Introduction
It is 7a.m. on a cold winter day. I find myself riding the metro into downtown Washington, D.C. Next to my feet, lays a carry-on bag containing my 3-month old son. I live in the suburbs of Virginia, and need to commute one hour each way to work. I love my job, I love my boss, and I love the work I do for the firm. I am a recent architect graduate, with an immense passion for design and construction. With a small baby to take care of, will I be able to do this, will I be encouraged, will I be supported, and overall, will I be successful?
Deep down inside, I know that I would love to have more kids and even take some time from work to raise them. The decision to leave my job seems easier said than done. I consistently ask myself questions such as, “why should I leave my job, why can’t my husband leave his, what if I can’t find a job better than this one when I am ready to go back work again, what if we don’t have enough money to pay our bills while I am out of work?” …So many questions to consider!
“Now is the time to think about the goals you want to achieve in life. Ask yourself what it is that you need to do in order to achieve those goals”
Background
Growing up, I always felt as if I was a “child of the world”. I felt as though I had a very international way about myself. My mother is German, my father was Bolivian, and they met in Chile. I, the second oldest of 4, was born in Santiago, Chile. I grew-up in southern Spain, and I now live just outside of Washington, D.C.
When people ask me, “Where are you from”? I have to literally pause and think for a minute as to how I should answer that question. Due to my family background and upbringing, I feel like I am from many places.
Going to school was not any different for me than anyone else I know. In Chile, I attended an English elementary school. While in Spain, I went to a German school, all the way up through high school. Finally, during my college years, my parents decided to send all of us kids to Washington, D.C., since we already had family here.
My parents were very dream-oriented, and I feel that they passed that trait on to me. After graduating from an architecture school in the district, and marrying my college boyfriend, my parents expected me to return to Spain to work at the family business with my siblings. My father had a very successful architecture firm, and he needed the help. It seemed like I was the only one that wanted something different in life. Although my brothers and sisters did follow that family tradition, I chose to stay here in the states and try to build my own life. Leaving my family, an established job in my beautiful and comfortable hometown of Southern Spain, was not an easy decision for me to make.
“Most people would look puzzled at me when I tell them that I stayed here to start my own life instead of moving back to Spain. They thought I was making a crazy decision…but was I? Always remember that no dream should be considered impossible.”
I finally made the decision to quit my job and focus on raising my son. I thought to myself, if I am going to become a stay-at-home mom then I need to make the most of my time, and one child was not enough for me right now. My husband and I decided to have another baby…and then another one…and then another one… until finally we had four children in our family. Now, that I find myself with four children, all under the age of five, I finally feel like the “baby production” process is complete. So I ask myself now, “what next?” I feel like I need to get back into architecture so to get my feet back in the design world again. The kids are great, but it’s just not enough – I need the creative outlet back in my life. On the other hand, going back to work and being gone for 12 hours a day is not an option for me. So, I thought, why not start my own business? This would give me the best of both worlds – kids and a career.
“There is no dream unattainable…if you have the dream to do something, nothing should stand in the way from stopping you from doing it.”
Professional issue
It seems like yesterday when I decided to start my own business. Friends of mine wanted me to do a small design job for their home. I was honored when they asked me to build a deck for them. They told me that they chose me to do the job because they trusted me and knew me well enough to know that I would do a good job. On the other hand, I remember many other friends who mocked me when I told them about this small project. Most of them thought that a deck was not a” big enough project” for someone who had spent all that time and money going to architecture school. I thought to myself, “I don’t care if I design sheds or I design dog houses, I just want to do something on my own and be able to have the chance to have my own business and be able to build it at my own pace.” Finally, I ignored those negative comments and decided to design the deck for my friends. At that point, my company AV Architects & Builders was born. Today, I successfully build custom homes, so I am proud of myself for not listening to those negative comments, and for listening to my gut feelings.
“Have confidence in yourself. If you put your mind to it, you can be successful. Others will try to tell you otherwise, but if you feel that you can do it, don’t stop!”
I knew I had to start my business small since I had all four kids at home and my time was limited. There were many nights that I would be working until 2 a.m., while the rest of my family was sleeping. For several years, I grew AV Architects one client at a time, one small project at a time. I had to learn how to do it all: accounting, marketing, and sales, all of which you don’t think are that important in school. While in school, I would always say, “I’m an architect; I don’t need to worry about accounting”.
“If you are in school, make sure you pay attention to all those courses you are required to take, even if they are not interesting to you… they will come in handy one day, and you will need to rely on that knowledge at some point.”
Personal issue
Through my business, I have come to realize that the saying, “work-life-balance” is not necessarily true. I perceive this saying to mean that if one cannot find a balanced approach to life, then one cannot have overall success. The realistic term should be, “work-life-integration”. I have learned to integrate my personal life, my kid’s needs, and the demands of my business all in one. It is not as easy as one would think. It is possible though, if you stay positive, and be around the right people that love and support you. I have always relied on my husband, my family, and closest friends for that support.
“Rely on those around you for support. There are those in your life that will support you in all that you decide to do. Don’t hesitate to rely on your “fan club”; trust me, you will need them more than you think!”
I have come a long way from being that young working mom, riding the metro to work with her young baby at her feet. I have been encouraged, I have been diligent, I have been supported, and now I can say I have been successful.
I highly encourage you to analyze all things you do, all the people you associate with, and the places you go. Overall, decide what is important in life. Focus on which actions will affect you the most: now and later, both personally and in future ventures.
“Achieving your future goals is a lot easier if you start focusing on your life goals now, don’t you think? Ask yourself now, what goals do I want to achieve in life, what plans do I need to make in order to achieve those goals, and how should I start? Lastly, believe in yourself!”