Live What You Love
After 20 years of learning and growing in my field, I officially hit the pause button one week ago today. This wasn’t a decision my family and I made overnight, but is the culmination of conversations, considerations and reflections over many, many months.
For those of you that don’t know a lot about me personally, for the last 12 years, I had the privilege of leading corporate communications for the Americas region of a Fortune Global 500 company. In my role, I worked on projects and assignments I only dreamed about at the start of my career. I had the chance to see parts of the world I likely would have never seen. I met some amazing people from all over the globe, but most importantly, I had the honor of working daily with an incredible boss and team who I call friends.
At the same time, I also had the privilege of having the most important title in the world to me right now, and that’s ‘mom.’ As our three boys continue to grow, our life has become increasingly demanding. To complicate things even more, I started this amazing business with my mom and sister, and that means more to me than I can put into words. For the last year, I’ve admittedly struggled to find the right balance between these competing worlds.
So, on September 12th, my 41st birthday, I resigned from my position, and last Tuesday, I walked out of my office doors for the last time.
Looking ahead, I am thrilled to spend some quality time with my family. I am excited to work even harder with my mom and sister – perhaps during normal business hours!? - to continue to nourish this dream we started one year ago next month. I have plans to help my mom with some projects I simply didn’t have time for before. I’m ready to enjoy the holidays without the stress of travel and work. I hope to meet up with some friends who I haven’t seen in far too long. That’s the plan. Pretty simple, right?
I recognize how fortunate I am to be able to do this, and I’m so appreciative of the support from my former colleagues, friends, family and my husband, Mike. They believe in me and that makes it a little less scary. Most importantly, WE are thankful for all of YOU – our FLD family – for taking a chance on a mom, her daughters and their love for leather earrings. We cannot wait to see what the future holds for all of us.
Last week, my mom gave me the perfect MantraBand, with a card that reads: "Create a life you love. Engage in relationships that you cherish and do work you are passionate about. Because life is to be enjoyed, not endured. So follow your dreams, embrace change and live what you love."
That's what I intend to do.
Until next time,
