This past March I had the privilege of joining Kelsie Brunick on her podcast, Permission to Grow, to discuss my journey from the corporate world to running my own business while being a new mom.

We discussed how my path began as early as elementary school where my career aspirations ranged from teacher, to doctor, to pharmacist. I realized these professions all had something in common: the drive to help people from a place of expertise.

As I got older my interests took me to new places such as journalism, marketing, and advertising which led me to my first job after college in New York City, at a financial investment company. It felt real. I was in the corporate world and I was climbing. All the boxes were being checked. I was achieving my definition of success.

But I wasn’t happy.

I was always leaving the city to ski, hike, and bike. My desire to help people at this new job wasn’t being addressed in the way I had hoped.

I just wasn’t being fulfilled.

So, I left.

Which was difficult. We often have to remind ourselves that we aren’t married to our jobs. We should put in our best effort but if it isn’t working, it is okay to leave.

With my newfound freedom I moved to Colorado and found a job where I could be more creative. But I still was not feeling like I was thriving in my role. What made this job different was that while I might not have been enjoying it entirely, I was using my expertise to help my co-workers and make their work a little easier. It was my drive. I found the one thing that I really enjoyed from my day and tried to make it a larger part of my role. I was optimizing my job. This pushed me to grow my team, set new goals, and work hard to be promoted. But once I was promoted, I looked around me and thought “is this it?”. Once again, my core wasn’t being satisfied.

So, I was back to the drawing board.

As my goals shifted with the growth of my family in mind, I decided this was the time to start my own business. I didn’t really know what I was doing, but I was going to figure it out.

I began freelance project management. I had a few clients, but I was still unsure of what I was doing. With the help of a freelance agency, I was hired as a contractor for a company. I felt like an employee, but I was my own boss. It was working for me. But eventually the work dried up. I was now pregnant and without a job.

I needed to revamp my business and my outlook.

Ambitiously, I began rebuilding my business idea during my pregnancy. My first trimester, I felt awful. I got nothing done. My second trimester, I had more energy, but I struggled to complete my goals.

I needed someone to keep my organized and move me forward slowly. I kept looking for resources on how to start a business while pregnant, but they just weren’t out there.

This was my eureka moment. This is how Nesting Your Business was born.

I realized everything I had done up until this point could serve me today in helping this business grow. I had worked my way up the corporate ladder. I had lived through starting a business while pregnant. I had all the skills to start this business and share my expertise. If my journey hadn’t taken the path it did, if I had settled for being unfulfilled, I might not have been prepared to start this business. Everyone’s path is different. Don’t be afraid if yours is a little unconventional.

It may take some time, but it will lead you to the place you need to be.

To hear more about my journey and my advice to new business owners, head over to Kelsie’s podcast, Permission to Grow, and give our episode a listen.