Seeking my full potential
When I agreed to volunteer with boldHER, I would've never guessed it would change my life completely.
There I was, February 2020, working my first job in Customer Service/Sales in the travel industry. The term “Coronavirus” floated around the office; however, many of us didn't think much of it. A few short weeks later, we were told to grab everything we would need for the next two weeks to begin working from home. Shortly after that, my entire team, and myself, was placed on a temporary furlough.
Fast forward to November 2020, going on my 8th month of furlough living off $300 a week, and all of my colleagues/friends had been let go and moved home. There I was feeling like a complete failure while simultaneously feeling thankful I still had a 'job.' Shortly after that, two opportunities came into play. First, I was offered to go back to work starting in January. I would be assisting with client experience with a focus on dissatisfied clients. I nervously accepted.
The second opportunity presented itself when my good friend, Hannah Phalen, approached me to pick my brain regarding the non-profit she started: BoldHER. After a few brief chats, she invited me to hop onboard and assist with content creation, as she knew that was where my passions truly lied. I confidently accepted.
There I was, 5 months later, extremely unhappy with my new role back at work. I had clients yelling and cursing at me, to which my response was, “We can't do much to help.” Every call would leave me calling my parents, crying my eyes out, and trying to work up the courage to quit. But I simply couldn't - I had no savings from the past year of being unemployed. I felt stuck.
On the flip side, I was meeting so many incredible womxn at BoldHER. The team decided to incorporate a podcast for BoldHER to empower womxn by sharing their voices. I was so honored to lead that up as the Creative Content Manager. Soon after, I found some incredible podcast host volunteers and worked closely with them to shape how we wanted the podcast to look. Soon after, we started interviewing women identifying people of all ages, backgrounds, identities, and industries.
This sparked something within me. Hearing the struggles these women have faced, whether transitioning into remote management, gender bias in the workplace, or balancing motherhood and career, I felt inspired. I began to question, 'What is holding me back from pursuing what I want?'
June rolls around, and Hannah and I were catching up. I find out she is in a very similar situation with her 9 to 5. We decided to challenge each other to apply to 3 jobs by the end of the month.
The accountability, support, and encouragement not only by Hannah but also the organization as a whole lit up some newfound confidence within me. I knew what I deserved, what I wanted, and that I was worthy of achieving it.
The first week of July, both Hannah and I signed our offer letters.
The network, support, and empowerment I have felt and still feel to this day has been ever-growing. I am so thankful for BoldHER coming into my life and allowing me to see my full potential.
