Never Underestimate the Woman Who Stepped Away
A stay-at-home mom's journey to becoming an executive director challenges misconceptions about career gaps and proves that time away from traditional work is a season of growth, not failure.
Returning to the Workforce: My Time at Home Was Not a Gap
Returning to the workforce after being a stay-at-home mom for nearly five years has been one of the biggest yet most rewarding decisions I've made—one that I did not take lightly.
I've learned that not everyone sees my experience as a stay-at-home mom as a strength. In fact, some see it as the complete opposite. Since accepting my new role as the Executive Director of a nonprofit, I've heard the doubts and the chatter about whether someone who stepped away from a traditional career can successfully lead.
Here is a quote from a story I was just told about my hiring. The quote came from a man who also applied for the same position:
"Man, can you believe they hired a stay-at-home mom? What does she know?"
Here's what I know: Being a stay-at-home mom did not make me less capable, less driven, or less qualified. If anything, it strengthened my leadership, resilience, problem-solving, time management, and ability to serve others with empathy and purpose. It made me who I am today.
I am incredibly grateful for the years I spent raising our boys, and I wouldn't trade them for anything. However, I am not less than because I have a gap on my résumé. I am not less than because I took time to focus on what my family needed during that season. I am not less than because I am a mom.
Those years were not a gap in my career. They were a season of growth.
I am thankful that my Board of Directors shares the same view of my time at home while also believing in my ability and potential as their next leader.
To anyone returning to work after time away: don't let someone else's assumptions define your value. Your experience matters. Your skills matter. And your worth has never been determined by a job title.
I'm proud of where I've been, and I'm excited about where I'm going.
