When the family business failed and her father passed away, Jennifer Hilton left the industry she loved to lessen the pain. Now she's back.

All her life, Jennifer Hilton wanted to be a businesswoman. While other girls dressed up like princesses, she walked around in her mom's heels carrying a briefcase fashioned out of a McDonald's Happy Meal carton. While other kids listened to fairytales and bedtime stories at night, she listened to her dad read Human Resources (HR) manuals instead. She loved it. So when her dad opened an employment agency during her teenage years, she went to work in the family business.

Jennifer remembers, "I worked in the employment agency. I did everything from answering phones and cleaning toilets to interviewing people for different positions,  whether it was day laborers or executives. It was the whole gamut of people."

Had the business succeeded, Jennifer eventually would have taken over the company and achieved her ideal of being a successful businesswoman at a very young age. Instead, she found herself out of a dream job and working part-time as a seasonal recruiter for a toy company. Not long after that, her dad passed away.

In the midst of her disappointment, loss, and grief, Jennifer left the employment industry to lessen the pain. But it didn't work. Instead she found herself in the middle of what might appear to be a series of unfortunate employment events.

But as you will hear in this interview, there are no wrong turns, and with God, there are no "wasted opportunities" either. Because with each job she accepted and later left or lost, Jennifer inched closer and closer to realizing that most businesses simply do not know how to hire. Which then led to the realization that her experiences uniquely qualified her to be able to fix this problem. And that is the day Jennifer Hilton became a successful businesswoman in her own right.

Jennifer is now an accomplished recruiter who helps startups and small businesses get amazing employees by teaching proven and effective recruiting, hiring and onboarding practices.

In this interview, she shares some of that knowledge plus tips for people who are returning to the workforce after taking time off to be home with children.

~~~~~
PLEASE: Rate and Review this podcast so other women can be inspired in their faithful career moves.

Visit the website:
FaithfulCareerMoves.com: Faith-based Career Coaching for Stay-at-Home Moms

Get the book:
Return to Work with Confidence: A faith-based guide to help stay-at-home moms re-enter the workforce

Follow us:

• Instagram @FaithfulCareerMoves
• Facebook @FaithfulCareerMoves

FEELING "TOO COMFORTABLE" AS A STAY-AT-HOME MOM

After being an all-in, stay-at-home mom who home-schooled her kids, coached their sports teams, volunteered at church, cooked and cleaned and did all the things an involved mother of four would do, Anne Nelson found herself out of a job when her youngest decided to attend public school. At a time when many women would have dropped into a recliner and taken a well-deserved nap, Anne decided she needed something else to do.

She said, "I was feeling quite comfortable being a stay-at-home mom with not a lot of responsibilities. My kids were raised and three of them were already through college."

Without any students to teach, Anne decided to go back to being a student herself.

With a goal to simply explore the possibility of finishing the nursing degree she had started 25 years prior, Anne went to see a counselor at the local community college. To her surprise, the counselor said Anne had all of the prerequisites necessary to apply for nursing school immediately. So she did. 

Anne got accepted into the nursing program only to encounter another career delay--a three-and-a-half year waiting list. But she didn't let that stop her.

In this interview, Anne shares the many starts and stops she had en route to landing exactly where God needed her to be--in the newborn intensive care unit (NICU) at a local hospital.

FEELING UNCOMFORTABLE AS A NURSING STUDENT

Now at age 57, Anne says becoming a nurse was the hardest thing she's ever done and she credits her family for giving her the support needed to finish, even when the process got difficult.

Anne recalls, "It really was a full immersion, it was hard, especially hard on my husband who was so used to having me available all the time. There were a few times partway through it that I would have to say, 'I would stop doing this today. I will call them today. I will say, 'I need to drop out today if that's what you want.'" 

But she didn't drop out.

They kept going.

"They prayed through it," Anne explained.

FEELING AT HOME AS A NICU NURSE

As a NICU nurse, Anne is now helping other families through some of the most profound moments of their lives.

In the joyous deliveries that go as planned and the heartbreaking deliveries that don't, Anne has the skills necessary to help when she can and the faith necessary to pray for comfort when she can't.

Anne is acting as the Lord's hands in such critical moments and it seems obvious to me that He guided her there for that purpose.

What You'll Learn in this Episode

• How Anne Nelson worked her way through a grueling nursing program
• The starts and stops that forced her to pivot in unexpected ways
• A leap of faith she had to take in her career
• Blessing she could not see for herself in taking this journey
• Most Importantly: how she has seen the Lord’s hand in her career

~~~~~
PLEASE: Rate and Review this podcast so other women can be inspired in their faithful career moves.

