5 Things You Should Know Before Changing Careers

5 Things You Should Know Before Changing Careers

by Vivian Knox, Always Working Mom Podcast, Written for Working Momkind

My first job out of college was working as the Front Office Attendant for a Baseball Training facility in an affluent suburb of Dallas, Texas. The Baseball Training facility was owned by a former MLB player, Scott Livingstone, and was a facility for local baseball hopefuls and current MLB players. At the time, all I knew about baseball was: the Astros were the only team name I knew, Brad Ausmus was the cutest player, and The Sandlot was probably based on a true story. 

My job responsibilities were mostly administrative and we were incentivized to sell special training camp programs. One evening, we had a local kid team rent our facility for a private practice session during a time when I was trying to sell Spring Break Baseball Camp reservations. My goal was to sell the remaining camp spots by the end of the night, and my execution was to pitch the camp spots to every parent and student. Boy did I execute my plan, and was completely bewildered when the Baseball Trainers and Scott came to my desk hysterical in laughter after my sales pitch to one of the dads. In between gasps for air, my coworkers informed me I had just tried to sell Kenny Rogers a camp reservation. In return, I quickly informed my coworkers the dad I had spoken with was in fact not the “old country dude that sings about poker”. After what felt like hours of laughter, Scott educated me on baseball history, Kenny Rogers the MLB pitcher (not country singer), and the statistical improbability of pitching a perfect game which Kenny had accomplished as a Texas Rangers. 

My blunder with Kenny was just one of many comical errors made while working in baseball, but it was a significant career moment. I learned courage. Courage to go for it. Courage to learn from and laugh at mistakes. Courage to admit I don’t know everything, and surround myself with people to help. 

Many years later, I quit my job of 10 years in medical management to become a small business owner of a balloon bar. What?! Yes, I own a balloon decorating business and there are 5 things you should know before changing careers.

  1. Your “Why”? I’m tired of this phrase, but it’s a fundamental question when entertaining thoughts of career change. 
    1. What are your values? For me, a healthy work environment is extremely important. You need to ask yourself what a healthy work environment (for you) looks like? What environment or in what team do you thrive in? Also, be realistic. The stuff of fairy tales and movies don’t exist. Healthy work environments exist, and if you’re not in one, GET OUT NOW.   
    2. What are your needs? For me, I needed a flexible work schedule to allow me to take my son to doctor appointments or to be able to volunteer at his school during special occasions without the usage of PTO. What do you need? More money? Benefits? Schedule needs?
    3. What are your skills? For me, my role in medical management constantly was changing and therefore my top skills were adaptable and capable of learning new skills. Really reflect on this one and list each of them out. This will help determine where to make a change to or if the new career fits your current skills.
    4. What are you passionate about? What are your burdens? I started my small business to give myself a flexible work schedule, create a healthy work environment, and to freelance my marketing and business development skills. The Balloon Bar, Joyza, was born from a micro-skill in marketing, and from a deep burden to help other mothers find jobs with a “flex-time” schedule. 
  2. Research. I jokingly tell people I have a Phd in Google, and you need one too. Find out what other careers are out there. What careers match your values, needs, and skills? 
  3. There is never a good time. I wish I would have made a career change sooner, and knowing what I know now, there is never a good time for a career change. Don’t wait for the “perfect” time. Honestly, I think now during this pandemic time is the best. 
  4. Let go of self-doubt. Sing the Elsa song. Cut out the naysayers. Do whatever you need to do to stop self-doubt. You need to up your mental strength and take it to the gym. You need COURAGE. 
  5. Commitment. It’s going to get tough, and you need to have a plan on how to stay in the commitment-game when it does. Once you make the decision to change careers, stick with it! My friend, Allison Ellsworth, co-founder of Poppi and Shark Tank deal earner, told me to surround myself with people who support me, to list them, and they will be my circle of people when the going gets tough. My circle has helped me to figure out things I don’t know, and have been my cheerleaders helping me stay in the game. 

Career change is hard and it takes courage, but it’s worth it! Do a deep dive into “your why” and research, and the rest is mental endurance. As the other Kenny Rogers says, “You’ve got to know when to hold ’em, Know when to fold ’em, Know when to walk away, And know when to run”. I’m rooting for you if you’re ready to run. Have courage, my friend!

