The Year of the (Social) Monkey

Have you fallen off your New Year’s resolution bandwagon? Don’t worry, because for China and me (and let’s face it, they have the large chunk of the world’s population), the new year started this week!

Did you know that it is the Year of the Monkey? I don’t have any Chinese ancestry nor do any real knowledge of the Chinese astrological calendar but here is how I know that THIS year is going to be a life changing year. You see, a few months ago a monkey helped me change careers (which actually is fitting because I describe my life as a zoo).

 

My hot date for New Years
My hot date for New Years

 

2014 and half of 2015 were overwhelming for me. I was so busy and stressed that I felt paralyzed. But I finally got to the point where I was extremely motivated to make changes. The first goal I set was to start this blog by the end of the summer in 2015.

Little did I know that starting this blog would change the course of my professional life.

Because of a rough pregnancy with AG I ended up taking more time away from my professional life than I had anticipated. Although I loved what I did, it involved a lot of travel and returning to it wouldn’t allow me to have the life I wanted after having a baby.

When I started this blog, I didn’t know anything about creating websites. But with help from the good people from Go Daddy, youtube videos, and some advice from friends, I slowly figured out blogging basics. The skills I learned from setting up this blog gave me the confidence to start my own business.

After starting Political Wife Life, I saw a “Become A Social Media Managerad in a blogging Facebook group. It was a free webinar so I thought, “what the heck—I love social media and community building.” If I wanted to re-enter the paid workforce I knew I was going to need to be my own boss and find a career that would allow me to embrace my nomadic lifestyle and work from anywhere.

Cue Liz Benny and Social Monkey Business (see, I told you a monkey would show up). Liz really resonated with me and I loved her program and signed up for Social Monkey Business which is essentially a “how to start a social media management business” in a box.

It sounds so cheesy to say “finding Liz Benny’s course changed my life” but it is so true. If you want a really fun job where you can be your own boss, make your own hours and work from wherever there is an internet connection, click here to learn more and to read my full review of the Social Monkey business course.

I was so fortunate to find a client as soon as I completed the course. October-December were spent learning the basics of starting a business and client work. I love to do 90 day sprints of work and then schedule some down time and slower paced work. January was a scheduled downtime.

I am now one of those crazy people who loves their job and likes to tell everyone I meet how much I LOVE MY JOB.

The only downside is that I was having so much fun doing work for a client and learning how to run my own business that I didn’t make blog writing a priority. But I am back!

Embrace the Chinese new year and take advantage of fresh beginnings and a second chance at resolutions. Set a goal and work towards it. You never know where it will take you.

If omens mean anything, the year of the monkey is going to be the best one yet.

What goals are you setting for yourself? A little accountability is a good thing, so comment below and share the accomplishments your sights are set on!

Welcome To My Zoo

Welcome to Political Wife Life. My name is Kate and, well, I am a political wife.

For a while I used to be “just” a political wife. Then I became a political wife/zoo keeper/business owner.

 

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The Zoo

 

And now I am a political wife/zoo keeper/political mom.

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Baby AG joins the Zoo

 

My young daughter, AG, family pets and I, travel back and forth to the capital with my husband, M, every week. Most often, if M’s politicking takes him all over God’s green earth, AG and I join him there too (though we try to leave most of the zoo at home on extended road trips).

Political families traveling as a unit are quite rare. As a result, it can be lonely—very lonely.

When people are elected to office, there is training and support available to them. However, there is usually little or nothing in ways of training or support for their spouses.

This blog is a non-partisan survival guide for political spouses.

I will share tips, hacks and how to deal with the unique/bizarre situations political wives find themselves in. And what would a blog be without personal anecdotes of hilarity and horrors?

Welcome to PWL . Thanks for coming and welcome to my zoo.