Visit the website:
FaithfulCareerMoves.com: Faith-based Career Coaching for Stay-at-Home Moms

Get the book:
Return to Work with Confidence: A faith-based guide to help stay-at-home moms re-enter the workforce

Follow us:

• Instagram @FaithfulCareerMoves
• Facebook @FaithfulCareerMoves

How the CliftonStrengths Assessment can help you identify your God-given talents and learn how to apply them to your vocation (and all areas of your life) to more fully reach your potential.

MEET ARNIE ALLRED

While working in career services for then LDS Business College (now named Ensign College), Arnie Allred and his colleges were looking for a tool they could use to help students excel in job interviews. They selected the CliftonStrengths Assessment because they saw that the test results gave students a vocabulary they could use in everyday conversations (e.g. "I have a talent for building relationships"), validation for their strengths, and guidance on how to aim those strengths towards the goals they want to achieve.

If that sounds too aspirational, listen to this interview as Arnie shares stories about the power of combining your individual strengths with others as well as coupling your own strengths together through something called "theme dynamics." The results are remarkable, but admittedly, hard to believe until you go through the process yourself.

When I first took the Strengths assessment, I first tossed the results aside thinking they were just too obvious. 

But that's the point.

As Arnie says, "Everybody is incredibly talented. The sad thing is that lots of people don't see just how much value they can bring to the table. People don't recognize it because they say, 'That's just me.' They don't see the things they naturally do well as a talent."

So let that sink in and listen to this interview to learn more about how important it is to KNOW what you're good at so you can "name it, claim it, and aim it" towards the things you want to achieve in this life.

TAKE THE CLIFTONSTRENGTHS ASSESSMENT

If you want to take the CliftonStrengths Assessment so you too can get the vocabulary and validation you need to achieve your career goals, sign up for strengths coaching here at Faithful Career Moves. If you're at BYU, then go see Arnie and his team instead. He's been doing this longer than me. :)

What You'll Learn in this Episode

• What the CliftonStrengths Assessment is
• How your Strengths results can be utilized and compensated for
• A leap of faith Arnie had to take in his career
• A blessing he could not see for himself in taking this journey
• Most Importantly: How he has seen the Lord’s hand in his career

Mentioned in this Interview

• Brigham Young University (BYU) Career Services
• The CliftonStrengths Assessment
• Ensign College (formerly LDS Business College)

~~~~~
PLEASE: Rate and Review this podcast so other women can be inspired in their faithful career moves.

Visit the website:
FaithfulCareerMoves.com: Faith-based Career Coaching for Stay-at-Home Moms

Get the book:
Return to Work with Confidence: A faith-based guide to help stay-at-home moms re-enter the workforce

Follow us:

• Instagram @FaithfulCareerMoves
• Facebook @FaithfulCareerMoves

When Jodi Chowen got offered a prestigious position at a top university, she had a big decision to make. Learn how she counseled with her family to decide.

HAVING A JOB VS A CAREER

There's a big difference between working part-time jobs to SUPPORT the family and embarking on a full-time career that may IMPACT the family. That's what Jodi Chowen discovered when the "job" she took in higher education led to additional opportunities she wanted to pursue. Only when she got offered a prestigious position at a top university did she realize she had to make a choice.

Up until that point, Jodi juggled a variety of part-time jobs including a successful real estate gig while also being an at-home, highly-involved mother of five children. When her husband accepted a job in Hawaii, the family moved to the islands. But knowing that she would have to build her real estate business all over again--with a new license, new clients, and a geographic area that could take her up to an hour away from home--gave Jodi pause.

She said, "I had this moment in my life where I asked, 'So am I a realtor? Is that who I am? Is that what I do?'"

Not convinced, Jodi explored other options and eventually took a position as a part-time academic advisor at Brigham Young University in Hawaii simply because the job fit her schedule and it was close to home. Little did Jodi know, she had just stepped onto the first rung of a career ladder that would one day change everything for her family and bring fulfillment she didn't know she needed.

HOLDING FAMILY COUNCILS

In this episode, Jodi tells how her career unfolded and the steps she had to take to get where she is now. But it's important to know that those steps did not come without sacrifices for her and for everyone in the family. Some changes were as routine as not being home when the kids got out of school or not being able to fix her daughter's hair for a big performance. Other changes found the family living apart for 11 months so Jodi could start a new position without prematurely pulling her older kids out of school.

To make big decisions and to ease the transitions, however, the Chowen family followed a pattern of prayer, seeking personal revelation, and holding family councils.

Jodi explains, "When making a decision, the kids need to understand why and a family council approach helps. That way everybody is on board and you can talk through things when it doesn't go well."

And guess what? It didn't go well all of the time.

Listen to this episode to learn more about:

• Jodi's journey
• The moment she realized she was "having a career"
• How she handles the mom-guilt often associated with pursing a career in addition to being a mom.

It's good stuff.

