My “wake-up call” came late last summer, and it reshaped the way I view career growth and corporate dynamics. I had just played a key role in securing a long term contract with an enormous account—something I believed would be a defining moment in my career. I anticipated recognition or an opportunity to take on more responsibility, but instead, I was moved into a reduced-scope role. This shift created space for others to stay busy while leaving me wondering how my relentless effort to move forward had seemingly resulted in taking a step back on my career journey in corporate America.

At the time, my role touched on many aspects of marketing, but I wasn’t deeply involved in executing any one of them. I wasn’t designing, producing, or buying—I had essentially become a facilitator and a strong communicator. While I appreciated those skills, the realization that I was drifting away from hands-on work was sobering. It made me reassess the belief that hard work alone ensures advancement and challenged me to refocus on the kind of career I truly want to build.

Rediscovering My Creativity

What did I actually have to show for my work? That question hit hard. But then I remembered something: During COVID, I had been painting as a creative escape. So I thought, “Alright, I’ve got that skill. Let’s start there.” From there, I dove into the hands-on parts of design and then marketing—the fun stuff. I taught myself how to turn my paintings into textile patterns, taking online classes and learning tools like Procreate. I was hooked. The idea that my art could “grow” into these repeating patterns was inspiring.

With my two daughters, ages 4 and 5, in mind, I started to dream about kids’ clothing. Dreaming was easy, but executing? That was another story. I spent months learning the steps involved in garment-making (and definitely am still learning!), from pattern design to tech packs…and recently even the role and importance of pro marker makers (I didn’t even know this function existed). I researched manufacturers endlessly and dealt with a lot of samples that weren’t quite right. But eventually, I found a manufacturer who understood my vision.

Turning My Dream Into Reality

Early this year, we started sample rounds. Each time, I’d get feedback from my daughters—“this is itchy” or “too tight here”—and I’d tweak the fabric or designs until they were just right. Recently, the moment finally came: I received my first larger production run—over 1,000 pieces! Since then, it’s been a whirlwind: inspecting, tagging, packaging, and preparing inventory for Fulfilled by Amazon (FBA). But the work just …continues. Setting everything up to sell across multiple channels—Shopify, Etsy, Amazon, Instagram / Facebook Shops, Google Shops —was a huge challenge in itself.

Product photography has been extremely challenging—not just getting the lighting, layout, positioning, and camera settings right, but also navigating how to properly capture kids' products while maintaining the privacy of the kiddos modeling and interacting with them. I’m still working through the best ways to handle this! Also on the marketing side, I’m currently tackling a series of SEO challenges. Did you know that SEO isn’t just…SEO (definitely not just simple copy edits)? I’m quickly learning how important it is to tailor product descriptions for each platform, as what works on Amazon won’t necessarily resonate on Etsy or Shopify, and vice versa. Until I get it right, my products won’t show up in search results the way they should. Then there’s the whole technical SEO side—navigating things like canonical tags, redirects, and server errors is no easy feat. Big thanks to all the technical SEO specialists out there—just wow! It’s a work in progress, but I’m learning along the way!

What’s Next? The best part for me is coming up — traditional marketing. I have so many plans in the works, and I can’t wait to roll them out. At the same time, I’m still creating new art. Lately, I’ve felt pulled toward painting faces and figures, experimenting with oil paint. It’s such an exciting shift, and it feels like I’m just getting started on repeat.

Finding Purpose Along the Way

It’s funny—at one point, I thought I needed a structured role, clear goals, and a corporate ladder to climb. Instead, stepping away gave me something better: a chance to build something of my own, with skills I didn’t even realize I had. If you’re local to Nashville, come say hi! You’ll find me at Gallery 100 at 100 Taylor in Germantown, showcasing my artwork. And if you want to check out my new little line of girls’ clothing, you can find it here on my website.

Final Thoughts: From Stuck to Inspired

Sometimes, the biggest changes happen when we finally hit pause. When I found myself backed into a corner, I rediscovered a creative path that had been right there all along. It hasn’t been easy (and it has taken way! longer than I expected it to) — learning everything from art to manufacturing to logistics — but it’s been worth it. For anyone feeling stuck, here’s my advice: pause, breathe, and trust the skills you have. You might surprise yourself with where they take you.