It was 2011; I had two children at the local school. I decided my career would take a backseat so I could be around for my children.
I got a job close to home. I didn’t think about myself much. I was too busy caring for other people to notice thoughts and feelings about myself.
I remember the day as if it was yesterday. I went for routine hospital tests thinking nothing of it. I got a phone call, ‘you need to come in and bring someone with you’. My husband and I went into a room and were asked to sit down. ‘You have aggressive breast cancer’.
Treatment started. My hair began falling out. I decided to get it shaved one late, dark wet and windy Friday evening. I walked into the local barber’s shop as he was just closing up. I asked him if he could shave my head. He closed the blinds, and I turned away from the mirror as I watched my now thinning long hair fall to the floor. I made a vow to myself at that moment. If I came out of this alive, I would find something I loved and do it for me. I had been working for someone else’s dream.
I was stoic. I kept working throughout treatment to take my mind off things. After over a year of the full shebang, drugs, chemotherapy, radiotherapy, surgery and a mastectomy, I was cancer free. I had survived.
It took me ten years to leave my 9-5 when the children went to university. I had done my job. It was time for me.
I had over 20+ years of business experience and knew I could use this experience in some way. I decided to start an online business. I mean, how hard can it be? Everyone’s doing it, aren’t they?
How wrong I was! I needed to learn social media skills, so I did a great course and thought I’d be a Social Media Manager. I didn’t like it.
I learned WordPress. I could build websites, but I didn’t want to do that.
I learned Facebook Ads but decided I didn’t want to do that.
I was searching for something but didn’t know what. I was fully booked when the pandemic hit. It gave me pause for thought. This was not what I wanted to do. I was lost and floundering.
I decided to see a coach. As he was talking and asking questions, the penny finally dropped. I wanted to do what he did. I want to help women figure out what they want to do; I wanted to help them rewrite their story. I am now a qualified International Coaching Federation coach, finally doing something I love. I use my coaching skills and business knowledge to help women over 45 create and grow an online business. I wish I had someone by my side when I started out.
