From Stay - At - Home Mom To Podcast Host: My Employment Journey Part 1

Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:05

Welcome to Ask Velvet Podcast. I'm your host, Velvet, and today I want to share something very personal with you. If you have ever wondered why I work so hard on this podcast, why I'm constantly asking you to subscribe, share, leave reviews, and support the show, this episode is the beginning of that answer. This isn't just about jobs, it's about survival. It's about starting over, it's about rebuilding your life when everything you've known changes. So let's get into it. I was born and raised right here in Washington, DC. This city has always been my home. But after I got married, I moved to Georgia with my husband, and that's where I became a stay-at-home mom. I stayed home for 10 years. Now let me tell you something. Being a stay-at-home mom is not easy. It's one of the hardest jobs I've ever had. Would I change it if I could go back? No. Not at all. I truly cherished being able to spend those years with my children. The reality was we couldn't afford childcare, and because I have very poor eyesight, driving wasn't an option for me either. So staying home made the most sense for our family. But staying home didn't mean I wasn't working. Far from it. I cooked, I cleaned, I took care of the children, I managed the household. I made sure everyone else had what they needed before I even thought about myself. It was a full-time job, one that never clocked out. Then life changed. My marriage fell apart. The divorce wasn't easy. I tried to make it as peaceful as possible, but it became very difficult. It was one of the hardest seasons of my life. So my children and I moved back to Washington, DC and into my parents' house while I tried to put the pieces of my life back together. That's when reality hit. I had to find a job. And what I learned is something I think a lot of stay-at-home moms experience. When you've been home raising children for years, many employers don't see that as work. They look at your resume and see a gap. They don't see the years of responsibility, they don't see the organization, they don't see the budgeting, they don't see the multitasking, they don't see the problem solving, they don't see the sacrifices. Instead, too many of them think, oh, you are just home. Almost as if women who stay home spend all day sitting on the couch eating snacks and watching soap operas. That couldn't be farther from the truth. Being a stay at home mom means you're a cook, a housekeeper, a scheduler, a caregiver, a teacher, a referee, a counselor, and sometimes even a nurse. All in the same day. It's work, real work. And yet I found myself struggling just to convince employers that I had valued. Getting back into the workforce was one of the hardest things I've ever done. Interview after interview, application after application, it felt like nobody wanted to give me a chance. Then one day I saw an advertisement. There was going to be a job fair at what was then called the Verizon Center. Today, known by a different name, the Seller Club restaurant inside the arena was hiring. I decided to take a chance, I filled out the application, I showed up, and what happened next would completely change the direction of my working life. But that's a story for the next episode. Thank you so much for listening to this episode of Ask Velvet Podcast. If you've ever had to start over, rebuild your life after divorce, return to work after raising children, or fight for someone to believe in your abilities. I want to hear from you. Leave a comment, leave a review, and share this episode with someone who needs the reminder that starting over doesn't mean starting with nothing. And if you'd like to help me continue sharing stories like this, hit the support the show button. Whether you choose to subscribe or support the podcast with a small monthly contribution, every bit helps me continue growing this independently owned podcast. Until next time, remember this your past doesn't disqualify you. Sometimes the experiences the world overlooks become the very foundation of the future you're building. I'll see you in part two.