From Professional Organizer Back To the Corporate World

In the past month, I’ve been in the process of imagining what it would look like if I gave up my professional organizer dreams and went back to working in the corporate world. Here’s my story of how I got from here to there!

The Secret Is Out

I’ve started this post now 3 different times, each from a slightly different angle.

The short and sweet of the story is I’ve accepted a remote position as an Accounts Payable Accountant for a company out of Northern Virginia.

I wasn’t looking for a job!

My on-site Organizing business has provided me more work than I think I ever imagined I would have.

The business is more profitable now than it has been in its 3 years of existence.

To give perspective, I’ve gotta go back to the spring when we felt compelled and convicted that Auburn is the place our family needs to be for the time being.

Our plan has always been to do our 2 years here and then we’d move back to Huntsville so Jake could retire and make big money on the civilian side.

But in the spring, we started feeling like maybe God was making it apparent that our time in Auburn needs to be much longer than 2 years.

There’s a ton of background I could give, but Auburn, in general, has been a great place for our entire family.

However, making the decision to stay in a city that doesn’t have a strong defense-related job market presents challenges for our post-Army livelihood.

We knew that and had accepted that was going to be a bridge we’d have to navigate at some point in the next 4 or 5 years.

Yet, if there’s anything COVID has done positively – it’s the acceptance of the idea of remote work or teleworking as a viable way to employ people.

But God…

When I graduated from college in South Carolina, my roommate and I moved to her stomping grounds in Northern Virginia.

We rented a very expensive apartment in Fairfax.

My first job was working for a temp agency that placed me as the assistant for the owner of a hardwood flooring distributor.

I learned a lot about sexual harassment in that job and couldn’t wait for that assignment to be over.

My next temporary assignment was for a defense think-tank called Institute for Defense Analyses (IDA).

I started working there the week before 9/11/2001.

20 years ago…

I left that job after about a year to move back to South Carolina so Jake and I could live in the same area and move our relationship forward.

Back To The Corporate World

One Friday morning in August, about a month ago, one of my coworkers from IDA sent me a message on Facebook Messenger asking me to call her.

I hadn’t had much contact with her, other than Facebook, in about 18 years.

I picked up the phone and dialed her number with absolutely no idea what she wanted to talk to me about.

She proceeded to tell me that the position I did when I worked there in 2001 had come available and they were willing to make it fully remote.

She wanted to know if I’d be interested in applying.

This was completely out of the blue!

As Jake and I talked about it that day, we decided that I needed to at least pursue it and see where it went.

After going through 2 interviews, throwing together a resumé, completing an online application, and submitting references from previous supervisors, I was offered a different position than I initially applied for – a step up from the position I did 20 years ago.

(Note to all of you – keep your resumé updated)

So in a few weeks, I’ll be starting my first full-time job in almost 17 years, as an Accounts Payable Accountant!

I can’t help but think that this is God’s way of providing for us in a way we never even imagined!

I’ve been out of full-time accounting for almost 15 years now.

I know that I’m going to be re-learning so much once I actually start working in a few weeks, but this is a challenge into which I’m more than willing to dive headfirst!

But What About My Professional Organizer Biz?

Well, this has been the most bittersweet part of this process.

This business was built on a dream.

And I’m so proud of what I was able to build.

I believe God really blessed my business and blessed me with some incredible relationships and opportunities to minister that I wouldn’t have had otherwise.

Nonetheless, there are lots of negatives to being a business owner.

One of the biggies that I’ve struggled with lately is the lack of routine that I’ve lived with for 3 years.

My schedule totally hinges on when clients can schedule or have time available for me to come to their homes.

So every week is totally different.

Every day is totally different.

This lack of routine and regularity in my schedule really has taken a toll on me physically, mentally, and emotionally.

I’m looking forward to a new season of life where I’ll be in my home consistently and I’ll be able to be more intentional about creating a home that my own family loves and enjoys.

Cheers to The Past 3 Years

I’m so grateful for the many people who have invited me into their homes to tackle various organizing projects.

You all have blessed me more than you know.

You’ve trusted me with very intimate parts of your lives.

You’ve allowed me to see the mess that has kept you from living your best lives.

You’ve become dear friends!

I will miss that part of being in your homes!

I love knowing that I’m helping people love their homes and lives, but it’s time to shift how I do that.

So I’ll be taking all of the organizing online and continuing to build the organization content here on the blog and in my Facebook Group.

Other Posts You May Enjoy

Pursuing A Dream

How To Get Organized For A More Manageable Move

Want More Yellow Cottage Living?

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