Don't Be Afraid to Reinvent Yourself

It’s never too late to reinvent yourself. 

I’ve spent so much time wondering what I wanted to be when I grow up. 

And no, I'm not only talking about when I was a kid. Even as a grown woman, married with 2 kids, I still wondered if I was living up to my full potential and doing what I was truly passionate about.  Was I living my purpose?

I think this is something a lot of ladies struggle with, so I wanted to share my journey with you.

I grew up with a passion for the arts and entrepreneurship, but had some fear instilled in me that it wasn’t a safe career choice.  I wasn’t surrounded with a lot of risk takers.

So I did what everyone else around me was doing, and what I felt was the right choice at the time.  I went to a good college, got my degree and I started working in a corporate job.  I quickly learned the corporate game and started the climb the ladder. 

And the higher I climbed up, the more that I realized I might be climbing up the wrong tree.  I was succeeding, but it wasn’t truly fulfilling me. I felt stuck and quite frankly didn’t know how to get down.  At the time, it seemed like the only option was to continue to climb up, so I kept going.

And with every promotion and every salary increase, it got harder and harder to envision leaving.  My days continued to get filled with more stress and anxiety.

I had many times when something just seemed off...like I wasn’t where I belonged.  It was hard to explain, and just a feeling that I had often. I guess I didn’t fully trust my own intuition at the time.  But I did listen enough to start getting myself involved in some hobbies. My stress levels were through the roof, I started to feel sick, and I needed an outlet.

I started working out and eating healthy, and quickly learned that I had a true passion for it.  I felt better than I had in years. I became a coach, got certified in nutrition and helped others on their journey.  

I kept working my corporate job, and did this side gig in my free time.  I was working more, but because I was doing something that lit me up, I enjoyed it and looked forward to focusing on it in the early mornings and late evenings. 

This is when I started to see the potential for a different life for myself.  I didn’t HAVE to keep doing what I was doing. There were other options. No one was chaining me to that cubicle.  And yes, it was going to be super scary to let go of everything I knew and go in a different direction. But I HAD to. I couldn’t live the rest of my life thinking WHAT IF.

When I got pregnant with my son, I started devising an exit plan from corporate America. We had just purchased a house, and I wasn’t sure how it would all work out from a financial perspective, but I was determined to make it happen. 

It was four years ago, almost to the day, that I gave my notice at work.  It was the most liberating feeling, and something I will never forget. I was finally following my heart.

I walked away from a six figure salary, and I wasn’t by any means going to replace it anytime soon with my side gig. But, I was making enough to KEEP GOING and experience the joy that this new path brought to me. And I was blessed to have a very supportive husband who wanted me to be happy and pursue my dreams.

Now I was a full time stay at home mom and ran my wellness business from home.  And truth be told, it wasn’t easy. I was dealing with some postpartum issues on top of it.  Juggling mom life and work was a serious struggle.  When baby #2 came, it got even harder to balance my mom duties and the business. But I was determined to fulfill my vision. I needed to shift, adapt and keep going.

So I came up with an idea for a new business model that still supported and helped fellow mamas, but was also fully on my terms and on my schedule.  This is when Feel Good Mama was born. I could still focus on health, wellness and mom life, but incorporate some super cool high vibe products into the mix.  And I launched my online boutique!

At this point, I was ALL IN to create the life that I had always dreamed about.  There are plenty of people chasing their crazy, fun dreams. I mean, why not me? And the same goes for you mama...why not you?!?

There was still one other thing sitting on my heart.  I always had this desire to be an actress. I first got involved when I was a little girl, and it’s something that I have always come back to.  You know in school when you vote and give people certain titles? Well mine was “The Stage Awaits”. Performing was always something I loved.

But now, decades later, my rational mind told me it was crazy to try and pursue such a dream.  Your ship has sailed girlfriend! But really, has it? Then why did it keep coming back to me, like a secret desire being whispered in my ear?

We had moved cross country to a new state, and I was quite surprised when I found out there was a flourishing acting market.  I happened to see a casting posted online for a commercial. My gut told me, submit for it. So I had my husband take my picture, I updated my resume and emailed it over to the casting director.  They asked me to come in and audition! I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t a bit nervous at this point. But I had to TRY.

So I went in, did my best and next thing I know they contact me to let me know that I GOT THE PART!  At this point the reality sets in, and I’m like OH $HIT, not I have to actually film this! I was so excited and nervous at the same time. But I went there, filmed it and did great.

The acting bug had officially bit me again.  I was so in my element and loved every minute of it.  So I enrolled myself into an on-screen acting class with a local director.  I’m totally putting myself out there, and a bit scared, but at the same time it feels good.  I’m not looking for fame and fortune doing this. I’m just following my intuition and having fun with it!

So here I am, basically in the middle of my life, and I’ve totally reinvented myself.  I’m living my dream as an entrepreneur and starting to get myself into the acting scene.  I now have the freedom to do what I love. And I feel so beyond grateful that I’ve been able to make that a reality!  I took a chance to redefine myself, and move from a life that made me feel confined, disconnected and stressful, to a life that gives me freedom, connection and joy.

And our cross country move was also a direct result of the vision that my husband and I had for our family.  I’m not going to get into all the details here, but will create as a future blog post!

I wanted to share this with you because I know that there are other mamas out there that want more out of life.  That was me, so I totally get it! You think that you were meant for more...you want to be involved in something that brings you joy...and you want to make some kind of difference in the world.  You may even have some wild, crazy dreams, that you are afraid to say out loud!!

That stuff is on your heart for a reason.  So start to explore it!

Being connected to your WHY is what will keep you moving me forward.  So as I first step, I recommend you start digging into that. A book that helped me SO much, and that I highly recommend is the Desire Map.  You can check it out here.  It’s all about planning your vision and goals based on how you want to FEEL. This is the key to connecting with what you really want out of life.

I lived a good portion of my life doing what I felt was expected of me.  But deep down, I wanted something different. I wanted to live life on my terms doing something I loved.   And as a result, my husband and kids have a much happier partner and mama.

I have my own business because I love the creativity and impact I can make in the world.  I love acting because it gives me the opportunity to experience more out of life, to walk in someone else's shoes, tell their story and be even more grateful for everything I have in my life.

And the journey continues.  Always twisting and turning and full of surprises.  I’m super excited to see where it takes me!