I am burned out. Full stop.
For years, I lived in a world of strategic plans, media campaigns and performance metrics. As a communications strategist, I managed budgets, led branding initiatives and sat through more meetings than I can count. My days were filled with drafting content, reviewing proposals, approving designs and ensuring every message reflected the company’s mission.
On paper, it was rewarding work. The title carried weight. The salary gave me security and status. Somewhere along the way, however, I realized something was missing. Between the urgent emails and endless strategy sessions, I started to feel like I was managing everything exceptmy own joy.
So, I did something bold or maybe a little crazy. At the height of major layoffs, a government shutdown and a shaky economy, I left my nice, cushy job. I traded in my tailored blazers for sneakers, my boardroom seat for a circle of small chairs and my security badge for a name tag that simply says, “Ms. Lisa.”
Today, I work part-time with elementary school kids.
My meetings now involve glue sticks, snack time and spontaneous dance parties. Instead of presentations, I get priceless moments of pure honesty (“Ms. Lisa, your hair looks funny today!”). Every day is unpredictable, messy and loud—and I absolutely love it.
There is a method to my madness, though. Even though this was a brave move, I didn’t just leap. For years, I have been growing a small consulting business, but I had never given it the time, energy and attention it deserved. How could I with endless commutes and 12- to 14-hour days working on someone else’s mission? Making space to grow my business is my ultimate goal and working part-time with kids has been a wonderful bonus.
Now, I work three hours a day—period—with a definitive start and end time. No evenings. No weekends. No more never-ending days. By the time most people are starting their workday, I am finishing mine. Then I have the rest of the day to work on my business.
My three-hour, round-trip commute in bumper-to-bumper traffic is now just a few minutes. I could walk, roller-skate or bike with the neighborhood kids to work if I wanted to.
My husband and I are new empty-nesters—our son just started college this fall—so the timing couldn’t be better. Working with kids fills the space our son left behind, and best of all, I now have the freedom to focus on my business while giving back to the community.
I recently heard someone say, “You have to let go of that door,” a playful twist on the old saying, “When one door closes, another opens.” It reminded me that sometimes, growth isn’t about chasing the next opportunity—it’s about releasing the ones that no longer fit. This move doesn’t feel like a step back at all. It’s moving toward my purpose. My kind of promotion.
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