When I was pregnant, I had initially planned to begin my maternity leave a month before my baby was due. I was extremely uncomfortable and had a lot of back pain when I was pregnant, not due to complications, but rather hard because I had decided to completely let go for the first time in my life. I ate anything and everything in sight, and was having a very difficult time carrying around 70 extra pounds of ice cream and cheeseburgers.
As my initially planned "last day" approached, I wasn't ready to stop working. So I put it off for another two weeks. Then once again when that day approached, I decided to work for one more week. In the end, my water broke while I was working, albeit from home, and I continued to work for another 3 hours.
I had been working on a few deals that I wanted to see through completion, however that wasn't the reason that I worked for so long. I worked for so long, because without my work, I didn't know who I was. My work and my success at work was my identity. It was something I was very proud of, and I enjoyed the status and lifestyle that my career afforded me.
I remember thinking about how much I would miss work once the baby was here, and trying to devise ways to continue working on a part time basis. I was worried about my clients, knowing full well that my colleague who would be working with them would not take care of them in the way that I had done.
As soon as I laid eyes on that little red and wrinkled face, I forgot all about my work and my clients. The first night after he was born, I stayed awake all night long, just looking at him in amazement, terrified that if I fell asleep even for a moment, that someone might take him from me. My clients were the last thing on my mind.
It is funny, being a mother is not something that I ever expected to be. Yet it is the role that I have most easily and naturally assumed. My days are now spent with the most amazing little boy, and I constantly find myself grinning from ear to ear and overflowing with love for this little man.
The things that used to matter are no more. Designer bags, french manicures, weekly massages, daily dinners out and all of the other trappings of my former life mean absolutely nothing to me. I would give up every material thing I own and will ever own for my son. He is my entire world.
I used to wonder if I had a purpose in this world, and now I know exactly what that purpose is, to be his mom.
Looking back, my career wasn't nearly as thrilling and fantastic as I thought, nothing compares to motherhood.
I no longer shower daily, some weeks I only shower twice, or if we are being completely honest there have been weeks where I only showered once. I rarely get a chance to wear makeup, and even more uncommon is being able to style, or rather even just blowdry my hair. If you knew me before my little man, you would know how vain I could be and what a departure this is.
I now live in size 32 jeans, with my 28's stored in the basement in the perhaps futile hope that they may one day fit again. I wear frumpy nursing bras and I have a muffin top that hangs over my jeans. My belly is no longer firm, and jiggles and is painted with purple stretch marks. Oddly enough I feel more beautiful than I ever have, those stretch marks came from my little man. I actually smile when I look at them, remembering when he was safe inside of me and would wake me up doing what felt like jumping jacks in the middle of the night.
Some days I become envious of other moms, and I wish that we were independently wealthy, that I could stay home with my son forever and not ever have to worry about finances. However, we are not. In fact, we struggle. With my income gone, my husband's pay cut, and hefty child support payments for my husband's other 3 children, we live on less than I ever knew possible. Oddly enough, I am happier than I ever thought possible.
Who would have ever thought that 7 pounds and 7 ounces was the difference between a life of pomp and circumstance and a life of meaning.
Tuesday 27 August 2013
Monday 26 August 2013
Camping is enjoyed by a disproportionate number of idiots, I'm just saying.
The BEST job that I have ever had, was working at a campground in the summers when I was in University. I could wear whatever I wanted, customer abuse was not only tolerated, but encouraged, and I got paid a pretty decent wage to do very little. The BEST part of this job was all of the interesting people that I got to meet from all over the world. I have compiled a list of FAQ's that I commonly encountered, I hope you enjoy!
Q: Is that in American dollars?
A: I'm not sure, let me check my GPS and see what country we are currently in... hmmm.... just as I suspected, we are in Canada, in that case you will need to go to the airport and change all of your money into Yen, your campsite will cost 375,000 Yen.
Q: How do I get there?
A: Well if you can tell me where you are coming from I can give you directions
Caller: We are at McDonalds
Me: Which one?
Caller: There is a video store across the street
Me: Congratulations you have found THE elusive Calgary McDonalds, however sir, I still have no idea where the hell you are coming from
Me: Calgary West Campground, Rachel speaking...
Caller: Is this the Calgary West Campground?
Me: No sir, this is Pizza Hut, we just like to confuse our callers
Q: What kind of facilities do you have for swimming?
