This article was written to accompany www.gogetHERpod.com's latest podcast, Episode 5: Healthy Shifts (A minisode) with Sara Davenport. Listen now under the podcast tab.
The traditional 9-5 workday is getting a beat-down; the pandemic pummeled our daily work routine. The quarantine gave us quiet time to reflect, and as we did many of us realized that we had been living to work – and not working to live.
We were spending more time with our co-workers either in person, on-zoom, or on the phone, than we were with our families. And as a working mother myself, I saw my female friends feeling the scorching heat of burn out, as I did.
2022 has seen the highest “quit rate” since we started keeping track over 20 years ago. This 'Great Resignation' is fueled by men and women who want better pay, a more flexible work schedule, and are tired of not being valued by their managers.
The rise of the 'mompreneur' has been born from this great walk-out of women all across the nation.
Many are looking to fuse their passions with a way to make money – and they want to do it on their terms. I was one of them, just ahead of my time. My pre-pandemic life as a TV News Anchor was chaotic, toxic, and not good for my mental health. Working 50-60 hours a week to cover stabbings and shootings galore, while spending more time with my co-anchors than my own family, eventually lead to a massive burnout. I knew there had to be more.
As a Division 1 collegiate athlete, I always valued health and fitness. So when I found a social selling company in the health and wellness arena, I was intrigued. The intersection of e-commerce and nutrition is a trillion dollar industry. Yes, that’s trillion with a T. To join that trillion dollar industry, you don’t have to be wealthy, you don’t have to open up a traditional storefront, and you don’t have to pay employees. I found that to start a business in the social selling sector, I needed $50 and the drive to get the word out about my plant-powered products. What did I have to lose? I spent more than $50 on our last trip to the movies, after all! I knew I couldn’t afford NOT to take a chance. I needed to replace a six-figure income, and social selling seemed like the answer. My results may not be typical, but neither was my work ethic. If you have grit, determination, and are coachable, it’s a fantastic industry to look into.
According to Inc.Com, “how to start your own business” was one of the top Google searches in 2021. But the old style of brick-and-mortar business ideas are going by the wayside; people were searching for online and e-commerce, instead. One of the main reasons is simple - you can start many businesses for under $100 these days.
Gone are the days of having to take out loans to start a franchise or a traditional business; there are many opportunities for you to be a 'mompreneur' for much less. You can get your personal training certification, you could post your workout videos to Instagram, you could get your certification as a holistic nutritionist, and so much more.
Find a need that other Moms have, the thing that keeps them up at night, and then help to fill the gaps. For me, social selling was the answer because moms are looking for plant-based baby products for their kids, and plant-powered “Inner Calm” drinks to help them handle being a mom. I found the need, helped fill the need, and was able to do it all from home around my family’s schedule.
As working moms, we all have felt burnout at some point in our career. When the pandemic hit, our 9-5 workday became a tug-of-war between the dining room work space and family time in the playroom. There had to be a way to be a present-mom, and bring in a good paycheck.
So if the virtual 9-5 just isn’t working, or you are ready to make a change, there are so many 'mompreneurs' like me who get it. If you are ready to live a life by design, and not a life by default, reach out to other mom’s who’ve done it.
And Don’t let the daily grind pummel you. There is more to life than the 9-5.
Written by Sara Davenport – Former TV anchor who flipped the script and joined the social selling industry. Check out her website at www.SaraDavenport.Arbonne.com or read more about her journey as documented by Houston Magazine, Shoutout Texas at http://shoutouthtx.com/meet-sara-davenport-independent-consultant-exec-regional-vp-with-arbonne/
