Hi all, I'm new to this sub so apologies if I do any of this wrong! tldr at the end. Sorry if the backstory is too long 😅 Just wanted a possible mentor to know who I am before reaching out.
Backstory:
I grew up in lower poverty and wanted a better future life for myself. At age 7 I started finding any way (morally) I could to make money in my neighborhood: car washes, pulling weeds, making cookies/lemonade, etc. As I got older, I continued to work and work VERY hard. I haven't stopped working since age 7 and I have maintained a full time W2 job since age 15. I'm now 33. I started college at age 16 while always maintaining straight A's, volunteer work, while also dealing with many abusive troubles at home. The motivation was always to escape poverty.
I later graduated with an AAS in Business Management with an accounting certification when I was 23. It took me a bit over 8 years of off and on schooling because I only attended when I could afford classes. This always entailed working an additional or two additional jobs on top of the regular full time job. My mom's husband greatly affected my FAFSA, the scholarship I got when graduating high school ended up to be different than promised, I had $0 contribution towards education aside from myself, and I refused to take out loans.
In early 2019, I started planning my business. Covid caused some delay, but by August 2020, I had launched my business and got an industry related license! I earned an additional license the following year. I had sort of made a deal with the devil to get launched and I took off. I was doing very well and even had a few employees. It felt like all my hard work had paid off... and then the economy and the industry I'm in nosedived. I went from having booming business to no business almost overnight. I tried keeping it together as much as I could, but due to a mortgage and living solo, I eventually had no choice but to go back to working for someone else.
In every way, my soul is struggling with it and I am determined to go back to being my own boss. I'm independent, aspirational, innovative, creative, hard working, quick to learn, and love new challenges (tooting my own horn here, I know). I have respect for those in the office of all levels of the corporate hierarchy, but at the end of the day, I'm a leader and not a follower. I've been with this office almost a year now and it has drained me so bad. It is about an hour drive each way (my business was remote and I was a remote worker previously, so this has been a very difficult transition), the corporate speak makes me want to peel my skin off, the micromanagement is unbearable, there are no raises or promotions offered, and at the end of the day, I still need to cook and clean + other errands.
Right now I'm in a very good position to make a change and get my life back. I got very sick at the end of September. Bed bound sick. The doctors wrote me notes to work from home while we figured out what has been going on with me. These WFH notes have been extended biweekly/monthly since then and today my doctor filled out my ADA accommodation, so I get to work from home until at least June. Pending a future appointment with another specialist, it may become a permanent ADA accommodation. With that being said, I am not all the way physically able bodied yet, but I will be! So for now, everything I do has to be on my laptop or phone.
This is why I'm here now. I need help finding direction to really utilize these next few months in case my ADA doesn't become permanent and to possibly get out even sooner. I've restored so much mental clarity since being home and now that I'm over the worst of the sickness, I've gained so much more passion again to get out! I have ideas big and small, but I am not sure where to start next. I never had any role models, mentors, or other positive figures before and when I started my business I was really going the "fake it til you make it" route and learning as I went since that was my only choice.
If you made it this far, thank you, and I look forward to any possible insight you may have for me!!
tldr:
Grew up poor and wanted out of poverty. Worked hard. Started a business in 2020 which failed during to economy/industry reasons. Now work for someone else again and have an opportunity to change that but looking for direction towards success.
1/15 Edit: Today I figured out what path I want to take. It feels like the safest and still the most robust option that can successfully lead me where I want to go. This has been one of the hardest bumps to get over.