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What is your motivation for wanting to work from home?
What is your big why?
I know from talking to a lot of my readers and students that wanting to stay home with their kids is their most compelling reason.
As reasons go, it’s a pretty good one!
If you feel like all you do is get up, go to work, eat, sleep, repeat, then you probably feel like you’re missing out on your kids’ growing up time.
That doesn’t have to be your life! I’ve shared stories of stay-at-home moms who work from home before, but today I have another one for you.
Whitney is a former corporate marketing manager turned six-figure blogger, and I wanted to interview her to share her story of how researching how to work from home with kids led her to create a successful blog.
Keep reading to learn more about how Whitney became a six-figure blogger!
Hi, Whitney! Tell us a little bit about yourself. What do you do and who do you help?
I’m a wife, stay-at-home mother of two with another one on the way next month, and creator of the website Tried and True Mom Jobs. I show parents how to make money from home from people who are doing it today.
Congratulations! And thanks for sharing what you do with us. How did you get into blogging? Was there a moment where you just snapped and were like, “That’s it, NO MORE, I’m working for myself, I’m making this happen!” OR did it just fall into your lap, so to speak? If there was that moment, what were the events leading up to it?
It started when I became pregnant with my second child. I had this mindset shift. I no longer cared to climb the corporate ladder. I wanted to be at home raising my babies, but my husband and I were living on a two-household income, so I had to find a way to supplement my income before I could quit my job.
I started looking for ways to make money from home, and I was specifically looking for success stories from moms who were doing it today with kids (so I could know it was real), but I couldn’t find anything.
Out of frustration and a short timeline before I had my daughter, I decided to reach out to work-from-home moms and interview them to see what they do, how they got started, how they do it at home with kids, and most importantly, how much they earn.
I just wanted to know what my realistic options were. All the moms responded, so I compiled their interviews and created a website for moms like me looking for legitimate ways to make money from home with kids from moms who are doing it today.
Hence the name, Tried and True Mom Jobs. My challenge to find a solution birthed my business.
Way to turn your research into a business! What did your life look like *before* you started working at home? What stresses/annoyances did you deal with?
I was working as a corporate marketing manager at a large manufacturer. I enjoyed what I did at first, but then it came to a point where there was no more room for growth, and I wasn’t being challenged anymore. I was stuck in a place that I would be at for years to come, miserable and away from my kids for most of the day.
So many parents in our audience feel exactly the same way! What did you want for your life instead? What was the “dream” for you?
I wanted to work, but I also wanted to be there for my kids. I wanted the best of both worlds.
And now you’re proof that you can have the best of both worlds! How flexible is this type of work? Can you blog part-time or is it only a full-time job?
I found blogging when I started reaching out to work-from-home moms and realized I wanted to share their stories with everyone. I work VERY part-time now, and I’ve been able to build this into a six-figure business in under two years.
That’s seriously impressive! Well done, Whitney. Is this a remote job? Can you work from home or anywhere in the world?
Yes, this is definitely a remote job and you can do this from anywhere in the world.
What’s your favorite thing about your work?
I love that the income has become so passive now. I get to really spend time with my kids and make money at the same time.
Passive income is the best! What is the biggest challenge you faced when starting your business and how did you overcome it?
I had NO idea what I was doing. I didn’t know how to create a website, how to get traffic to my site, and the list goes on. BUT the drive and determination I had to stay home and be with my kids forced me to learn it all, and I’m so thankful for that because the stuff I had no idea on how to do, I’ve now mastered and I help others learn the same thing.
I love that attitude! Our brains are not at capacity. We can learn how to do the things we don’t yet know how to do. During your journey to becoming a six-figure blogger, did you have to deal with any unsolicited feedback/doubts/skepticism from friends or family? And if so, how did you navigate that?
I kept my circle VERY small. I didn’t personally know any successful bloggers, so I know if I told someone that I wanted to become a blogger, they would think I was crazy. I did tell someone at work, and he really doubted me. My husband even had some concerns, which I totally understand.
I wasn’t even 100% sure this would work, but it was my only plan so it HAD to work.
Kudos to you for pushing through even though some people in your circle expressed doubts. What does your life look like now? In what specific ways has your life improved since you started working at home?
Now, I wake up whenever I want (usually the kids wake me up) and then I become mom. During nap time is when I do most of my work (usually only 2–3 hours) and then I put my mom hat on again when they wake up, and anything I didn’t finish for the day I’ll finish up at night when they go to sleep. Rinse and repeat.
I’m totally on my own schedule and I LOVE it!
Being in control of your own time is truly a blessing. What’s next for you? Where do you see yourself in the next year or so?
As much as I love the concept of blogging, I was getting burned out writing all the time, and I wanted to do something different. I’ll never give up blogging, but I wanted to do something else to challenge me, so I just started a YouTube channel, and it’s been a lot of fun so far.
That’s awesome! What advice would you give someone who wants to work at home but is scared to get started? Can you help them punch the Fear Monster in the face?
Let your current situation be the driving motivator for what you want to do. Are you happy going to work every day? Would you be happier if you worked from home? We get one life, so make the best out of it. Working from home is so freeing, choose freedom!
Our Take
I love how Whitney turned her interest in finding a way to stay home with her kids into a money-making business! And not just any business — she became a six-figure blogger! There are so many options out there for working from home, and a little research can go a long way!
Your Turn
Looking for a way to stay home with your kiddos? Check out Work-At-Home School to learn how you can find the right opportunity for you!
Whitney Bonds is the founder of the award-winning website Tried and True Mom Jobs. From a marketing manager to a successful work from home mom, she shows parents how to make money from home from people who are doing it today.
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