My Journey to Entrepreneurship

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Guest post: Deb Gabriel is a mom, blogger, professional organizer and a productivity mentor. She helps busy women create a system and structure to simplify their life, maximize their time to reach their goals, and create the life they want. It’s a beautiful space and a beautiful YOU. Find her on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/debgabrielfg/.

Sam Walton once said, “High expectations are the key to everything.” My journey to entrepreneurship has been a very long and eventful one, but I had always held high expectations for myself and what I do or want to do.

After I had my first child, my husband got a job in another province; I had to move when my son was only six weeks old. I worked as a customer service representative when he was 3 months, then as an inventory clerk and finally as an administrative assistant. Before I got pregnant with my second, I wanted to go back to work. Unfortunately, I had so many interviews, but no offer. I was very discouraged but very desperate to build a career because that is the definition of success to many. And my family wanted that sense of security that a job – and the title of a job – gives.

The start of my journey to entrepreneurship

In August 2015, I started a jewelry business, because I have always had an eye for fashion. I was already pregnant with my second child; a few months later, I had my second son. Life became busy, having two kids under 2 with little-to-no help. Running a new business and a household was a lot – I know many moms can relate to that. I was a very organized person; normally, I would have had things in order, but at this time it became difficult. At the same time, I was trying to take some courses to go back to school due to some pressure from family members. Then I became sick, and the doctor informed me that my immune system was down and that I would have to be on bed rest for a week minimum. This made me put my business on hold to focus on my health and family. I suspended my new business, stopped studying, left most of the household chores, and took care of my boys. I stopped making daily and large meals for everyone. This wasn’t without challenges: My oldest child was a picky eater and I had to make a concrete plan and research on how to feed him now that I could not do so much for myself. In a nutshell, I made so many adjustments and rested as much as I could.

A time of simplification

During this time, I was thinking about how I could simplify to make things easier in my life, especially with daily tasks. After a while, I concluded that I needed to find balance by creating systems and structure. The definition of balance is different for every individual. Some say there can never be balance, or balance is non-existent. But I knew I had to figure out how I could get things done without the overwhelm and stress while giving myself and my family the best care, fulfilling my life purpose, and making my home peaceful, beautiful, and organized. I made a plan and created a system for how I could maximize my time doing the necessary work, leaving the unnecessary and prioritizing what was important in my life.

Instead of going back to school, I started a blog in May 2016. But I needed funds to continue my jewelry business, so I got a temporary job as an evening receptionist for a non-profit. Most importantly, I started searching for ways to achieve my goals in the long run: I attended networking events, started a mom squad at my church, and gave moms strategies on how to be more organized and tips to find what works for them to simplify their daily lives. I became an office and home organizer and included décor, created planners, and became a virtual assistant for small businesses as a side hustle.

Back to the grind: A roadblock

However, I eventually went back to nursing school because my dad insisted, but I was still running my business with the little time I had. Even after graduation, there was no satisfaction. The shifts were crazy. My boys never enjoyed daycare, especially the youngest. We got a nanny but almost all my paycheck was going to the nanny. My family wanted more time with me, but I was already exhausted.  

It was around this time that I realized no one could pay me for my gifts and talents. I was emotionally, physically, psychologically drained and decided enough was enough and finally chose what was good for me. Deep within me, I knew I wanted to be my own boss. That whenever I see a need, I step in, strategize then convert it to my hustle.

Growing myself and my business

Now, I am transitioning into my business full-time. My jewelry business is in a subscription box that will officially launch in the summer. I am revamping my blog all over again which will include services to businesses: creating systems, resources, and templates for businesses that cannot afford to hire help yet. I have finally recognized that the 9-5 is not for me. I saw a gap and knew I have the skill, talent, and gift to fill it. I decided to grow myself and my business, spend more quality time with my kids, build a community, and help busy women around me. 

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