Inside a musty utility closet, dubbed the ‘pumping room’ for office mothers, Abby fought back tears.
She’d saved up three weeks of PTO to stay home with her new baby. She’d finagled a special paycheck schedule to continue covering her health insurance premiums. And she didn’t get a single day of paid maternity leave.
The “American Dream” felt anything but dreamy.
Abby Nieten, Founder of Shining Waters Editorial, knows what it’s like to feel pulled in every direction. Every working mom does. “I could be a good mother, or a good employee—but not both.”
Work made parenting more stressful. Parenting made work more stressful. Rinse and repeat as child number two and three eventually came along. Though she loved her colleagues, the tech sector was overbrimming with ‘false urgency.’ It felt forever frantic, as they were asked to do everything faster.
Software was designed to be ‘always on.’ Humans were not. Was this the pace she wanted for her life?
When her company downsized 40%, and her entire team was eliminated, Abby was shell shocked at the framing: “It’s not personal—it’s just math.” When did people become nothing more than the subtraction part of a math problem?
Six months into full-time freelancing, Abby is grateful to be off the hamster wheel. (She’s actually getting a lunch break!) With the right people in her corner, and trust in herself, she can’t wait to see what’s ahead.
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LINKS:
- Get Free Business Advice in Your Inbox: www.unboundboss.com/inbound-insights
- Browse Business Unbound Courses: www.unboundboss.com/courses
- Connect with Abby: https://shiningwaterseditorial.com/
- Dear Sons Blog Post: https://shiningwaterseditorial.com/letter-2/
- Relay Financial
- Wave: www.waveapps.com/