Vivian Knox, Chief Balloon Inflator at Joyza

Small business owner, Writer, Speaker, Podcast host, Joy expert, and encouraging mothers to believe all moms work hard

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DOG Movie and Giveaway

DOG Movie and Giveaway

Raise your hand if you are a dog person? I just put both my hands up, lol. Our family has two rescue dogs, and my kids keep asking for more. Moana, the all white dog, is the perfect dog. She’s a little bossy and sheds way too much, but otherwise she is PERFECTION. We adopted Moana from a rescue organization when she was 8 weeks old, and I can’t image life without her. Mickey Mouse is a rescue dog too, but his story is a little different. We adopted him when he was 2 years old, and I can tell why a full blooded silky yorkie was abandoned…we should have named him Donald Duck. He’s a grouchy old man, but still we love him.

Have you seen previews for the new movie, Dog, that is being released soon? Eekk, we can’t wait. In celebration of the release of Dog, my friends at MGM Studios and Grace Hill Media are giving away the cutest goodie bag for you and your furry BFF.

 Giveaway Ends: February 15 (at noon), follow us on Facebook and Instagram to enter giveaway.

Included in this goodie pack is (2) Fandango Movie Vouchers, (1) frisbee, (1) waste bag carrier, (1) Asobu Dog Bottle/Bowl, and (1) Hydration Pack


DOG 

Releases in theaters February 18, 2022! 

Watch the trailer HERE! 

#DogMovie| FACEBOOK | INSTAGRAM | TWITTER 

About the film: 

DOG is a buddy comedy that follows the misadventures of two former Army Rangers paired against their will on the road trip of a lifetime. Army Ranger Briggs (Channing Tatum) and Lulu (a Belgian Malinois dog) buckle into a 1984 Ford Bronco and race down the Pacific Coast in hopes of making it to a fellow soldier’s funeral on time. Along the way, they’ll drive each other completely crazy, break a small handful of laws, narrowly evade death, and learn to let down their guards in order to have a fighting chance of finding happiness. 

Rated PG-13 for language, thematic elements, drug content and some suggestive material

DOG_10803_RC Channing Tatum stars as Briggs in DOG A Metro Goldwyn Mayer Pictures film Photo credit: Hilary Bronwyn Gayle/SMPSP © 2022 Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures Inc. All Rights Reserved

Good luck AWM friends! And share you pup pictures with me on Facebook or Instagram. 😉

Free Christmas Printable

Free Christmas Printable

Free Printable from 2021:

Home Tour 2020, repost:

If you haven’t guessed already, I’m a Texas blue and white diehard lover! Blame my mother, whom collected the “real” deal–unlike me, as I collected from Homegoods. 😉

I call my decor style “Eclectic Chinoiserie” (a little mix of this, a little mix of that, and a whole lotta JOY)

chi·noi·se·rie/ˌSHēnˌwäzəˈrē,ˌSHēnˈwäz(ə)rē/noun: the imitation or evocation of Chinese motifs and techniques in Western art, furniture, and architecture, especially in the 18th century. -definition by Oxford Languages

Here’s a sneak peak of our downstairs this year, and I hope it inspires you to decorate however you want! There are no rules in art!

DINING CHAIRS | KITCHEN CURIO CABINET | BALLOONS | ELF ON THE SHELF IDEAS |

| BLUE NATIVITY| | ADVENT CALENDAR |

Trusting the Journey

Trusting the Journey

I am a sucker for RomComs and Romantic Drama Movies, and I can’t wait to watch Finding You in theaters on May 14th! This past year has been crazy for most of us, and personally, it has been a journey full of changes and challenges.

At work, we call it personal development, but the same can be said in life in general. There is a journey in every season of life, and in every season of life there is an opportunity to self reflect and develop our personal growth. The pandemic has been difficult to balance work life/career aspirations and motherhood. I felt like I was in a “good” place with balancing life right before the pandemic hit, which made the blows of pandemic life hurt all the more deeply because I found myself, once again, at the beginning of a new journey and season of life.

Are you on a journey right now? Or have you recently arrived?

I have a verse taped to my bathroom mirror as a daily reminder to trust my current journey, “But as for me, I will look to the LORD; I will wait for the God of my salvation; my God will hear me.” Micah 7:7. I’m at the intersection of Look and Wait.

