Shop Small
Wanted: Woman with strong work ethic, good social skills, money management and people management experience, exceptional multitasking ability. Must keep flexible work schedule, non traditional hours (evenings and weekends a must). Must be willing to work overtime.
This job description pretty accurately describes a small business owner. It also describes a mother. These are two of the hardest, consuming jobs I’ve ever had. But they are also a gazillion times more satisfying than any work I’ve done in my life up until this point.
I am wallowing in the blessing that being a work from home mother affords me, which is the opportunity to fulfill both roles that give me meaning. This is the American Dream.
In making the decision to break away from my traditional working arrangement and move into directing the non profit as a full time job, I knew it was a risk. The way I saw it, it was a necessary one.
Modern expectations of the work force are absurd. We all bust our humps for someone else’s benefit until we break. The traditional job consumes like 90% of our waking hours. We eagerly scoop the crumbs of time we get on the weekends with our families, knowing full well the chores of managing everything else in life has to happen in these hours. This leaves only the tiniest bit of time to commit to fulfilling activities like family time and the hobbies that restore your soul. That’s depressing! In order to get by financially we have to sacrifice ourselves. We’re tired, overworked, disconnected and fed up. But we don’t have options.
Owning a small business and being self employed awards the luxury of options.
Now often a small business product comes with a higher price tag, and I am a total cheapskate so I know how hard it is to spend more for a product when I know I can get it cheaper at a box store. But I came across this photo and changed my way of thinking completely. It sums up why shopping small matters.
My goal for Absolute Love is to continue growing at a pace that allows me to still be a mother, and to have balance in my life. I LOVE what I do, but I don’t want it to be ALL that I do.
I feel honored to be connected to my clients at such a significant time in their lives. Their choice to allow Absolute Love to be a part of their story, in turn, gives me the ability to support my own family, making them forever a part of my story. And that is a beautiful thing.
When looking for an adoption agency, a home study provider, a profile book writer or any other adoption service, remember this. Fortunately, with adoption services, the smaller size agencies often deliver quality, individual services with a smaller price tag than a larger agency. With Absolute Love, by working from home we don’t incur the costs of an office. This helps us deliver our services for less than the market average, a fact of which we are extremely proud.
Thank you to the expectant mothers and adoptive families that have chosen Absolute Love. Thank you for shopping small, and for giving me these moments with my babies. I am indebted to you.
