Changing Careers as a Broke-Ass Mom

Can a Broke-Ass Mom change careers and be a SAHM?  That’s what I’m trying to find out.  As I stated in my intro to the Broke-Ass world, I traded in my high heels for some Keen sneakers, my stockings for yoga pants, and my purse for a backpack all to stay home with my son and try to become a writer instead.  It’s almost been a year now, and things are starting to look up. I’m about to get my first real publication next month in a local mom’s group monthly newsletter.  All of this has led me to wonder, how does a Broke-Ass Mom break into a new career while staying at home?  Here are my tips, but be warned I am by no means successful, yet, but I swear I’ll get there…someday.

1. Use every free second you have: Do your work during nap times.  Send an email while your child is eating.  Notice your child is happily playing in their room, make that phone call you’ve been putting off.
2. Stay up as late as you can:  After everyone’s gone to sleep, this is when the real stuff happens.  Sure, sometimes it’s lonely when the world is quiet and you’re sitting on the couch doing work, but come on; you’re living the dream, right?
3. Be a big pain in the ass:  Send out tons of emails, follow up on those emails, and follow up on those emails.  Make lots of phone calls to people.  Keep trying until someone bites. (I’m pretty good at this one; I think I was born a pain in the ass.)
4. Talk to other people that you admire in your field: I attended a party for a Giraffe simply because I love this one writer’s work, and wanted to bend his ear a bit.  Granted this has led me nowhere. However I do have some contacts now, and I bug them every chance I get.
5. Keep on keeping on:  If you’ve really discovered what your dream is, and you really want to go after it, nothing should stop you.  Keep your chin up and your head in the sky until you get there.

Finally, take a cue from your kid.  I figure if my kid can keep trying to figure out the exact configuration he wants from his Legos without ever giving up, then why should I?  He’s a good role model for me, and someday I’d like to tell him that I had a dream, and I went after it.

Photo by: Hubby

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