In honor of Finding You released with theaters on May 14th, I’ve teamed up with my friends at Grace Hill Media to give one of my lucky readers 2 Fandango tickets for you (in the form of (1) $25 Fandango Voucher). – The great thing about Fandango tickets is that they can be used on any film in theaters (not just Finding You) and they do not have an expiration date – so you can use them anytime!

This giveaway will run Monday, May 10th through Thursday, May 13th. To enter, subscribe to our newsletter, or send us an email through our contact me page. Good Luck!!

**Prizes will be sent through email on Friday,
May 14th

FINDING YOU is an inspirational romantic dramedy full of heart and humor about finding the strength to be true to oneself.

After an ill-fated audition at a prestigious New York music conservatory, violinist Finley Sinclair (Rose Reid) travels to an Irish coastal village to begin her semester studying abroad. At the B&B run by her host family she encounters the
gregarious and persistent heartthrob movie star Beckett Rush (Jedidiah Goodacre), who is there to film another installment of his medieval fantasy-adventure franchise. As romance sparks between the unlikely pair, Beckett ignites a journey of discovery forFinley that transforms her heart, her music, and her outlook on life. In turn, Finley
emboldens Beckett to reach beyond his teen-idol image and pursue his true passion. But when forces surrounding Beckett’s stardom threaten to crush their dreams, Finley must decide what she is willing to risk for love.

To learn more about FINDING YOU and find tickets visit www.findingyouthemovie.com

Check out the FINDING YOU trailer below!

DIY Market Cart

DIY Market Cart

This is my favorite DIY project we accomplished during our 2020 quarantine. Did you accomplish any “wish-list” projects this past year?

My son and daughter had been asking for a lemonade stand for years, and I finally had the extra time to make their dreams come true. I love the idea of using our Market Cart for all different occasions. Currently, trying to convince the kiddos to set up a flower market for our neighborhood.

Le Marche is French for “The Market”. Makes these Walmart crates feel so fancy, and not limited to only serving lemonade. What do you think?

Supplies Needed:

  1. 4 Large Wooden Crates (Walmart Craft Aisle)
  2. Top Counter made from 3’x1′ (1/4 MDF-Homedepot)
  3. 3-3′ Square Poles (2×2) for Top Frame
  4. 4 Swivel Caster Wheels
  5. Fabric or Wood piece for sign (I used wood 3’x1′)
  6. White spray paint
  7. Nails and Screws
Lisa Frank Inspired Art Party

Lisa Frank Inspired Art Party

Please tell me I’m not the only millennial mama so excited to see the return of the 90s?!?! My daughter turned 7 on the 7th, and had asked for an epic home art party. I whipped up the easiest at home art party with a subtle tribute to Lisa Frank, the Queen of 90s kid art.

Party Details:

  1. Individual Desserts-jars with strawberry vanilla icecream topped with whipped cream and gummy candy
  2. Art Project-wooden wind chimes to paint
  3. Kitchen set up as the art room and Dining Room set up as the food table

😉 Easy Peasy

The girls had so much fun, and of course our Balloon Shop was a hit with the decorations. The balloon wall and table runner made from my childhood paper fortune tellers were my absolute favorite!! What do you think?

YES DAY CHALLENGE

YES DAY CHALLENGE

Do you want to experience extreme parental joy at minimal cost? Celebrate International YES DAY with us!

We recently had a “YES” power hour, and I let my children go wild with a food fight. It felt great to say YES, and watch the magic of pure joy immediately appear.

Let’s face it, everyone deserves a YES DAY! – A day when parents get to say YES! to their kids (with some ground rules of course!). It is a great way to reconnect with your kiddos, change up the routine, and have lots of FUN together! 

YES DAY is all about creating memorable experiences with our families right at home!

Check out the YES DAY Family Activity Guide for fun ideas and activities to get the party started!

We can’t wait to see how you spend your Yes Day – be sure to share your adventures with us on social media using #YESDAYchallenge, @NetflixFamily, and @NetflixFilm!

More about YES DAY:

Always feeling like they have to say NO to their kids and co-workers, Allison and Carlos decide to give their three kids a YES DAY — where for 24 hours the kids make the rules. Little did they know that they’d be going on a whirlwind adventure around Los Angeles, that would bring the family closer to each other than ever before.