~~~~~
PLEASE: Rate and Review this podcast so other women can be inspired in their faithful career moves.

Visit the website:
FaithfulCareerMoves.com: Faith-based Career Coaching for Stay-at-Home Moms

Get the book:
Return to Work with Confidence: A faith-based guide to help stay-at-home moms re-enter the workforce

Follow us:

• Instagram @FaithfulCareerMoves
• Facebook @FaithfulCareerMoves

Camille Cazier of Cherish Your Space shares how to become a professional organizer and why understanding a client’s underlying emotional issues is more important than just clearing clutter.


About Camille Cazier, Professional Organizer

Though she graduated from Brigham Young University with a degree in Family Studies, Camille Cazier, discovered professional organizing as a career option during her last semester in college. Now she is the founder of Cherish Your Space where she helps clients clear the clutter in their homes and take charge of their lives.

As a professional organizer, Camille obviously helps people edit their physical space--everything from big projects like getting an entire kitchen organized to small projects like organizing a single bathroom drawer--but the most important work she does is often emotional. She explains, "Many of my clients have gone through a life-changing experience, whether it's becoming a parent for the first time, losing a loved one, or getting divorced. There are a lot of emotions behind their mess. We have to figure out why it's happening and then how to fix it."

So, she can't just go into the house and start moving things around. Camille says a good organizer has to be sensitive and remember "this isn't your stuff." To build trust with clients, organizers have to be aware that clients feel vulnerable when they open their homes, their drawers, their emotions, and their mess to someone else.

Listen to this episode to learn more about:

• How Camille became a professional organizer
• Certifications she earned
• Groups she joined
• The unexpected blessings she found in starting this business while going through a life transition of her own.

Camille Cazier has spent over 500 hours helping people find greater peace, clarity and control through organization. She completed The Whole Package Organizing training course for professional organizers and is a member of the Utah Professional Organizers community where she also serves on their board. You can learn more on her website at: CherishYourSpace.com.

~~~~~
PLEASE: Rate and Review this podcast so other women can be inspired in their faithful career moves.

Visit the website:
FaithfulCareerMoves.com: Faith-based Career Coaching for Stay-at-Home Moms

Get the book:
Return to Work with Confidence: A faith-based guide to help stay-at-home moms re-enter the workforce

Follow us:

• Instagram @FaithfulCareerMoves
• Facebook @FaithfulCareerMoves

To become a successful life coach, Heidi Benjaminsen got serious about her certification and her business—the latter being the most important. Learn how she plans to make a six-figure salary in less than three years.

WHAT IS A LIFE COACH?

Though I am a fan of the life coach process--having benefitted from consulting a life coach myself--I wanted to learn more about life coaching as a career. Specifically, I wanted to know if anybody besides Jody and Brooke are making money in this business. And, if so, how new life coaches find their place in an industry that is becoming heavily populated.

To this end, my friend and recently certified life coach, Cassie Anderson, introduced me to her mentor, Heidi Benjaminsen.

Heidi has been a life coach for a little over two years and she is most definitely making money. In this interview, she shares her journey to becoming a life coach as well as the steps she's taking to become successful in her business too.

ABOUT HEIDI BENJAMINSEN

Heidi Benjaminsen is a certified life coach who helps women lose weight and gain confidence. As a mother of three teenagers and having lost over 70 pounds herself more than a decade ago, she now helps women uncover the confidence that has always been within them. She hosts a weekly podcast called Hi, This is Heidi, and has a free Facebook group called Lose Weight and Gain Confidence.

MAKING MONEY AS A LIFE COACH

Before talking to Heidi, I had been waffling on something.

Though I have helped hundreds of people find dream jobs, start businesses, prep for interviews, and more, I only decided to call myself a "career coach" because I needed a title for my Instagram business account. In doing so, I felt a little like an imposter. This is new feeling for me. I generally own what I do and feel confident in my career moves, but creating this business has been a leap of faith like no other.

To level up my business and to feel better about my qualifications, I started toying with the idea of getting certified as a career coach. But I lost my enthusiasm when I saw the price of the program.

Then my interview with Heidi happened.

In the interview, I asked Heidi how she made the jump from helping friends for free to charging clients handsomely for her services. She responded: "Women that are willing to invest the money in themselves, the transformation that they make is just amazing. It's just beautiful because it's coming from a place where they realize, I am worth improving and I am worth investing in. It's been wonderful to see that."

Heidi's answer hit me square.

I haven't made an investment in myself since college.

But after hearing Heidi's empowering words, I moved to action. I signed up for the career coach certification course I really wanted to take. And though I am still a little anxious about the cost Heidi's words remind me that making an investment in myself will help me to require the same of others.

What You'll Learn in this Episode

• How Heidi makes money as a life coach
• Why she believes it's important to invest

