Tag: blog post

5 Things You Should Know Before Changing Careers

5 Things You Should Know Before Changing Careers

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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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Joy Seeker

Joy Seeker

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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. 😉

Love Thy Neighbor: the pursuit of giving + loving NOW

Love Thy Neighbor: the pursuit of giving + loving NOW

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We all have heard the greatest command, “Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ 38 This is the first and greatest commandment. 39 And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ 40 All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.” (Matt. 22:36-40). Bring on all the coffee cups, T-shirts, and hashtags of “be kind” or “do good”, but do we really practice this? The holidays have come and gone, and now we’re approaching the season of spring, and I wonder if we are still striving to give and love.

Are we even aware of opportunities to love our neighbors or community right where we are? I was walking the halls of my children’s school the other day and wondering if parents knew the volunteer needs at the school, and next found myself wondering what needs were weighing on the hearts of parents at this school. It’s easy to recognize the needs of others during the holidays thanks to Santas ringing bells and collecting change, or the hundreds of other non-profits sharing their needs, but what about the other 11 months out of the year?

What if I told you that loving your neighbor didn’t have to be a huge holiday production? Now, don’t get me wrong. Volunteering at your city’s homeless shelter, feeding the hungry a Thanksgiving meal, or even traveling across the world to dig water wells are all great things! They are needed. However, there are also needs right next-door to you, at work, or at school, now, in your community.

When Jesus says “love thy neighbor” it’s an action. It’s not just a feeling or heart posture of kindness and inclusion, but is also doing something.

So then, how do we love our neighbors? Step 1: you need to know them. You need to be ok with being weird, and be ok with being rejected. Go and be weird or awkward and introduce yourself to people you see on your street, at work, or at your child’s school. Just do it! Step 2: serve them=love them.

My neighbors on my street are some of the most amazing people in Texas and possibly America. They daily live out Steps 1 and 2. We all know each other. We are intentional to talk while seeing each other outside, having each other over for a meal, playdates with our kids, and block parties. Being known has given us the opportunity to be humble enough to share our stories and what is going on in our lives. For example, when I recently resigned from my job and started my own business I couldn’t afford traditional childcare, so a couple of my neighbors offered to pick up my kids from school if I ever needed help. There were several times these sweet moms saved my butt.

One of the biggest acts of service I experienced was from our sweet friends and neighbors that allowed us to live with them for 2 months while we were in-between homes. We shared our experience on the podcast on Season 1, Ep. 7 “Giving Community”, and I encourage you to give it a listen.

We recently made new friends at our children’s school this year, and they heard about our story of temporarily living with neighbors for 2 months. Guess what? They are going on an international mission trip to Africa and need someone to watch their daughter while they’re away, so they asked us to help. They said they felt less awkward to ask us, because they knew we understood what it was like to need help. That’s one of the best parts about loving others well and the action of giving. It has a ripple effect.

I’m sure you’ve heard or maybe even experience the “pay it forward” chain. Someone paid for your Starbucks order so you paid it forward. Again, this is a good thing, so don’t misunderstand me…I’m not knocking on this. I want you to think differently though. You are living next to, working with, or at school with someone who might need your help right now. Maybe it is a need for coffee (and all the moms of newborns said, amen), but maybe it’s something else. You’ll never know until you get to know them, and be humble enough to exchange stories.

The one thing I know for sure in parenting is this, our kids are watching. Those short people are listening to me when I talk to friends on the phone, or my anger problems while driving. They are watching me and learning. What if we taught our kids to be kind, to give back, and to love well by our daily actions of serving our neighbors now?

I want my kids to do more than just follow the golden rule. I want them to love God and others well. So, I’m determined to model this for them as frequently as possible and pray they copy and practice this as well. Hopefully, more than they copy my love for sarcasm.

IDEAS TO SERVE, GIVE, LOVE:

  1. Children’s outgrown clothes: give them to a neighbor (y’all, how many times does your kid outgrow something? Especially those soccer cleats you use for one season)
  2. Invite neighbors over for a meal (mine is always pizza, keep it simple, unless you’re a chef…you’re basically required to show off then)
  3. Carpool: (that carline is dangerous and stressful)
  4. Babysit: (childcare is like a second mortgage-babysitting is the gift that keeps on giving. Datenight babysitting or school days–all say LOVE)
  5. Cleaning a home: (do you love cleaning? I hate cooking so I offer my cleaning skills more frequently)
  6. Run Errands (my neighbor always shoots me a text when she’s going to Sam’s Club, “hey you need anything”)
  7. Wine Fairy (this was my favorite thing to do for awhile, I would drop off a bottle of wine on my neighbor’s porch just because…she’s a mom)
  8. Just ask, “How can I help you?”
Dear Stay-At-Home-Moms

Dear Stay-At-Home-Moms

by alwaysworkingcommunity ♥ 0 Leave a Comment

Dear Stay-At-Home-Moms,

I’m sorry. I’m so sorry for hurting you. I owe you a giant apology for judging you, for being mean to you, and even for my thoughts.

I’m sorry for my pride. I thought, as a full-time-office-working-mom that I was more important, more achieved, and busier than you (SAHM). I wouldn’t have flat out said that to your face in those words at the time, but my thoughts and actions definitely played that out. For example, if I was driving to work and I would see a woman out walking her dog or running with her kid in the stroller I would think, “it must be nice to have so much free time and be able to spend your day doing whatever you want”. Or if my kid’s school would ask for parent volunteers or help I would think, “I better see all the SAHMs I know sign up first before I offer to help.” I’m sorry for being a prideful judging jerk. Will you forgive me?

I’m sorry for looking down on you. I’m sorry for my role in causing you to feel like “you’re just a mom” or when someone asks what you do for a living your response has been “I just stay home with my kids“. Man, I suck and I’m sorry for being a part of the problem and not the solution. Do you forgive me?

I want you to hear me, you are NOT “just” a mom. You do NOT “just” stay home with your kids. You are a working mom too. All moms work. I’m serious. I’m not blowing smoke up your ass. There is no scale measuring the amount of workload that each mother does or doesn’t do in a day, and I don’t know why we, yes myself included, are so obsessed with trying to measure one another. In the end there is NO trophy. No night at the Oscars for Motherhood, and there shouldn’t be. So why do we have to categorize one another and why do we shame ourselves for not measuring up to some invisible award?

You are a mother, like me, trying to raise a child or two and I want to support you not judge you. I’m sorry it’s taken me this long to understand that. Do you forgive me?

I wish I could say I’m this super cool mom that realized this on my own but I didn’t. Honestly, that’s a good thing because remember my pride from before. God kindly asked me one day, “why do you think your time is more precious than your SAHM friend’s time?”. Busted.

I want you to know that not only am I so sorry for my role and how I’ve hurt you, but that I also want to do better. How can I help you? How can I support you? Please don’t feel bad for asking for help whether it’s big or small. The saying it takes a village is true, and it’s a good thing motherhood is made up of different types of moms. It’s good that some work in the office, some at the home, some part-time, and some side-hustlers. We all bring something to the village to offer. We all have a unique gift to support. Are you up for giving this village-motherhood-support-thing a try?

Please forgive me, and join me!

-Viv (formerly wanting to be called “a working mom“)

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