Let me set the scene for you: It’s 2008. A 20-something me gets into my 1999 Toyota Tercel (a very lovely shade of 90s teal btw) to make the daily 1-hour commute to work. Katy Perry’s I Kissed a Girl is on the radio and I’m dreading the bumper-to-bumper traffic across the Howard Franklin bridge (shoutout to Tampa Bay residents).

When I finally make it to work, I spend the next 8.5 hours jammed into a cubicle under florescent lights. My coworkers are clique-y. Management is overbearing. And someone almost always microwaves fish in the breakroom at lunchtime. 🤮

I love my work in human resources. Advocating for workers is fulfilling, and I’m good at it! But, I don’t thrive in an office environment. I’m not good at climbing the corporate ladder. And, the politics of working in a strict corporate setting make me feel stifled. Plus, the hourlong drive to and from work every day is taking a major toll on my mental health.

So, I decide I’m going to get out before it’s too late. And, even though we’re in the middle of a recession (remember, 2008?) I decide to become a freelance writer.

To the surprise of everyone (myself included) I put in my two weeks’ notice. Long story short, the next months were completely new territory as I changed careers and the way I worked. It was scary. And difficult. And I almost went crawling back to my employer more than once. But, I stuck it out and after tons of trial and error (and tears, lots and lots of tears) I eventually made more money as a freelance writer than I did in my HR role - but I still wasn’t happy.

Now, I LOVED working remotely. No commute plus the comfort of my home office (and cats) was perfection. But the nature of my work (freelancing) wasn’t for me. So, I knew it was time to merge the two things I loved into one career: working from home & helping workers.

Fast forward to 2012 and I started working remotely as a career coach. Then I launched Work From Home Happiness is 2015 to reach an even broader audience. Now I offer plenty of DIY and on-demand resources to help make remote work accessible to everyone regardless of time constraints or budget! My journey certainly hasn’t been conventional, but I wouldn’t have it any other way. And, I’m excited to join you as you too strive to create your own work from home happiness. Because life is too short to settle for just any remote job. 💛