~~~~~
PLEASE: Rate and Review this podcast so other women can be inspired in their faithful career moves.

Visit the website:
FaithfulCareerMoves.com: Faith-based Career Coaching for Stay-at-Home Moms

Get the book:
Return to Work with Confidence: A faith-based guide to help stay-at-home moms re-enter the workforce

Follow us:

• Instagram @FaithfulCareerMoves
• Facebook @FaithfulCareerMoves

If you struggle with “aspirational shame” or simply want to better align your career and family goals, then listen to this interview with a woman who knows how you feel.

About Julie de Azevedo Hanks, PhD, LCSW

Julie de Azevedo Hanks, PhD, LCSW is a licensed clinical social worker and psychotherapist with nearly 30 years experience providing a safe place for healing conversations that educate and empower women to prioritize their dreams, revolutionize their families, and personalize their faith. She is an assistant professor of social work at Utah Valley University, the founder and director of Wasatch Family Therapy, an outpatient therapy clinic, and the author of The Burnout Cure and The Assertiveness Guide for Women. 

Dr. Hanks is a local and national media contributor, a private practice consultant, and an award-winning performing songwriter. Dr. Hanks is the host of Ask Dr. Julie Hanks podcast and creator of online courses helping women navigate motherhood, relationships, and faith. A native Californian, Hanks currently lives with her family in Sandy, UT. 

For additional resources visit DrJulieHanks.com or connect with @drjuliehanks on social media.

LISTEN AND LEARN

Time and time again, stay-at-home moms have come to me and said, "I have to go back to work, but I have no skills." Most feel nervous and scared. Some are mad at the circumstances of being forced out of the home after spending a lifetime creating it, and others desperately want to embark on a career but feel guilty about their desires.

Though I offer to coach them, I rarely sit in the space of acknowledgement because I am so excited to help them see how much they have to offer. I rarely sit there because I know once we talk, they will see for themselves that they've been working on their career without even knowing it. I rarely sit there because I want these ladies to feel better faster.

That's my mistake. Again.

When I asked Dr. Hanks how she would respond to the statements I hear from stay-at-home moms, she didn't rush to solutions. She acknowledged that change is hard. Life doesn't always turn out as planned and it's important to grieve the loss. She talked of partnership parenting and building a support system. And she shared her own journey of learning to rely on personal revelation to overcome what she calls "aspirational shame." Her responses are empathetic and empowering.