Director: Miguel Arteta           

Writer: Justin Malen, based on the book by Amy Krouse Rosenthal  

Producers: Lawrence Grey, Ben Everard, Daniel Rappaport, Jennifer Garner, Nicole King, & Adam Marshall            

Cast: Jennifer Garner, Edgar Ramirez, Jenna Ortega, Julian Lerner, and Everly Carganilla 

Streaming on Netflix this Friday, March 12!

We invite you to join us this Friday, as we celebrate International YES DAY!

#YESDAYchallenge

@NetflixFamily

@NetflixFilm

Christmas Home Tour

Christmas Home Tour

If you haven’t guessed already, I’m a Texas blue and white diehard lover! Blame my mother, whom collected the “real” deal–unlike me, as I collected from Homegoods. 😉

I call my decor style “Eclectic Chinoiserie” (a little mix of this, a little mix of that, and a whole lotta JOY)

chi·noi·se·rie/ˌSHēnˌwäzəˈrē,ˌSHēnˈwäz(ə)rē/noun: the imitation or evocation of Chinese motifs and techniques in Western art, furniture, and architecture, especially in the 18th century. -definition by Oxford Languages

Here’s a sneak peak of our downstairs this year, and I hope it inspires you to decorate however you want! There are no rules in art!

DINING CHAIRS | KITCHEN CURIO CABINET | BALLOONS | ELF ON THE SHELF IDEAS |

| BLUE NATIVITY| | ADVENT CALENDAR |

Mental Health, Share But Be Prepared.

Mental Health, Share But Be Prepared.

Last month, I was in Southern California with my two kids, and took them to a beach with a warning sign, “DANGEROUS SHOREBREAK if in doubt, don’t go out”. My 8-year son was apprehensive to venture into the water, but I assured him I grew up going to these beaches and it was fine. Fine, we were not. Mila, my 6-year old, spotted a wave and took off running toward sand. Caleb and I, however, had our backs toward the open sea and didn’t notice our impending deaths. The not-so-giant-but-strong-wave took Caleb and I under and washed us up to land. We avoided death, but our pride was killed that morning. Caleb gave me a long parental speech about taking the warning signs more seriously, and I’m sure he will not let me forget this lesson until my actual death arrives.

I wish the movement of Mental Health Awareness came with a warning sign. Warning: Don’t share your mental health or advocate for mental health unless you’re strong enough to endure the fight. “Slogan: Share, but be prepared.”

Dak Prescott, Cowboy’s quarterback, recently shared his struggle with mental health, and a sports journalist called it “weakness”. The truth is it takes strength to talk about your mental health. Strength to be vulnerable, and strength to endure the potential punches from strangers and loved ones.

I think talking about mental health is wonderful, especially, during a pandemic when more people are processing a season of depression or anxiety. You’re not alone if you struggle with a mental illness. I also want you to be prepared before you share. Have a plan and be prepared if your mental health is used as a weapon against you. We’ve often heard, “hurting people hurt others”, and there may come a time when your vulnerability and words are used against you. To hurt you.

I live a vulnerable life where I share my struggles with mental health both privately and on my social media, and I have felt the bruises from enemies misusing my mental health against me. It’s not often, and definitely not the norm, but it does happen. I’ve been called names to my face and behind my back, and it takes strength to not let the verbal fight defeat my spirit or trigger my depression and anxiety.

Please hear me when I say, I don’t want you to stay silent in your struggle with mental health! No! I just want you to be prepared. To build your strength. To have a plan.

While visiting Southern California we went back to the beach every day. We got back into the water and braved the waves. Our little Texan-legs learned how to not get knocked down by the waves.

The waves will come, my friends. You’re not alone on the beach.

Hey, y’all! I’m Viv. I’ve been diagnosed with OCD, ADD, Depression, and Anxiety. I take prozac daily, and Vyvanse as needed. And that’s ok. If I were diabetic, I would probably be prescribed insulin. Your diagnosis doesn’t define you. What people say, good or bad, doesn’t define you. #everymindmatters #endthestigma

Joy Seeker

Joy Seeker

Jeremiah 29:13-14 “You will seek Me and find Me, when you seek Me with all your heart. I will be found by you, declares the Lord.”

