To be honest, I’m not always sure what I’m doing, and sometimes, I even think I’m a little crazy! But if you’re new around here, let me break it down for you.
I opened my business, AbeeBerry, in the fall of 2022. But if you’ve been following me since the beginning, you know this journey started long before that. I began working on my business in January 2021, launched it in June 2021, and then shut it down in November 2021 before reopening it in October 2022. It was during my second maternity leave that I took the plunge again.
When I first started, my driving force was simple: I wanted to make a difference. I could see the damage we were leaving behind for our kids, and as a new mom, I felt compelled to do something. Shopping secondhand was an easy change to make in our lives—it just made sense. I enjoyed it until the pandemic hit, which pushed me to rely on Marketplace. But with two kids in tow, driving around wasn’t working for me anymore. That’s when AbeeBerry was born.
But when I relaunched in 2022, my motivation shifted. Here’s the truth: I needed to make money. I wasn’t ashamed of it. Anyone who runs a business knows the goal is to make a profit. As my second maternity leave ended, the thought of returning to my job (which requires me to travel out of the city and even the country for up to 15 days each month) became overwhelming. I couldn’t imagine leaving my 3-year-old and 12-month-old for so long. But my business was still sitting there, barely moving forward.
I had invested in branding, worked with a web expert, taken business courses, and yet, it was stagnant. And then it hit me: this business could help me stay home with my girls. The more I thought about it, the more it made sense. I didn’t want to go back to my day job. So, I pushed myself to make it work.
Fast forward two years, and here I am—running my own business, co-owning another, and yes, still working my day job and raising my kids. My husband works in the same industry, so he’s also away for 15 days a month, leaving me to solo parent when I’m home.
So how do I do it all? Honestly, I don’t have a perfect answer. There’s no secret formula. But I can tell you this: the right combination of motivation, passion, and support will get you far. It’s about loving what you do, having the right people behind you, and just showing up every day.
Do I want to make money? Yes, of course. If I want to be present for my family—attend school events, volunteer, go on field trips—I need to be home. And that means I need to make money through my side business to supplement my day job. My “why” is simple: I want to be with my girls as much as possible.
And second, I’ve learned so much about myself these past few years. I didn’t realize how creative, driven, and resilient I am. I absolutely love working for myself, collaborating with my business partner (who’s also become a close friend), and yes—being a boss. It’s wild, and I still have to pinch myself sometimes.
What I didn’t expect was for my side business to grow so much that it’s now becoming a second full-time job. Why? Because, as you probably know, growth requires reinvestment—of both money and time. So while I’m hitting financial milestones, I’m still juggling both jobs for now.
But you know what? I mostly enjoy the chaos. Sure, it’s tough—especially when I’m on the phone while trying to play with the kids or hiding in the bathroom to finish a task. But the balance is worth it. I love that my girls get to see me working on something I created. They’re proud of AbeeBerry, and that makes my heart so full. I want them to grow up knowing that their mom built something from the ground up.
Is At the end of the day, I feel incredibly fulfilled. I keep my “whys” front and center, and my goals just keep getting bigger. The people around me—my family, my friends, my mentors—support me, but they also challenge me. And that’s been key to my growth. They help me see things from different angles, which leads to better decision-making.
As I look toward 2025, I can already feel a shift. I’m more confident in my business, and I finally feel like I can breathe a little and celebrate how far I’ve come. It hasn’t been easy. There have been countless late nights, endless conversations with my husband about whether all this is worth it, and a lot of self-doubt. But every step, every challenge, has shaped me into who I am today.
That’s why I do it.
I wouldn’t be where I am now if I hadn’t taken a chance on myself. I’ve had no business background, I didn’t even have an Instagram account until 2021, and I definitely had zero time. But if I can do it, I promise you, you can too. You are underestimating yourself if you think you can’t.
Take it from me.
With every day that passes, I feel luckier, more motivated, and more excited for what’s to come. Yes, I’m tired—but the kind of tired that comes from doing what I love and knowing it’s all worth it. It’s like finishing a marathon—exhausted, but smiling because you’re so proud of what you’ve accomplished.
If you’re on the fence about doing something, take the leap. You’ve got this.
xo,
Sandy