Moving from Dreaming to Action

Leaving my stable job was a very difficult decision. Even though I had the support of my husband, I had been raised to believe that women should always be financially independent.  Having been born in Russia, there was the added notion that work was the difficult part of life we had to endure in order to survive and provide for our families.  Fulfillment didn’t typically figure in the equation.  I had to learn to reframe my perspective.

Although busy at home with my daughter, I was reluctant to take a lot of time off.  I was concerned about the erosion of skills and eager to finally use my strengths and talents.  But with my family responsibilities came the concern of how I would balance it all.  Few traditional 9-5 jobs would give much flexibility to someone just starting out – as I would be – in a new role at the bottom of the hierarchy.  It wouldn’t be impossible but I knew it would be difficult to find the right spot for me. 

Over the past couple of decades, there has been a noticeable trend toward taking time off among educated professional women who recently had a baby. This is particularly true in high stress/low flexibility jobs and jobs where the take-home pay gets absorbed almost entirely by child care costs.  Many women, who would otherwise choose to work, make the choice to leave the workforce because they cannot attain proper work-life balance or justify the financial piece of the equation. 

I knew that I would only make the trade-off for the right job, but where would l find it? There were many variables to consider and I knew that I was no longer willing to make a lot of compromises.  I had to be passionate about my next job and I wanted to be present for my family.

The answer came as it often does. In the shower.  I could bring all of my skills together as an solopreneur.  I loved to write. I loved to design. I loved the branding process. I loved to read and share information. And, most importantly, I loved to coach. 

Would that be too bold?

And that’s how BOLD Career Coaching was born.