A: A private ocean, a lake, a jacuzzi on each individual campsite, and oh yes, A POOL!
Q: Do you have cable TV?
A: No
Q: What kind of campground is this?
A: An awesome one...
Q: Are your prices in dollars or in Canadian money?
A: They are in Canadian dollars
Q: Oh you guys call your money dollars too?
A: Yes genius, that's correct
Q: Can I make a reservation?
A: Most likely, if you tell me what day
Caller: We don't know what day
Q: Can you please give me someone's campsite number?
A: Yes, what is their name? and when are they set to arrive?
Caller: I don't know, they are from Medicine Hat
Q: Can you give me directions to get to your campground from Nose Hill Drive
A: Certainly, are you heading North or South?
Q: I don't know, I'm not from here
A: Turn left to head west
Q: I don't know, I'm from Manitoba
Q: Excuse me ma'am I can't find the soy cream in your store?
A: That's because we don't sell that hippy shit here
Q: Why wouldn't you sell a staple such as soy cream?
A: Because you are the only person in the Universe who would buy it, and we don't like you...
Q: Are you out of bread?
A: Yes
Q: Where can I find the bread?
A: At a grocery store asshole
Q: Can I make a reservation for Stampede?
A: No, I'm sorry you cannot as all of our reservations are full, however we have left a number of sites to be sold on a first come first serve basis
Q: Can I reserve one of those sites?
Q: Can I make a reservation for Stampede?
A: No, I'm sorry you cannot as all of our reservations are full, however we have left a number of sites to be sold on a first come first serve basis
Caller: But we are from Quebec...
Me: I don't care...
Q: Do you have 50 AMP power?
A: No our highest is 30 AMP
Q: But how am I supposed to run my washer, dryer, microwave, TV and massage chair?
A: You're not... you are CAMPING!
Caller: My name is Dave from Yellowknife... (followed by awkward pause)
Me: Hi Dave how can I help you?
Caller: Yeah... ummm... I'm just calling to let you know we are having some trouble with our RV (awkward chuckles)... blah, blah, blah, explains all of the minor details
Me: Okay so why are you calling?
Caller: Well I just wanted to let you know that we won't be here this afternoon
Me: Did you have a reservation
Caller: No... we just called earlier and inquired about a site, we didn't give our name or anything, but the lady said she'd have a site for us when we arrived, so just wanted to let you know we won't be there in case you were expecting us
Me:............... (overly enthusiastic) AWESOME! Thanks Dave!
Me: _____ Rachel speaking...
Caller: Do you speak French or English?
Me: Hola! como esta usted?
Caller: Which way is it to Baniff?
Me: Head West on Highway 1
Caller: How will we know when we are in the mountains?
Me: awkward silence.... you will hear waves crashing...
Caller: So how do we find you?
Me: Where are you coming from?
Caller: Do we head East or West?
Me: Again that depends on where you are coming from...
Caller: North
Me: Okay well I am going to go ahead and cancel your reservation...
Q: Is that in American dollars?
A: I'm not sure, let me check my GPS and see what country we are currently in... hmmm.... just as I suspected, we are in Canada, in that case you will need to go to the airport and change all of your money into Yen, your campsite will cost 375,000 Yen.
Q: How do I get there?
A: Well if you can tell me where you are coming from I can give you directions
Caller: We are at McDonalds
Me: Which one?
Caller: There is a video store across the street
Me: Congratulations you have found THE elusive Calgary McDonalds, however sir, I still have no idea where the hell you are coming from
Me: Calgary West Campground, Rachel speaking...
Caller: Is this the Calgary West Campground?
Me: No sir, this is Pizza Hut, we just like to confuse our callers
Q: What kind of facilities do you have for swimming?
A: A private ocean, a lake, a jacuzzi on each individual campsite, and oh yes, A POOL!
Q: Do you have cable TV?
A: No
Q: What kind of campground is this?
A: An awesome one...
Q: Are your prices in dollars or in Canadian money?
A: They are in Canadian dollars
Q: Oh you guys call your money dollars too?
A: Yes genius, that's correct
Q: Can I make a reservation?
A: Most likely, if you tell me what day
Caller: We don't know what day
Q: Can you please give me someone's campsite number?
A: Yes, what is their name? and when are they set to arrive?
