My Professional Journey

Walking Away From the Corporate World

My first professional career was in journalism. After graduating from Oral Roberts University with a communications degree, and then earning a master’s degree in journalism from Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism, I was well on my way to achieving my childhood dream of a successful career in publishing. I worked my way up to the position of executive editor for a national technology magazine based in San Francisco, where I navigated the highs and lows of the dot-com boom (and bust) for seven years.

When things were good, I was helping the magazine launch spin-off publications and develop editorial content for executive conferences. When things weren't so good, I was taking on the workload of a handful of laid-off staff members, until I was eventually downsized as well.

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Finding myself at a crossroads, I decided to walk away from full-time corporate publishing and follow a different path: freelancing. With two daughters under the age of three at home, I started doing freelance editing and writing work. I also started a home-based business as an independent beauty consultant for Mary Kay. For seven years, I held the position of Sr. Sales Director for a team of inspiring entrepreneurial women.

By the spring of 2011, I realized I wanted more time to focus on homeschooling our daughters (by then we had three) and reconnect with the writer in me, so I stepped out of MK leadership. The freelance projects I worked on during that time ranged from community activity (publicity and newsletter publishing for local MOPS and homeschool groups) to supporting small business owners with marketing, website content development, and networking initiatives.

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NextGen Homeschool

In 2011, I also started the blog NextGen Homeschool, partnering with one of my sisters and my two sisters-in-law who were also homeschooling to tackle homeschooling topics from our unique perspective as formerly homeschooled parents who were now homeschooling our own children. For the next four years, I wrote and edited articles for NextGen Homeschool, shared some stories about my own faith journey on my personal blog A New Chapter, and contributed content to other Christian family-focused websites. During that time, I was also able to squeeze in a few freelance editorial projects to support friends and Christian organizations that meant a lot to me.

Artios Academies

When my family joined a unique homeschool partnership program called Artios Academies in 2015, I took a break from freelance work to help develop the new Artios campus in our town and teach several classes. Artios partners with homeschooling families who are looking to integrate the arts with academic subjects, all while keeping a biblical worldview. It was the perfect fit for our artsy girls and gave me a chance to teach history, literature, and worldview while my girls participated once a week. By the spring of that first year, I had also become interim campus director. That summer, my husband and I decided to take over ownership of the campus with the goal of establishing Artios as a solid homeschooling partner in our community.

A New Chapter

Running our Artios campus for the next three years while homeschooling our girls filled my plate, and I watched God nurture amazing growth in them and in the families we partnered with. God was also stretching me into roles I never imagined: Not only was I teaching, but I was also directing a small school!

God blessed our family in countless ways during that time. However, I also walked through some extremely difficult valleys during those years.

After much prayer and counsel-seeking, I felt God leading me to trust the campus into His care and let go—even though I had no obvious replacement in sight. I needed time to heal, to be still and listen, and to trust that He was working all things for our good.

In a matter of weeks, God miraculously provided new owners for our campus, and it continues to thrive under this couple's leadership today. God was faithful to provide for Artios and our family!

Since that time, God has reignited my passion for sharing stories of hope and healing with a deeper understanding of how important those stories of faith are to the reader. I've been on the receiving end of a lot of hope-filled wisdom and inspiration thanks to women who have vulnerably shared their journeys with me, and during my darkest days, their words were truly heaven-sent.

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God has also been opening new doors for me to partner with emerging Christian writers in need of professional guidance to create and refine their own stories of faith for publication. After working on a few such projects over the past year, I feel incredibly grateful and blessed to walk alongside women who are being obedient to their calling to share and encourage others for His greater glory. I look forward to partnering with more writers and communicators as God leads us together in service to Him.

"And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony..."
— Revelation 12:11a