Writer and Mother and Wife and Chef and Dishwasher and Family Calendar and Travel Planner and so on and so forth............

Like most other working adults, I cannot be defined by one word or a set of words.  I have so many roles and cherish almost all of them.  I'd gladly give up the dishwasher role, but it seems no one else will take it no matter how much I bribe or threaten. 

I still work outside of the home, but I also work for myself now, which is a role I had never envisioned for myself.  I must say, though, that this role seems to fit me and my family extremely well.  The money is dependent upon the jobs I have to go out and find and it certainly doesn't roll in every two weeks like a regular paycheck.  However, I feel truly blessed and gratified to watch my business grow with happy, repeat customers. 

My Career History

For more than 16 years, I worked for companies such as ServiceMaster, GTE/Verizon and Ahold Financial Services in increasingly responsible positions.  At these companies, I was fortunate to be able to work doing such activities as: 

IT Planning and Strategies
Business/Data Intelligence
Data Quality/Predictive Analysis
Business Process Development
Project Management
Competitive Intelligence
Survey Analysis
CRM Tools/Methodology
SEM/SEO Strategies

Why freelance?

In 2006, I was laid off when my company got bought out.  I started searching for jobs in the field of Business Intelligence/Data Warehousing.  All jobs I found would have required another move, but my kids didn't really want to go.  We had just moved from Texas to Pennsylvania.  Plus - I just didn't want to rely on an unemployment check and couldn't stand sitting home with nothing to do.  So, I signed up for a few freelance sites thinking I'd just quit when I got a new job. 

However, the longer I worked as a freelancer, the more I truly felt that this was something I needed to do.  When I got a very good offer from a company in Indiana, the family sat down and discussed the pros and cons of the decision I had to make.  In the end, I regretfully turned down a good steady paycheck, crossed my fingers and fervently prayed we made the right decision. 

I stayed at home with my teenage kids for several years before deciding to go back to work outside of the home.  The time spent at home with my children helped bond the family and made us a stronger unit and I will never regret it.  Yet, sometimes it's the right thing to "answer the door when opportunity knocks", which is what I did. 

However, writing is one of my passions and I decided to keep at it for as long as it remained fulfilling.  I'm choosier about the jobs I take and I only seek out those that seem fun.   

Why work from home

I've heard it said that it's best for mothers to stay home when their children are little.  I respectfully disagree, but primarily because we were lucky to have great babysitters when my children were toddlers. 

My opinion is that if one parent desires to stay home for a 2-3 year period with their children, then the teenage years are the prime time to do this.  By this time, parents are a hopefully a little more financially stable and have some resources to lean upon.  Add to the mix that teenagers are normally ruled by hormones and not common sense.  One bad decision by a toddler can lead to a timeout.  One bad decision by a teenager can lead to a ruined life. 

I believe that teenagers need, and want, a parent to peek over their shoulder, stay up late to discuss their lives, help them build goals and get feedback and encouragement.  My staying home has led me to be a lot closer with my own children and even when they get exasperated with their momma' buttin in, I know they truly love me and are glad I'm here for them. 

Steppin' off my soapbox

OK.  I'm done with my little speech.  Overall, I normally stay pretty busy, but I still have some time to add in new projects and love to help my customers meet their own marketing or research goals. 

Thanks for visiting!

Linda