired, hungry, and have just spent a painstaking half-hour wrestling a cranky baby to sleep, the absolute last thing I want to do is summon the mental energy to focus on work. Of course, some days I wake up feeling completely fired up and ready to conquer the world. But for me, and for many entrepreneurs, that’s simply not the norm. You must learn to push past “the resistance,” as Steven Pressfield eloquently puts it in his illuminating book, “The War of Art.” This book is a real eye-opener regarding creative inspiration and the life of an entrepreneur, and I highly recommend it. When you’re struggling to get started, you need a collection of ‘tricks’ up your sleeve to get the job done. For me, my go-to strategy is listening to an inspiring podcast while I begin editing pictures for my blog post. By the time the episode ends, I’m usually in a completely different mindset, fueled and ready to tackle my tasks. When my son was taking two naps a day, I would make sure to enjoy my coffee during each nap as a small reward, a powerful motivator to kickstart my work. You’ll find even more great ideas on this topic in Jon Acuff’s “Finish” – can you tell I’m a huge fan?!
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Never Stop Learning
Lastly, and this is a principle I deeply embrace: never stop learning. As with any profession, there’s an initial period where your primary focus is on absorbing new information and skills. In blogging, this foundational period can feel overwhelming and easily last one to two years, or even longer. While I now feel like I possess a significant amount of knowledge, I am acutely aware that there is still so much more to learn. Having established a streamlined workflow for creating posts, understanding the intricacies of WordPress, dedicating countless hours to photography, and becoming fluent in software like Lightroom and Photoshop, it would be easy for me to simply stick to what I know. However, resting on my laurels would mean I’m no longer growing or improving my craft. I consciously dedicate at least a small amount of time each week to enhancing my skills. Whether it’s tuning into a business podcast, watching video tutorials to refine my photography techniques, or simply reading an insightful article related to blogging, I actively seek ways to keep learning. This concept is beautifully captured by the idea of “1% infinity” – the continuous, incremental improvement of your business or skills by just a tiny 1% difference, forever. Over time, these small efforts compound into significant growth. This powerful concept is one I learned from Bjork Ostrom, and he discusses it in depth in this illuminating podcast episode.
If you’ve made it this far, you are truly a rockstar! If you’re an entrepreneur, or if you aspire to be one someday, I cannot encourage you enough to wholeheartedly go for it. Find a way to make your dreams a reality. My husband and I are both self-employed, and we absolutely adore our work. It requires an immense amount of dedication and hard work, but it is unequivocally possible to build a life around doing what you love. If you have any questions, or if you’d like to share your own invaluable tips for success, please feel free to leave a comment on this post or shoot me an email at [email protected]. I’d love to connect!
For those interested in tracing my journey even further back, you can explore my previous yearly reflections here:
- Year 1 Blogging Recap: 20 Things I Learned in My First Year of Food Blogging
- Life as Entrepreneurs – Our Story: A Candid Look at Our Journey
- Year 2 Blogging Recap: Build Your Bite Turns Two!
- 5 Years In: My Career as a Food Blogger – Reflecting on Half a Decade
And finally, a massive, heartfelt thank you to all of my incredible readers. This blog simply wouldn’t be what it is today without your unwavering support, engagement, and enthusiasm. I absolutely love hearing from you and reading your wonderful reviews of my recipes! I truly cannot thank you enough for being a part of this community and for your continuous encouragement. I’m already bursting with excitement to cook up even more delicious recipes and share them with you all!