Growth that fits into my life, rather than a

life that is squeezed in around my growth.

-Kerstin Pasteris

I was rejected. I have been working towards becoming a mentor since the moment I started with this company. Scratch that – I have been working towards being a mentor since the start of my first job as a teenager. It is a calling, something to give me purpose beyond the job itself (and the small residually income it would bring in was not going to hurt either).

I thought I nailed the interview. I had the years necessary to qualify and I had proven my knowledge time and time again. To clarify, I was not rejected, so to speak, but given a lengthy to-do list of requirements to complete before I would be reevaluated for the position. The suggested reading list was well below the grade of the mentors I had been reading from for over a year to prepare for this role. My objection handling had made significant strides in the right direction. My dedication was in overdrive heading every committee and task that was asked of me. The list itself felt like busy work and a stall tactic from the higher ups. What was I missing?

SALES. While I held some of the highest averages in my company (a testament to my skill and maybe a little luck), my overall sales were about half that of the other mentors in the program. I had time to bring up my volume and I fully intended to. But as a person that is not accustomed to not achieving their goals, I also fully intended to prove my method and worth in the mentorship program to the powers that be as they currently stand.

I knew my business growth had felt slow and unconventional, but it was also steady and strong. I had created a prefect juggle of working (with my kids in tow) and achieving continual growth. The typical boots to the pavement method was not going to work. I have three kids — 5, 2, 1. None of them are in full time school and I am not about to be working just to pay the small fortune daycare would cost. My wonderfully helpful and supportive husband works a job where his hours vary daily with little to no notice. He gets volun-told (A term we fondly used when they so nicely let you volunteer to take the overtime that the head honchos were going to force you into anyway.) there was overtime that night or he was working the weekend maybe 30 minutes to quitting time and then it’s a mad scramble to switch to solo bedtime routine or change our RSVP for the Christmas party to minus 1.

Daycare would not make much of a difference anyway since most of my work needed to be done on nights and weekends. Daycares open past 6PM are nonexistent my little neck of the woods just outside of the suburbs. The family help I did have was sporadic at best and rarely available outside of typical business hours. But I somehow, I had managed to nearly double my income every year since my start in this field. My profit margins were beautiful. My negotiations made sure that I would not be working for a penny less than I decided.

These were truly skills they would want passed on to their newer agents. Clearly the head honchos were going to recognize the value I posses and hear the same calling I was hearing telling me that mentor was the appointed position I belonged in. NOPE. I got the big ‘ol shove off and try again later.

They were right about one thing. I am not prepared to be the mentor THEY want me to be. I will always be focused on quality over quantity and growth that fits into my life rather than a life that squeezes in around my growth. This can be achieved and I have proven it. The powers that be may not want me to be a driver in their company just yet (and yes, I am still working hard to achieve that status. Like I said before – I do not not achieve my goals!) but I can share my climb with you. Hopefully I can offer some stories, advice, and few laughs in my journey to being the best MOMtrepreneur I can be. I hope you find your story in mine and together we can prove a tribe of Moms is more than anyone ever bargained for — even with spit up in our hair, a dirty diaper in our purse, always running 10 minutes late, and a toddler answering your business line.