So, please. If you are upset that you have to go back to work, are afraid to go back to work, or WANT to go back to work and think you shouldn't feel that way, listen to this episode with Dr. Julie Hanks. In less than 30 minutes, you'll feel heard, energized, and empowered. And not to rush you, but I think you'll also feel better.

~~~~~
PLEASE: Rate and Review this podcast so other women can be inspired in their faithful career moves.

Visit the website:
FaithfulCareerMoves.com: Faith-based Career Coaching for Stay-at-Home Moms

Get the book:
Return to Work with Confidence: A faith-based guide to help stay-at-home moms re-enter the workforce

Follow us:

• Instagram @FaithfulCareerMoves
• Facebook @FaithfulCareerMoves

WAITING FOR THE GO-AHEAD

When Mindy graduated from college, she happily sublimated her own professional goals to be a stay-at-home mom while her husband attended medical school. Barely in her twenties, Mindy figured she had plenty of time to raise a family before she might eventually go to business school, embark on a career, or start a business of her own. As the years passed by, though, she wondered when she would get her chance.

it's not that she didn't know what to do or have the energy to do it. Mindy had plenty of business ideas, and as her children grew, so did her availability. But every idea came with a prompting to let it go.

Mindy remembers, "I would get such a clear impression from the spirit just saying, 'That's a great idea. You would do a great job with that. Yes, you'd probably love it, but that's just not what I need you to do right now.'"

Disappointed, but obedient, she repeatedly shelved entrepreneurial thoughts and threw herself into volunteer work and hobbies.

TURNING TO MOTHER EVE FOR HELP

Just prior to getting the business inspiration she needed and the approval from the Lord she wanted, Mindy found herself in the midst of a family struggle that coincided with her own questions about gender inequality.

Having spent years helping women via various charitable organizations, she grew increasingly frustrated at the discrepancy between what she believes our Heavenly Parents want for their daughters and the experiences that so many actually have here on this earth. From the victimization and exploitation of females through sexual assault to the devastation caused by the pornography industry and several other gender-gap issues in between, Mindy could be patient no longer. She wanted answers and she wanted change.

In a tear-filled moment of desperation, she turned to a painting of Mother Eve and asked for help. Through the painting, Eve responded, "I thought you'd never ask."

THE BUSINESS OF WRITING A BOOK

Mindy is now a published author, public speaker, and creator of a growing social media community, but the business itself did not take shape right away. At first, Mindy just wanted answers for herself and for her posterity. Only after 18-months of research coupled with discovering that other people shared her concerns did Mindy know for sure that she needed to write a book.

That realization, however, created a new problem. Mindy had never written a book, nor did she have a platform to prop it on--something the publishing industry generally requires of new authors. She pressed forward anyway.

When she finally showed her finished work to Deseret Book, the publisher indeed commented, "This isn't how we do this." Unshaken, Mindy thought, "Well, you'd be amazed at how many miracles I've seen in the last three years of this, and so I'm just going to see what miracle comes today and then we’ll see what miracle comes tomorrow."

So that's what she did.

Confident she'd been divinely guided through the project and that the Lord wanted her to share the answers she found, Mindy persevered through the publishing process and witnessed many more miracles both personally and professionally throughout.

~~~~~
PLEASE: Rate and Review this podcast so other women can be inspired in their faithful career moves.

Visit the website:
FaithfulCareerMoves.com: Faith-based Career Coaching for Stay-at-Home Moms

Get the book:
Return to Work with Confidence: A faith-based guide to help stay-at-home moms re-enter the workforce

Follow us:

• Instagram @FaithfulCareerMoves
• Facebook @FaithfulCareerMoves

Ruby Dawn Lyman has a PhD in Learning Sciences and Human Development (Educational Psychology) from the University of Washington. Her specialization is Talented and Gifted/Twice Exceptional and Teacher Education. She has spent her career teaching both K-12 and at various universities. She has a passion for helping all students receive appropriate educational opportunities, regardless of age.

Sounds impressive, right?

That's not even the half of it.

"I'M JUST A LITTLE STAY-AT-HOME MOM"

In this interview, Dr. Lyman shares how she went from being a stay-at-home mom to finishing her first master's degree, earning a second master's degree, and eventually earning a doctorate degree all after leaving school more than a decade earlier to stay home with her growing family. Only when her husband lost his job for an extended period of time, did this hardworking woman get serious about going back to work.

But back to work...where?

Though several people who knew Ruby Dawn as a piano teacher and as a volunteer at the school, told her that she should go into teaching, she couldn't see it for herself. Lacking confidence in her abilities, she lamented, "I'm just a little stay at home mom....I have nothing to offer." In desperation, she took a long-term substitute teaching position to explore the possibility and to help support her family.

