Leaving a Career in Human Services

At the end of 2023, I walked away from my career in human services.

On the outside, it might have looked like I left simply to join my partner on the road and help build their business. That’s the story I told at first. But the truth was heavier, more complicated, and much more personal.

Inside my workplace, conflict had been building for months. Our team was directed into conflict mediation, and instead of resolution where I experienced more gaslighting, more passive-aggressive behavior, and more emotional exhaustion than ever before. I offered solutions that would have allowed me to continue serving my community in meaningful ways, but instead I was met with a shocking ultimatum: continue mediation with people who had become abusive, or resign.

For the first time in my career, I chose myself!

Walking away was heartbreaking. I felt like I was letting people down. I had dedicated years of my life to this work, to families who trusted me, to colleagues who had become friends. I knew I had options in the field! I had offers come in quickly from organizations I had worked with, asking me to join their team to help train staff or support families in the community. I could have easily stayed in the field and rebuilt my career. But my soul knew better. I was tired of enduring harm for the sake of stability. I was scared to leave the comfort and security of a field I thought I’d retire from, but there was also something calling me to try something I had never done before.

So I stepped into the unknown.

At first, that meant joining my partner in their business. But I also knew I needed something of my own, something that was mine! I wanted a solo project where I could pour my energy, creativity, and resilience. That’s when I created Blue Mountain Jewelry, which would later become Bloom and Glow. (Don’t worry, Blue Mountain Jewelry still exists! It just morphed into something different.  You can find the story here.)

I already had an incredible supplier, Rita, (read the blog about Rita and our time together here) who introduced me to the world of chains back in 2022. With her high-quality materials and endless variety, I began curating a small but intentional selection. My first business was simple: an online space offering specialty chains. And later it would grow into so much more! This journey would help me see that I COULD be an entrepreneur, that I could build something new out of heartbreak and transition!

At the same time, my personal life was also unraveling. I ended the relationship I was in after realizing I wasn’t with the person I thought I was; and suddenly I was carrying the weight of both romantic heartbreak and career loss. I felt liberated, but I was also drifting without a clear sense of who I was or what was next.

Being unbound, I was able to choose myself.

And as scary, messy, and uncertain that choice was, it became the seed of everything that would come after! 

Keep coming back to read more about how I grew alongside my business and how I plan to keep the momentum going!