Becoming my Own CEO

30 years old, Director of Sales for a well known hotel chain making a nice salary.  This was everything I ever wanted and I had reached this place in my life well before my anticipated goal.  My husband was proud, my family was proud, hell even I was proud of myself.  Yet, internally I didn't feel fulfilled one bit.  Going to this job daily was becoming a greater struggle day after day.  My performance was starting to reflect my unhappiness and that became an even greater challenge as I tried to hide my discontent.  I began to pray incessantly for clarity on why I was feeling this way and one aspect that became very clear was I missed my family.  Achieving these accomplishments in my career meant little because I couldn't enjoy the fruits from that labor with those who I was working to support.

Sales and Marketing have been the gifts I've been blessed with for some time now.  I'm an incredible sales force when it comes to marketing and selling a product but I had only done this for other people, companies and brands.  In the beginning of 2015, I began questioning why I wasn't putting MY skills to use for ME.  Here I was sitting on an amazing Blog and Online Platform that could be the base or tool for a lucrative business yet I was doing the least with it.  The Blog I had once created as an outlet to share my own personal experiences had reached an audience that transformed this space into an online resource.  When I named my Blog, MyCandiShoppe, it was just a cute name that seemed to represent me well.  Years later, I now realized it had become an actual Digital Shoppe that replaced that Salon/Shop experience that many women lacked now that they had become their own Kitchen Beauticians.  The funny family stories, sharing of recipes and even recommending of products are all reminiscent of sitting in the Beauty Parlor chatting with complete strangers but women who understood and related to you! 

In the midst of deciding to resign, I attended the 2015 Return of the Curls Natural Hair Expo and Blogger Brunch.  This was actually the very first Natural Hair Event I had ever attended... in life!  Little did I know attending the Blogger Brunch (hosted by Shalleen from NaturalHairDoesCare) was about to bring me the confirmation I needed to walk into work the Monday immediately following and turn in my Letter of Resignation.  The entire Blogger Panel conveyed a huge amount of transparency regarding Blogging which didn't concern me actually.  Being in Sales, I was already used to managing stress levels when things aren't going as "forecasted".  But when Myleik took that mic, she began to literally answer small doubts I was experiencing.  In regards to my concern for money, Myleik made it very clear that "finding" money really isn't an issue.  Start planning those meals and cutting back on steaks and shrimp, start selling those clothes in your closet that you don't "need" (there goes half my closet) and last but not least GRIND.  Before leaving that Blogger Brunch, I made it a point to walk up to Myleik and let her know that her words came right on time for me.  

Since then, life has been much busier than expected!  I'm a full time Mom (no more Nannies), Wife, and Blogger in the midst of developing a Brand.  I wake up early for my family and I stay up late nights for myself.  Many of my friends and family members have already mentioned that they spoke to me more when I worked a 9-5 job.  Most of all, God is blessing me along this journey and making sure every door and opportunity is made available for me to succeed.  I went from not getting paid a dime for anything related to my Blog since 2014 to landing 6 PAYING deals in just the month of August.  We received financial breaks on our Rent that we didn't expect.  My husband found $50 in his suit one day and I received a FULL paycheck I wasn't expecting from my previous employer.  The blessings are just coming non-stop and it's confirmation that my own plans are in line with the plans God had for me. The best thing I ever did was address the source of my unhappiness and come up with a solution.  Now I am literally walking in my purpose!