From there, the wheels started turning almost faster than she could handle--driving her into a few years of post-secondary education, multiple degrees, providing financially, working at all hours of the night, living away from home part of the week, and more. Though it's hard to imagine anyone juggling so much successfully, Dr. Lyman says, "I give all credit to Heavenly Father and to God for carrying me through this journey because there was no way that I could do it on my own."

She credits others as well. Like her husband who supported her career aspirations and manned the battleship at home. Her aunt and uncle who. gave her a place to stay, career advice, and healthy meals at the end of some long days. And her kids who assumed household duties, learned to work hard, and became self-sufficient in ways they might not have done if Ruby Dawn (the "little stay at home mom with nothing to offer") had just stayed home.

THE STAY-AT-HOME MOM PIVOT

Though many stay-at-home moms see the gap on their resume as a void. I see it differently. I see it as a unique opportunity to rethink your career.

Just out of college initially, Ruby Dawn started her first master's program in political science. But she switched her focus to teaching with an emphasis on gifted education when she returned to the classroom years later because she knew firsthand the challenges of parenting highly intellectual kids. She likely wouldn't have made that pivot had she not stepped away from her original career plans.

I know transitions like these can be hard when you can't see how the story ends. I've been through several painful pivots myself (check out my founder story). But when you get to the ot

~~~~~
PLEASE: Rate and Review this podcast so other women can be inspired in their faithful career moves.

Visit the website:
FaithfulCareerMoves.com: Faith-based Career Coaching for Stay-at-Home Moms

Get the book:
Return to Work with Confidence: A faith-based guide to help stay-at-home moms re-enter the workforce

Follow us:

• Instagram @FaithfulCareerMoves
• Facebook @FaithfulCareerMoves

After going back to school to get the tools she needed to better-parent her own children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder, Michele Portlock wanted to share what she learned with other desperate parents.

Michele Portlock always knew that her children presented some unique parenting challenges, but she didn't know why. After years of struggling to create a calm home life to almost no avail, her oldest daughter received a diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Her younger son eventually got the same diagnosis and her baby is in the process of being tested now too.

With three out of four children requiring tips and tools beyond what she could find in typical parenting resources, Michele went back to school to get a master's degree in behavior therapy. While in the program, this compassionate and energetic mom felt both relief and angst--relief that she finally had the education needed to truly help her kids and angst from recognizing that so many other parents were still in need. She simply could not live with the disparity.

Shortly after graduation, Michele launched a website and podcast, both called "Navigating the Spectrum," to help parents do more than endure the autism experience. Through these platforms, she provides free resources for everyone and private coaching for those who want to pay for individualized services.

HELPING TEENS WITH ASD GET A JOB

I wanted to talk to Michele for two specific reasons. The first is that she is yet another example of a former stay-at-home mom who returned to the workforce in spite of a gap on her resume, a house full of kids, and fear of failure. But she followed the promptings to do so, enlisted the help of her entire family, went back to school, and walked the journey one baby step at a time. She is amazing.

The second reason I wanted to talk with Michele is because we recently collaborated on a project together.

In Michele's words, "Autism spectrum disorder is an individual diagnosis that affects the entire family." At nearly every developmental milestone, challenges other kids face can be especially difficult for children living with special circumstances. The added stress at those junctions can buckle a mom who is just trying to guide her kid along the already uncertain path of life. One such challenge is getting a job.

FREE JOB SEARCH WORKBOOK

In this workbook, "Getting a Job: A Guide for Teens and Adults on the Spectrum," you'll find the following helps:

• Personal Inventory to identify skills and abilities
• Resume examples
• Tips on how to find a job
• Tips on how to apply for a job
• Practice interview questions

Parents can use the book to guide their child along or simply get a sense of how much work will be required before reaching out for professional help.

What You'll Learn in this Episode

~~~~~
PLEASE: Rate and Review this podcast so other women can be inspired in their faithful career moves.

Visit the website:
FaithfulCareerMoves.com: Faith-based Career Coaching for Stay-at-Home Moms

Get the book:
Return to Work with Confidence: A faith-based guide to help stay-at-home moms re-enter the workforce

Follow us:

• Instagram @FaithfulCareerMoves
• Facebook @FaithfulCareerMoves