Caller: I don't know, they are from Medicine Hat
Q: Can you give me directions to get to your campground from Nose Hill Drive
A: Certainly, are you heading North or South?
Q: I don't know, I'm not from here
A: Turn left to head west
Q: I don't know, I'm from Manitoba
Q: Excuse me ma'am I can't find the soy cream in your store?
A: That's because we don't sell that hippy shit here
Q: Why wouldn't you sell a staple such as soy cream?
A: Because you are the only person in the Universe who would buy it, and we don't like you...
Q: Are you out of bread?
A: Yes
Q: Where can I find the bread?
A: At a grocery store asshole
Q: Can I make a reservation for Stampede?
A: No, I'm sorry you cannot as all of our reservations are full, however we have left a number of sites to be sold on a first come first serve basis
Q: Can I reserve one of those sites?
Q: Can I make a reservation for Stampede?
A: No, I'm sorry you cannot as all of our reservations are full, however we have left a number of sites to be sold on a first come first serve basis
Caller: But we are from Quebec...
Me: I don't care...
Q: Do you have 50 AMP power?
A: No our highest is 30 AMP
Q: But how am I supposed to run my washer, dryer, microwave, TV and massage chair?
A: You're not... you are CAMPING!
Caller: My name is Dave from Yellowknife... (followed by awkward pause)
Me: Hi Dave how can I help you?
Caller: Yeah... ummm... I'm just calling to let you know we are having some trouble with our RV (awkward chuckles)... blah, blah, blah, explains all of the minor details
Me: Okay so why are you calling?
Caller: Well I just wanted to let you know that we won't be here this afternoon
Me: Did you have a reservation
Caller: No... we just called earlier and inquired about a site, we didn't give our name or anything, but the lady said she'd have a site for us when we arrived, so just wanted to let you know we won't be there in case you were expecting us
Me:............... (overly enthusiastic) AWESOME! Thanks Dave!
Me: _____ Rachel speaking...
Caller: Do you speak French or English?
Me: Hola! como esta usted?
Caller: Which way is it to Baniff?
Me: Head West on Highway 1
Caller: How will we know when we are in the mountains?
Me: awkward silence.... you will hear waves crashing...
Caller: So how do we find you?
Me: Where are you coming from?
Caller: Do we head East or West?
Me: Again that depends on where you are coming from...
Caller: North
Me: Okay well I am going to go ahead and cancel your reservation...
Sunday 25 August 2013
The inception of "Not Going Back to Work"
"Not Going Back to Work" has been born of the love I have for my son, and my obsession with finding a way to make "Not Going Back to Work" not only a possibility, but my reality.
To give you the back story, before my son, I was the #1 Sales Executive in a publicly traded company. I made well over six figures, won trips and accolades, and was living the dream. Not bad for a woman under 30, who didn't finish University and who generally worked less than 40 hours per week.
People often assumed that I worked very hard and for very long hours, and I sure as hell was not going to correct them. The fact of the matter was however, that I worked smart. Early on I found my niche in my industry, and I set to work on creating a name for myself, as the very best in my field. Instead of spending countless hours prospecting, I spent countless hours working with the clients that I did have. The credibility I built in doing so, and the resulting referrals were much more fruitful than the pointless knocking on doors that I was encouraged and often even threatened to do.
In Sales you will often hear people talk about the 80/20 rule. Spend 80% of your time with the 20% of your accounts that will generate 80% of your volume. This rule however is intrinsically flawed. I deducted that if 80% of my sales volume was coming from 20% of my accounts, why bother with the other 80% of my accounts? It was often the other 80% that proved the most time consuming, and which would eat up countless hours of my time only to decide in the end that my product just wasn't for them. They would only come to this conclusion however after taking full advantage of my consulting services.
The way I achieved my success was by ignoring the other 80% of my accounts that only accounted for 20% of my volume. Not to say that they were not worthy of service, but rather, I was happy to allow my competitors to service them. Instead I spent ALL of my time with the 20% of my accounts that typically would have made up 80% of my volume, and instead built them up to constitute my entire sales volume. Hence the shorter work weeks and higher income than my counterparts.
My life today is a very broad departure from that before my son. Breastfeeding, changing diapers, and playing with the little man who stole my heart, and constantly brainstorming ways in which to stay home with him forever, or at least avoid putting him in daycare.
I have postulated opening a day home, however this was quickly squashed when I remembered that I don't really like kids. I LOVE my own child infinitely more than anything in this world, however I can do without other people's kids.
