by Emily Jones
On what would have been my 16th work anniversary
with my former company, I can’t help but reflect on what led me to make such a
drastic transition into female entrepreneurship and being my own boss.
I was not unhappy. In fact, I was happy. I have the utmost appreciation for the company and the people that gave me a shot and taught me the real estate world. The lingering question really became, “Can I be happier?” As I have shared with my family and friends, as opposed to one “big thing,” there were many small factors that I had to process over time in order to ultimately come to the decision to resign. If I had to categorize the small factors into 3 key points, they would be this:
- The need for growth and change. The growth part was not going to happen without the change part.
- Managing my own time. With a busy family of 5, working traditional office hours is not conducive to our schedules. Making use of the early morning hours and evenings when the kids are in bed helps me to balance it all. Plus, I get 90 minutes back every day of time I used to commute. All of this helps the mom guilt and the work guilt.
- Working for the Greater Good. Making this leap was an opportunity for me to be part of something that will make a difference, something I can be proud of creating from the ground up.
Leaving what was familiar and steady was scary – but not as
scary as looking back in 10 years wondering what could have been. For me, avoiding
future regret became a greater fear than the unknown.