Thriving Career Moms

Let me guess Mama… you are here because..

..You have big dreams. You want to raise happy kids. You want to feel fulfilled in your career. You want flexibility. You want to bring money.

You want to Live a meaningful life on your own terms.

And you want to leave behind the overwhelm and confusion in your career path.

You know that you need to get clear about the right career move that allows you to grow professionally. (without having to sacrifice your family life)

and you know that you need to create a system to manage your time between house chores, work, family and self-care, but…

  • You don’t know what you don’t know.
  • You are worried you might make the wrong choices.
  • You think if you should study further.
  • You wonder if your skillset is even relevant, after your maternity leave.
  • You think maybe you should just put your career on hold now until kids are older.

If any of that sounds like you, you are in the right place.

Hi, I’m Sarah and I’m on a mission is to help overwhelmed moms of littles advance their careers and enjoy more balance in life.

Want to know why I chose this as a mission? 

Why I chose this as a mission?

Because when I close my eyes and imagine that Mama who is now full of worries and confusion about her choices, and then picture her after the transformation that I help her go through, my heart becomes full of joy. It’s because I know the ripple effect a happier mom has on her family, on her kids, and on her overall satisfaction and contribution to the world. 🙂

And that’s what I want.

How it all started?

Since I was about 16 years old, I had a dream:
I wanted to be a successful woman in my career and have a happy family. (My mom nurtured that desire in me. 💕)

So, I worked hard during my studies to get my computer science engineering degree. Right after that, I landed my first job as a software engineer but soon after I discovered that I didn’t like developing web applications. Besides, I felt disconnected from the “why” of doing what I do… because I worked in a big company and the scope of work was so limited.

I slowly started to feel unhappy, my mood was impacting my life with my husband,  I was becoming more and more stressed… because when I go to work, I find myself unmotivated to do my tasks and then I spend my time thinking how can I get over this situation? I wanted to quit my job.

And when I shared that with my friends and connections, many pointed that this is a bad decision, don’t do it, unless you have another option-meaning another job.

However, to me, it’s not having another job that mattered, it’s finding my path, following my curiosity, and my desire to build something that I can be proud of, using my computer science skills. I had to take that leap.

I had to say “YES” to myself.

That’s when my journey to career transition started.

 
bulletin board, stickies, post-it

I decided to go for machine learning and artificial intelligence because I wanted to have a bigger impact and I always felt curious about that domain. I quit my job in December 2016 and joined a membership for women to get unstuck in their careers which provided me with guidance and helped me not to feel alone in my journey and thus be more confident.

The first few months, I was trying here and there, applying for software engineering jobs, machine learning jobs, and I was not getting results. Stress was hitting me again… until I decided to follow the recommendations of my mentor which is: focus on one thing.

So, I spent some time again researching jobs, discovering my strengths and interests, and exploring the different career paths until I got crystal clear about what I want. 

Getting the job wasn’t as straightforward as I thought. I had to learn a lot. It was a tough journey, with a lot of patience.

Things only started to bring real results when I showed up, created a support system of people in the field,  and found a mentor. That’s when I started to get opportunities to work on projects, to be referred for job offers, and even be invited to speak at a conference.

My career transition experience taught me that: we create our own luck. And luck comes from these two: clarity on the direction,  and the support system. 🙂

That’s why, I’m a firm believer that “You can survive without a community, but you cannot thrive without one.”

That was about my first BIG step into a successful career. Since March 2018, I’ve been happily working as a Data Scientist in a company where I’m proud to belong. 
Fast forward.. 
..Spring 2019..

 I became a mom.

Being a mom and living away from my family hit me so hard.

It felt so lonely. I really needed a space where moms can exchange their experiences. I was worried about my return to work and I wished I could meet other moms who are further ahead in their careers to guide me, give me an idea of how it looks like and what worked, and what didn’t for them. However, I couldn’t find that space.

Moreover, I met new Mamas who shared their concerns about juggling motherhood and following career aspirations, which left me with a deep desire to do something about that because I knew from my own career transition journey how frustrating it can be.

That’s when I had a moment. A voice inside me said: “Well, Sarah,  didn’t you always want to make a positive impact on people’s lives? The opportunity just showed up to you. Be the change. Stand by Mamas like you.  Create that space.”

“Me and My son celebrating Thriving Career Moms Birth 🙂 (Yes it was like my second baby)” 

How I can help you?

Some facts about me?

  • I love bringing smiles into faces, that’s why I often smile 🙂 even for strangers.
  • I love twins, it was one of the things I wished to have, but when I became mom, of just one, I thanked god I didn’t have two at once. (Mamas of twins or more, hats off to you)
  • I once fell in love with a photographer, so I decided to get into photography, but in the end, I got the photographer 😀 (my husband). Photography is still a passion, but I don’t like editing photos, and my teacher is a bit exigent with that.
  • I was told once, in one of my university clubs, I cannot take a leading role because “I’m very emotional”, I felt hurt but then I embraced who I am and discovered that emotions are powerful. I believe they make me a better leader.
  • My top Strength based on Gallup test is: Activator – I enjoy transforming thoughts to action and making things happen. 😉

Do you have any questions?