Never Again Series: The Day I Decided My Job Wouldn’t Control My Life

In 2019, I stood on the shore of a lake, angry.
Not “someone-took-my-favorite-parking-spot” angry. Not “the-coffee-shop-got-my-order-wrong” angry.
No this was a deep, chest-tightening frustration.

The kind where you can feel the heat in your face and every little thing around you becomes annoying. The way the sand stuck to my ankles. The sound of a cooler lid slamming shut. The thought of lugging wet towels into the car.

Why?
Because I was about to pack up early, leave the people I loved, and cut short a memory in the making… all because my job told me so.

That was the day I said Never. Again.
The day I stopped treating my business like a cute little side hustle and started building it into something that gave me real freedom.

Friend, maybe you’ve had your own “lake day” moment, even if yours didn’t happen at an actual lake.

The Lake Day That Changed Everything

It was supposed to be a family getaway. The kind of trip where the kids go to bed sun-tired, hair smelling like campfire, cheeks still flushed from laughing all day.

But instead of being fully there, I was watching the clock.
In my head, I was already back home:

• Printing meeting agendas.

• Checking email drafts.

• Thinking about the “stupid, stupid, stupid” project I’d been assigned.

And here’s what really stung: we weren’t leaving because of my husband’s schedule (which I’d learned to plan around). We were leaving because of mine, and I hated that.

That felt like a gut punch. I was furious. The audacity that my work — my calendar — had the power to pull me away from my own life.

“Never again will my job decide how much fun I’m allowed to have with my family.”

Maybe you’ve had your own version of this: the trip you didn’t take, the dinner you rushed through, the memory you cut short because something on your calendar said so.

That day, my frustration turned into fire.

From Side Hustle to Serious Business

In 2019, I already had a business. But here’s the truth: I treated it like an afterthought.

It was “cute”… a passion project. I’d talk about it when people asked. I’d block time on my calendar for it. But when my job got busy? That time got shoved aside.

After that lake day, everything changed.
I started:

• Honoring my business time like my life depended on it. If it was on the calendar, it was happening. No excuses.

• Networking like I belonged there. I stopped introducing myself as “working in public health” and started saying, “I’m a business owner.”

• Making decisions like a leader. I didn’t wait for permission or perfect timing. I moved.

And little by little, my business stopped being this far-off dream and started becoming the thing that could change everything.

Building a Life You Don’t Have to Escape From

Fast forward to 2025: I’m at the lake for a whole week.
No rush.
No frantic packing.
No “we have to leave because of a meeting.”

Instead of watching the clock, I’m watching my kids chase each other along the shoreline. My brain is fully here — not half at the lake, half in my inbox.

Even better? This past March, while we were in Florida for my husband’s job, my son looked at me and said, “Mom, can we stay for 20 nights?”
I didn’t hesitate. I said, “Let’s make that happen.”

Because I’ve built my business to give me options.
Because I’ve surrounded myself with women doing the same — women who normalize month-long vacations, set their own schedules, and actually live the lives they used to dream about.

The Rooms You Put Yourself In Matter

One of the biggest reasons I could say “yes” so quickly is because I’ve seen it done.

In my mastermind, there’s a woman who takes 30-night trips with her family every year because she cab. Her business supports it, and she runs it from anywhere. When she celebrates a win, I know I’m celebrating my future.

And that’s the power of being in the right rooms. When you’re surrounded by people who are doing what you want to do, your dreams stop feeling far away. They start feeling normal.

That’s why I created Industry Icon. It’s a place for women who’ve had their own “never again” moment and are ready to turn it into action. Because “never again” is just the beginning. The real magic happens when you start building the life you said you wanted — and you don’t do it alone.

Your “never again” moment can be the turning point that changes everything, if you let it.

It starts with a decision. Then you build the habits, make the moves, and surround yourself with people who make that dream feel closer every single day.

And if you want to hear me tell this whole story (raw, real, and unfiltered) listen to the Never Again episode of my podcast What If. I go deeper into the emotions of that day, the exact shift that happened, and the first steps I took to turn my decision into reality.

🎧 Click here to listen to the “Never Again” podcast episode

Because you are your stability. Not your job. Not your paycheck. You.