And I'm happy you're here.
I grew up on the northwest side of Chicago as the oldest of six children – a people person from the start. My mother was a teacher and my father worked in various roles at large corporations, which helped me see firsthand the differences between the private and public sector. While my parents experienced very different work-life balance and strikingly different career paths, my siblings and I all received the same message – Work hard in whatever you choose to do, be purpose-driven, and help people!
While I worked my way through college, I held a variety of roles in corporate America – Office Manager, Project Assistant and Executive Assistant to name a few.
After receiving a degree in education, I left the corporate world behind and enjoyed 12 years in public education. I spent the majority of my time in the middle school classroom as an English Language Arts and Social Studies teacher, and was frequently praised for my relationship-building skills. I felt great satisfaction in building relationships with students, colleagues, school leadership and families. I had that “spark”, ending most days buzzing with excitement of all I had accomplished and what the future might hold.
After a move across the country to the Pacific Northwest with my growing family, I felt a seismic shift. My salary had stagnated, class sizes had risen, and supports were often hard to find. I felt like I was being asked to do more with less, and my ability to innovate and engage was limited by my new priorities (my two sons!). I found myself seeking satisfaction in other areas of my life, outside of the classroom, and this led me to reconsider what I’d once considered my “dream job”. I started to wonder what else is out there?
A career that had once brought me so much joy, so much passion and purpose, so much life, was falling flat. That “spark” was no longer there. As my husband put it, “I’m sorry your dream is no longer your dream”. I made the difficult decision to resign from education in 2021 after 10 years in the classroom.
After considering my strengths, skills, and passions, I accepted a new position with a consulting firm as an Associate Recruiter. Within four months of this role, my mentor recruited me to a well-known tech company as an internal Corporate Recruiter. It was thrilling to see behind the “hiring curtain”, learn the stories of professionals in different fields, and continue to grow my network. At this point, I was approached by the CEO of a well-known teacher transition course, and together we built and successfully launched a career coaching program for her clients. Since I enjoyed the resume writing and revision process so much, this also led me to pursue writing resumes for professionals in a variety of fields for a well-known resume writing service on the side.
And now I have my spark again! Combining my corporate and public sector professional experience and my deep passion for human connection, writing, and teaching has been one of my greatest joys. I am proud of my experiences, excited to meet you, and help you gain back your own spark.