Creating My Own Lane: From Teaching to Freedom

In 2021, I started building something that changed the entire course of my life. It began with content creation. I didn’t know where it would lead at first, but I knew I was tired of pouring my energy into systems that did not care about my well-being. Slowly, I began using my credentials as a master’s level social worker, educator, and now doctor to help people navigate their own personal development journeys.

It surprised me how naturally people started finding me when they were going through major life transformations. They came to me because something in my story and my spirit resonated with what they were experiencing. And while I was guiding them, I was also transforming myself.

For years, I felt the weight of corporate America and the education system pressing down on me. I was working while finishing my doctorate, and every day felt like a fight to keep my head above water. My weight dropped drastically. My mental health slipped to the lowest it had ever been. I knew it was the job that was crushing me.

March 31, 2023, the day after my birthday, I walked away from teaching and declared that I was retired. I was not walking away because I had it all figured out, I was walking away because I knew I could not survive another year living in that cycle. The moment I left, my life began to rise again. My energy shifted, my health improved, and clients began showing up more easily because I was no longer drained. The healing energy I naturally carried could finally flow again.

Now, I love what I have created. I get to witness people elevate into new versions of themselves, becoming stronger and more aligned with who they are meant to be. I get to watch them break patterns, reclaim their power, and step into spaces they never thought possible. That is the reward that keeps me going.

A lot of people doubted me. They thought I was making a mistake by leaving stability behind. But I kept publishing books. I kept showing up online. I kept working on myself and trusting the process. And every time I wanted to give up, life reminded me that this is still the beginning.

To me, freedom is not just about money. True freedom is having autonomy over your life. It is choosing your schedule, choosing your work, and allowing your tribe to find you rather than chasing after what never fit. It is waking up every day knowing you have control over how your life flows.

Entrepreneurship is not easy. I have acquired debt along the way. I have made mistakes. I have been humbled by the lessons that come with building something from the ground up. But even with those challenges, I am grateful. I make enough to live in places with a lower cost of living, which allows me to save and pay off debts from student loans and old choices. I get to keep building while also taking care of myself.

This new era of my life has stretched me, tested me, and grown me in ways that I could not have imagined. And in the middle of all the challenges, I keep circling back to the same question. Why not? Why not build the life I actually want? Why not choose peace and alignment over burnout? Why not step into a season of joy and possibility, even if it looks different than what others expected for me?

I believe true freedom comes when you stop asking for permission to live your life and start writing the script yourself. I chose mine, and I am still choosing it every day.

What about you? Have you ever had to make a decision that scared you but freed you at the same time? Are there any decisions you know you need to make, but you’re a little scared? Share it with me in the comments. I would love to know what your “why not” moment looks like.