Working on What’s Next: A Self-Taught Marketer Between Chapters

The last time I was unemployed, the world was in lockdown and everything felt uncertain. Our company had been downsized, and I chose to step down to support a member of my team—hoping that something better was waiting on the other side. Spoiler alert: it was.

Fast-forward four years, and here I am again. Recently laid off, 13 months postpartum, I find myself revisiting the highs and lows of my career—remembering not just the work, but the people, the moments, and the growth along the way. People often say to separate the personal from the professional, but for me, the two have always been intertwined. I’ve made lifelong friendships at work. I’ve laughed, cried, grown, and led, all while learning as I go.

And now, I’m applying to jobs again. I polish my resume, write tailored cover letters, and hope that somewhere in those lines, a real human or a generous algorithm can see past the bullet points and into the person I am. It’s daunting.

But as my dad always told me:

1. A hundred no’s equal one yes.

So, I’ve set a goal to apply to 100 jobs. Maybe, just maybe, one will be my yes. Cue champagne bottle pop and glasses clinking. 🍾🥂 I believe in visualizing success.

2. Luck is when preparation meets opportunity.

So I prepare. I apply. I show up.

This morning, after a few hours of sending applications, I received a message from a former colleague turned friend who sent me a job posting that stopped me in my tracks. A company was hiring an interim Director of Marketing because the new hire was seven months pregnant and heading out on maternity leave. I was floored, in the best way of course. Inspired. Hopeful. I had used their product during my own feeding journey, and suddenly, here I was writing a cover letter that blended my personal story with my professional qualifications. I knew it was a long shot. My background didn’t align perfectly, but the mission, timing, and empathy behind the role made it worth putting my name in the hat.

Seeing a company openly support their leadership through such a pivotal life event gave me hope for the future. In a world where the waters can be murky for working mothers, this felt like a bright spot: a reminder that there are organizations willing to lead with humanity as well as strategy.

Yesterday, I applied to a tech company and noticed a marketing lead who publicly shared her nontraditional journey into the field. She’s from my home state in the midwest and posted her journey from rural RV life to teacher to now an analytical marketer now living in a big city. I reached out to say thank you for sharing her path, and to let her know I’d just applied. It felt right. Genuine. That moment reminded me: sharing our stories matters.

And that’s why I’m writing this.

Years ago, during another career break, I started a blog. It was simple, focused on helping people take small steps toward purpose. I believed (and still do) that no one can fix everything wrong in the world, but we can all do something. That blog paused once I re-entered the workforce, fully focused on building a marketing department from scratch. Then came my engagement, a wedding, a baby. My dream life sped up, and didn’t slow down.

That is until now. With this unexpected pause, I feel the pull to write again. To connect. To reflect. To share. Memories, lessons, motivation and a few bits in-between.

I’ve learned so much from every setback, leap, late night, and leadership challenge. If sharing my story helps even one person feel less alone or a little more inspired, then it’s worth it. I’m not promising perfection or a chronological order. This space will be part career journal, part life reflection, bits of optimism and fully me.

So, if you’re curious, subscribe. Stick around. We’ll figure it out together.

Thanks for being here. Sending good energy your way, wherever you are in your own journey.