Never Again Series: Why I Stopped Building My Life Around Someone Else’s Job

We all have those moments where something inside of us whispers, or screams, never again. For me, one of those life-altering moments came in 2015, in a tiny Kentucky town, with a pile of moving boxes, a long-distance love story, and a sudden realization: I will never again build my life around someone else’s job.

This is the story of how that “oh hell no” moment cracked me open, lit the first spark of entrepreneurship, and ultimately led me to create the business and life I live today.

The Crossroads of Love and Career

In 2015, I packed up my life in Minnesota to follow my now-husband’s college baseball career. I loved him, I loved the adventure…but I did not love the job hunt that followed our move together.

It hit me hard: if I kept following him city to city, job to job, I’d be stuck rebuilding my career from scratch every single time. And that? That was my first loud, defiant never again.

I wasn’t willing to sacrifice my future every time life required a move, and I also didn’t want to be the reason he said no to his dream opportunity. I knew right then: I had to build something portable. Something of my own.

The Birth of My “Backpack Career”

When we arrived in Kentucky, the reality of job hunting smacked me in the face. I was scrolling job boards, sending résumés into the void, and feeling that sinking pit of starting over again. And here’s the kicker: I knew it wouldn’t be the last time. Baseball coaching careers are stepping stones. Which meant every move could equal a career restart for me.

That’s when I made the decision that changed everything: I wasn’t going to live at the mercy of someone else’s HR department. I was going to build something that fit in my backpack… something that could be portable, flexible, and mine. That “backpack career” started with network marketing. Was it perfect? Nope. Was it forever? Definitely not. But it cracked open a new world for me.

For the first time, I saw a way to:

• Make money without asking for permission.

• Learn skills that could move with me.

• Build something no employer could take away.

That decision gave me a taste of freedom. It planted the seed that would eventually grow into the business I run today. And maybe you’ve felt it too…. the moment when you realize you cannot, and will not, keep living on someone else’s timeline.

Here’s the truth: staying the same can be scarier than making a change. My Kentucky never again moment wasn’t just about jobs. It was about identity, freedom, and future.

That moment was the seed that grew into my coaching business and eventually Industry Icon, my signature program for women who are done tolerating what drains them.

Because your “never again” moment is powerful. It’s the line in the sand. But the real magic? Deciding what comes next.

“Never Again” to Icon Energy

Here’s the thing about never again moments: they’re not just about shutting a door. They’re about opening a new one. My Kentucky moment wasn’t just about hating job applications. It was about reclaiming my identity and choosing stability on my own terms.

Because here’s the truth: jobs are not true security. When your paycheck depends on someone else’s business, their bottom line, their decisions you’re not free. But when you decide to be your own source of stability? That’s when everything shifts.

That’s what Industry Icon is built on. It’s the space for women standing in their own never again moment whether it’s never again will I climb a ladder that feels empty, never again will I trade energy for a paycheck that drains me, or never again will I wait for permission.

The power of never again is that it forces you to answer the bigger question: So now what? That’s where the real transformation begins. Because your never again is the line in the sand. But the person you choose to become on the other side of that line? That’s where you step into your Industry Icon energy.

Your never again moment doesn’t have to break you; it can build you. Mine led to freedom, fulfillment, and the chance to live life fully on my own terms. And if you’re standing at your own crossroads right now? Maybe it’s time to ask: what’s my never again and who do I need to become to honor it?

This Kentucky story was just the beginning. Tune into the full podcast episode for the raw details—and then, if you’re ready to write your own ‘never again’ chapter, Industry Icon is waiting for you. Because clarity is powerful, but action is what sets you free.

🎧 [Podcast link] | ✨ [Industry Icon link]