I assumed we weren’t going on vacation in 2020 for two reasons, 1). Pandemic, 2). I quit my job in the summer of 2019, and have self-funded my solely-owned small business…budget cuts do not include family vacations. But God, had other plans.

The past 12 months have been filled with me imperfectly seeking the Lord with all my heart, and He has been so faithful and kind to generously pour His love and joy over our family. He has provided clients for my small business, He has provided for us during a world-wide pandemic, He has drawn our family closer to Him, and He has taught us to seek joy in His presence. Let me be clear, this hasn’t been all rainbows and butterflies…there have been sacrifices. We dramatically changed our finances by giving up some luxuries like my monthly salon visits, letting go of our House Manager, and hubby sold his truck to purchase a cheap car. Through it all, God is good.

I love how in Psalm and 1Chronicles, David consistently seeks the Lord for His opinion on what he should do next. David inquires of the Lord, and then obeys Him. There are beautiful examples of what happens when David does seek God’s wisdom and follows it, and warning examples of what happens when David doesn’t seek God or obey Him. Thanks, David for taking one for the team!

God, being good and a gift-giver, gave me the gift of a 2 week vacation. Hubby was offered a 2 week work trip to Southern California that would fall over the Labor Day Holiday, and his work was paying for a large hotel suite and rental car. I coincidentally, had more than enough American Airline miles to pay for me and my 2 kid’s plane tickets and a rental SUV for 2 weeks. It could have just been a great coincidence, but I have been seeking the Lord daily, and knew this was a gift from God. I needed a break from our house, and I desperately craved an adventure.

Y’all, I felt guilty needing a break from our lovely house, but…I. NEEDED. A. FREAKING. BREAK. (and all the moms of small-dependent-children during a pandemic said, AMEN!) Proverbs 14:12 “There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death.”

God doesn’t always make sense to me. It makes more sense to go on a vacation in the summer, not when my kids are going back to in-person school. It makes sense to not travel during a pandemic, because hello, I don’t want to get anyone sick or my family sick. It makes sense to go on a vacation with the kids when my hubby can be with us the entire time, not go on one by myself with the kids. All moms know that a vacation with kids just means living in a different place still having to be responsible for everything…why would I want to take that on without the help of my hubby? God doesn’t always make sense to me, but he’s good and does good for His glory and our joy.

Our 2 week adventure in Southern California taught me more of how good God is, and how much He wants us to be in His presence for His glory and our joy. We had a small kitchen in our hotel suite, and our daily maid service would do the dishes. Y’all, I have never been more excited in my life for hotel service. Beds were daily made, bathroom daily cleaned, and DISHES WERE ALWAYS CLEANED!! The Heavens basically opened and I cried tears of JOY to not have to clean one thing for 2 weeks, ha! Oh, yea, and we were in Southern California so we could enjoy the mountains and the beaches within a 1 hour drive of each other.

We had a blast! Hubby worked every day minus the holiday weekend, but the kiddos and I had the time of our lives. It was the kids fourth trip to California and I thought they would be bummed that Disneyland and our “normal” vacation traditions would be closed but they were not. I think a part of them was just as excited to get out of the house as I was. Laying on the beach, lake, or mountains every day was just what our quarantined hearts needed. Fresh air, outdoors, and adventure.

For those that follow Jesus, the Holy Spirit is God with us. God’s presence actually with us. Have you noticed that every great story has a “sidekick” character? Disney Princesses have a pet companion so they aren’t alone, and Frodo has his bff, Sam, to journey with. The Holy Spirit is much more than a sidekick, BFF, or pet companion. It’s a dull comparison by far, but my point is all great stories echo God’s perfectly good story. We are not alone. We have been given a relationship with His Holy Spirit to be with us. Sometimes seeking Joy includes gifts from the Father. God didn’t have to give us a 2 week vacation, just like I didn’t have to buy a few unnecessary toys for the kids from Downtown Disney. Seeking Joy isn’t a formula of seek+do=rewards/gifts. I’m a mother that buys extra unnecessary toys randomly for no good reason/celebration, so is my Father. In fact, he’s an even better gift giver for no good reason. Two weeks in CA with no dishes and cleaning kind of gift giver. 😉