Motivating Stories from Local Women
Every woman has a story to tell, and no two stories are alike. Meet the women who have persevered through challenges and tribulations and come out the other side stronger than ever.
These unique individuals have seen their fair share of adversity but continue to inspire those around them with the lessons they have learned and their love of life. Read on for four truly motivating stories by the women who experienced them firsthand.
For anyone who has experienced job loss and is seeing it as the end, I challenge you to change your perspective. It just may be your beginning. That pink slip could be just the motivation you need to remove the middleman and become your own CEO."
In June 2017, my career as I knew it changed overnight. Prior to this time, I worked in the field of public education in various roles from turnaround school principal to district-level administrator. What I knew as 27 years of service to public education, and what I thought to be a career I would retire from, changed in an instant when I was told there was no longer funding for my position and it was being eliminated.
One day I had a career that always gave me purpose and a sense of fulfillment … and the next day, I had a proverbial pink slip. My career was the one part of my life that I felt I was in control of, and I did it by the book. To paint the picture even clearer, I went from a six-figure salary to living off of my savings, all within a month. On top of all of that, my personal life was in shambles. I was still grieving the death of my mother, was going through a tumultuous divorce, and had my two children depending on me as their sole provider. Through this period I experienced a lot of change and heartache, but my unshakeable faith in God remained the same and it is how I survived it. One of the things God would so sweetly speak to me is, “Trust me. I’m removing the middleman and reminding you that I am your source.”
This entire period in my life was challenging, to say the least, but from it came so many lessons learned and things that I am grateful for today. That pink slip inspired me to go back to school and complete a doctorate in education, motivated me to start my own education consulting firm, and encouraged me to write my first book, “Life Happens. Live Anyway.” For anyone who has experienced job loss and is seeing it as the end, I challenge you to change your perspective. It just may be your beginning. That pink slip could be just the motivation you need to remove the middleman and become your own CEO.
Dr. Sheryl Kenan Randolph, Harrison