Now I know you are likely wondering why I don't just go back to my job. Well it was a fairly easy decision. After said publicly traded company decided not to pay me for the most momentous deal of my career due to it's implementation being after my son was born, I am now embroiled in a legal battle and something about suing my employer just makes me a little uneasy about returning to them.
I could certainly start with another company in the corporate world, however any positions I would be offered, would most certainly involve a great deal of overnight travel, something that I am no longer willing to do.
Hence, I have arrived at "Not Going Back to Work", and have decided to chronicle this journey.
At the moment I am looking into becoming a consultant for three different direct sales companies. I am in the discovery phase and am deliberating between them. At the current moment I am considering starting up businesses with two of them, that sell completely unrelated products.
The method to my madness in blogging about this journey is to give other moms an honest look at my journey, and to perhaps inspire some other moms to follow their own dreams.
Now before anyone thinks that my dream is to become a direct seller, it is not. My dream is to be around for my son, to take him to and from school and to be able to pick him up for lunch. At the same time, I dream of showing him the world, as so much more can be learned through the living than through the sometimes comatose existence in the classroom. So in order to be there, and still have the financial means to provide exceptional experiences, I have determined that direct selling will be the method to my madness.
To give you the back story, before my son, I was the #1 Sales Executive in a publicly traded company. I made well over six figures, won trips and accolades, and was living the dream. Not bad for a woman under 30, who didn't finish University and who generally worked less than 40 hours per week.
People often assumed that I worked very hard and for very long hours, and I sure as hell was not going to correct them. The fact of the matter was however, that I worked smart. Early on I found my niche in my industry, and I set to work on creating a name for myself, as the very best in my field. Instead of spending countless hours prospecting, I spent countless hours working with the clients that I did have. The credibility I built in doing so, and the resulting referrals were much more fruitful than the pointless knocking on doors that I was encouraged and often even threatened to do.
In Sales you will often hear people talk about the 80/20 rule. Spend 80% of your time with the 20% of your accounts that will generate 80% of your volume. This rule however is intrinsically flawed. I deducted that if 80% of my sales volume was coming from 20% of my accounts, why bother with the other 80% of my accounts? It was often the other 80% that proved the most time consuming, and which would eat up countless hours of my time only to decide in the end that my product just wasn't for them. They would only come to this conclusion however after taking full advantage of my consulting services.
The way I achieved my success was by ignoring the other 80% of my accounts that only accounted for 20% of my volume. Not to say that they were not worthy of service, but rather, I was happy to allow my competitors to service them. Instead I spent ALL of my time with the 20% of my accounts that typically would have made up 80% of my volume, and instead built them up to constitute my entire sales volume. Hence the shorter work weeks and higher income than my counterparts.
My life today is a very broad departure from that before my son. Breastfeeding, changing diapers, and playing with the little man who stole my heart, and constantly brainstorming ways in which to stay home with him forever, or at least avoid putting him in daycare.
I have postulated opening a day home, however this was quickly squashed when I remembered that I don't really like kids. I LOVE my own child infinitely more than anything in this world, however I can do without other people's kids.
Now I know you are likely wondering why I don't just go back to my job. Well it was a fairly easy decision. After said publicly traded company decided not to pay me for the most momentous deal of my career due to it's implementation being after my son was born, I am now embroiled in a legal battle and something about suing my employer just makes me a little uneasy about returning to them.
I could certainly start with another company in the corporate world, however any positions I would be offered, would most certainly involve a great deal of overnight travel, something that I am no longer willing to do.
Hence, I have arrived at "Not Going Back to Work", and have decided to chronicle this journey.
At the moment I am looking into becoming a consultant for three different direct sales companies. I am in the discovery phase and am deliberating between them. At the current moment I am considering starting up businesses with two of them, that sell completely unrelated products.
The method to my madness in blogging about this journey is to give other moms an honest look at my journey, and to perhaps inspire some other moms to follow their own dreams.
Now before anyone thinks that my dream is to become a direct seller, it is not. My dream is to be around for my son, to take him to and from school and to be able to pick him up for lunch. At the same time, I dream of showing him the world, as so much more can be learned through the living than through the sometimes comatose existence in the classroom. So in order to be there, and still have the financial means to provide exceptional experiences, I have determined that direct selling will be the method to my madness.
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