One Year Ago, I Walked Away. Here's What Actually Happened.

This month marks one year since I left my full-time, regular paycheck, honestly pretty stressful corporate job. I've been reflecting on this past year a lot, and one thing keeps rising to the top: I am so grateful.

I'm not saying it's been easy. It has not.

The Break I Didn't Know I Needed

It started with needing recovery time. I wasn't in a great place when I left. I was burnt out, tired, and honestly lacking self-confidence. I don't talk about this much, but I wasn't happy and wanted something more. I needed time to figure out what that even meant.

I poured my heart into Fifty & Seasoned. I'd registered my consulting business but didn't do much with it right away. A contract with my previous employer never came together, and I remember thinking, "Good. I need a break!"

So many people, the ones closest to me and people I barely knew, sent messages of support and good luck. Honestly? I had no idea what I was doing. I was making it up as I went along.

I was a little embarrassed, if I'm being real. I'd walked away from a good, steady job to do something for myself, and I hadn't done that for most of my adult life. I felt guilty about it. So I covered that guilt by diving headfirst into blogs, recipes, my cottage food license, farmers markets, craft fairs. I really thought I could build a life out of that. And for a while, it was fun.

Then Reality Showed Up

I wasn't making much money. My dream of this becoming my next career wasn't realistic. How was I supposed to go from executive to lifestyle blogger with a baking side gig and expect the same outcomes? I'm no Ree Drummond or Joanna Gaines. But I've made peace with that. It's okay to get a "real job" while still keeping the parts of this Fifty & Seasoned thing that light me up.

So, at the start of this year, I began a two-part journey: find a full-time job, or build enough business through my consulting company, Pivotal Move Advisors, to feel financially secure, all while still feeding my "hobby" side gigs.

What a journey that's been. Turns out the job market is brutal. I've made it to final-round interviews only to get the "Dear John" email, if I got a response at all.

The Unexpected Turn

Because I've used AI tools since they first showed up (Claude, ChatGPT), I started building tools to help my own job search. What used to take hours, customizing resumes and cover letters, making them more ATS-friendly, started taking minutes. When I mentioned this to other people, they said other job seekers would benefit too.

Then karma did what karma does best.

I reconnected with a former colleague (someone who actually reported to me way back when I was a brand-new manager and, let's be honest, not a great one). She's smart, successful, and runs her own consulting business. She gave me an opportunity I wasn't expecting, at exactly the right time. She wanted help updating her website, and in exchange, invited me to take an AI course with her. She told me I knew more than I realized. I didn't see it. Until we got started.

Over the past few months, I've grown every single week. Building confidence in what I already knew, while stretching into a fast-moving AI world. It's been fun and exciting, and I'm finally starting to see where I can help others.

So that small idea I had to help my own job search? I published it. Turned it into a little product alongside my consulting business. And this week, I got my first sale. Talk about a confidence boost.

Where I Am Now

I'm still chasing "regular" jobs, but I think I'm finding a path I never could have seen for myself a year ago. I owe a lot to that old colleague who's becoming a real friend. And to my family, who believed in me even when I didn't believe in myself.

I don't feel as scared or unsure as I did last July. I feel motivated and energized like never before. I don't know exactly where this leads, but the path feels like it's laying itself down, one stone at a time.

Who knew?

If there's one thing I want other women to hear, it's this: there is an amazing community out there waiting for you. Just dive in and take the chance. It's a little scary, sure. But if you never take it, you'll never know what could have been.