Most parents will agree that their lives after kids are pretty dramatically different from what they were before. Their priorities, their sleep schedules, their expenses, their definition of the word “clean” all completely change.
Kirby, who’s been a Traveling Vineyard Wine Guide for almost two years, found that her “before kids” life as a businesswoman no longer fit into her priorities when she became a mother. Luckily, her husband understood her desire to be a stay-at-home mom. As she searched for new career opportunities, he asked her what she was passionate about and her answer was easy: wine.
The most important advice Kirby kept in mind when she decided to join Traveling Vineyard came from her sister years before: “Fear is temporary but regret is forever.” Jobs for stay-at-home moms are out there, but finding the right one that’s both fun and fulfilling is tough. Here are three questions other parents like Kirby, who are looking for a stay-at-home job, might have during their search.
I won’t sacrifice my time with my kids, but I can’t afford to sacrifice my income. How can I balance the two?
It was Kirby’s mother who recommended she look into direct sales. Even though Kirby didn’t immediately jump at the idea, when she found Traveling Vineyard, she decided to give it a shot. A work from home job would give her the flexibility she needed to put her number one priority – her two kids – first. Plus, she’d be able to pursue an industry she liked, become a wine expert, introduce others to wine at wine tasting parties, and get paid for it. For Kirby, it was a win-win situation!
A lot of stay-at-home parents turn to companies like Traveling Vineyard to make extra money or start a new career. Reach out to the community and ask other parents how they make it work. You’ll find that a lot of independent sales or marketing reps are able to make the money they need while spending more time with their family than they thought was possible.
Can I make enough money working from home to make it worthwhile?
When you work, you expect to earn a paycheck that makes the time worth it. Kirby didn’t want to return to her previous career paths, and she signed up with Traveling Vineyard expecting to make money doing something she was passionate about. She first had to do her research to make sure working with Traveling Vineyard would provide her with a stable income.
The right kind of work-from-home employer or partner is going to do everything possible to set you up for financial success. For example, once Kirby decided to take the plunge, she was paired with a mentor and quickly received her Success Kit.
Of course, it’s important to pursue work you’ll find fulfilling and interesting, as well; in Kirby’s case, as a fan of wine, she already had some knowledge. But any good work from home job will provide you with whatever training and support you need to earn the extra income you’re working towards. Even with a pre-existing interest, Kirby didn’t need to be a wine expert to succeed as a Wine Guide.
In fact, if you read her profile, you’ll find out that Kirby’s first wine tasting party didn’t go exactly as planned – as it turns out, the toddlers she left back home aren’t the only people who spill!
Find a stay-at-home job that helps you progress and learn at your own pace. Kirby can control her schedule – and with it, her paycheck – now that she’s an independent marketing rep. In her case, when she needs extra cash for a big expense, she can schedule more wine tasting parties. Should she need some additional time for her kids, she can cut back on the number of wine tasting events she works. Her stay-at-home job gives her flexibility. She also gets her paycheck at regular and predictable times throughout the month, allowing her to plan accordingly.
Traveling Vineyard Wine Guides – like many engaged in direct sales – also find that they’re able to recruit new team members to the community without a lot of effort, which adds to their income. Kirby recently purchased her son “the Porsche of all car seats” with money she earned. It was a purchase that, she said, “sounds like something so small, but when you’re a one-budget family, you have to really figure out what you’re going to spend your money on.”
In order to stick to a budget – or expand their budget – our Guides have to be able to control their income, something they find direct selling allows them to do.
How can I know something like Traveling Vineyard is right for my family?
When her mother suggested direct selling, Kirby needed some convincing. Setting out to do something on your own is intimidating, making work from home jobs a daunting prospect to consider. And Kirby wasn’t convinced she was a salesperson at heart. But her love of wine was enough to get her started and a few tastings in, when Kirby realized that she was actually having fun and that her new schedule gave her more time with her kids, she knew Traveling Vineyard was the right move for her family.
For many of our Wine Guides, the ability to take care of their families is their number one priority; however, one of the greatest benefits to hosting wine tasting events is having an opportunity to interact with other adults, all while earning money and drinking some wine.
There are definitely sources outside your family that you should explore when you’re considering your stay-at-home job. Make sure you talk to the community of others who hold that job and any mentors or leaders assigned to you by any organization you’ve queried.
Do plenty of research to make sure it’s a legitimate company – check with the Better Business Bureau and the Direct Selling Association .
That said, involve your friends and family as much as possible. Ask them if they can picture you in such a career and talk over your options with them. Get them excited and invested in your new job and you’ll find your own excitement growing. Talk to your kids about having more time with them. Show the adults the product and invite them to see why you believe in it.
Most of our Wine Guides hold their first events for their friends and families so they can see just how fun Traveling Vineyard is. When Guides earn all-expenses-paid trips for their families, everyone can enjoy the fruits of their labor.
So even if the idea is a little intimidating, you have many avenues of reassurance. And remember, like Kirby did, that you can’t let fear drive your decisions. It is possible to have your cake and eat it, too, as long as you’re willing to try.
Whether you’re still in the “before kids” stage of your life or if you have more children than fingers, Traveling Vineyard could be the work-from-home job you’ve been looking for.
Have more questions about being a Wine Guide?
–Find out how a home business can bring personal rewards.
–Find out how to make some extra money while you’re at it.
Are you interested in becoming a Wine Guide?
We’d love to hear from our current team members and Wine Guides: what questions did you have before you joined Traveling Vineyard? How has a stay at home job helped you support your family? Leave your thoughts in the comments!