Renae quits her job after 15 years
After many prayers, sleepless nights, anxious budgeting sessions, and long talks with my family, I have decided to leave my job at SAIF. I left my notice and will only work a few short weeks and then stay home with my three, almost four, amazing children.
Caleb and I contemplated this move before we bought the practice, but I knew that it would be easier for him if he didn't have to worry about the family budget. He's been rocking his practice for 7 months now, and he's still working his other job two days a week. We have done a great job saving money, paying off everything we can, and now it's time for me to quit.
I've had an amazing career and I'm very proud of all the things I was able to do in my 15 years. I worked to push programs and culture that others wanted. I was told no a lot, and I was told yes where it counted. I'm so proud of where SAIF has gone and all the great places I have been able to go.
My most recent trip was to Chicago to speak about our onsite medical clinic. I have had the opportunity to speak in California, Washington, Arizona, Florida, Washington DC, Boston, Chicago, and probably more places that I cannot remember. I was flown around the US to speak on behalf of SAIF but almost never paid by SAIF. Other companies would pay for my trip, and it was a win for our company and me personally. I love being a keynote speaker, and I was able to open and close many conferences. There is an absolute high when you deliver what you want to in a powerful way.
Now I plan to take my skills and work on them in a way that benefits me and my family more directly. The past few years I have worked tirelessly and long hours. Many of the projects I work on are important to me personally and keep me up at night and working on the weekends. Nobody makes me do it, it's just how I'm wired. I am rebuilding for the third time our onsite fitness center right now at SAIF. It won't open until long after I'm gone and I am driving myself crazy not being there and knowing how it's going. I've even made my poor family see the parts of the buildings that I've remodeled, and listen to my speaking engagements. I just turned down two this month so that I can stay home with my kids.
For some moms, they know immediately they cannot go back to work. Having a husband who was in school for 8 years was part of the reason I kept working. But honestly, I love what I do, and I'm good at it. I get a lot of satisfaction going to work. It's crazy hard to get my kids up and out the door in the morning. Especially when Caleb lived and worked in Medford all week, Calvin was 6 months old, and Shelby was 3. That kept going for two years, and I doubt if I ever missed a day of work.
I've never seen myself as a stay-at-home mom. Nothing against them, but it just wasn't something I thought I would be good at or want to do. After a treacherous morning getting the kids off to daycare, I get to work and the day flies by! It's 5:00 before I know it, and I'm running out the door to grab my kids. When I get home, I am always sad with how little time we have together as a family. We usually get home around 6, throw dinner together, maybe some homework, play outside, and go to bed. It's a fast paced life and days feel like minutes.
But I know this is the right move for me and my family. I don't know if I'll be good at it, or if I'll get the same exhilaration as a finished project. It's a huge leap of faith and not one that I take lightly. When my boss Shannon left over two years ago now, they made me the "Interim Vice President". All the extra money they paid me only made it worse. I never saw my family. I worked every weekend. And it was such a drastic change so quickly, that I told Caleb then that I knew my days were numbered. After we decided to buy his practice it took me longer than I thought. But now that I'm sick, pregnant, tired, nauseous, grumpy, swollen, and barely in my fourth month of this pregnancy, it's time to go!
Goodbye huge paychecks, see ya later free medical insurance for my entire family, hasta lavista paid retirement, and hello free market where we have to pay for all these things we have had for free. I get tons of vacation time, sick time, bonuses, oh my heck, let's change the subject. This is hard to leave, but I am doing it and trying not to look back.
If you see me in my pjs, it's Wednesday at 2 pm, and I'm at Walmart with four screaming kids, please don't say hello and just keep walking! Haha!
Caleb and I contemplated this move before we bought the practice, but I knew that it would be easier for him if he didn't have to worry about the family budget. He's been rocking his practice for 7 months now, and he's still working his other job two days a week. We have done a great job saving money, paying off everything we can, and now it's time for me to quit.
I've had an amazing career and I'm very proud of all the things I was able to do in my 15 years. I worked to push programs and culture that others wanted. I was told no a lot, and I was told yes where it counted. I'm so proud of where SAIF has gone and all the great places I have been able to go.
My most recent trip was to Chicago to speak about our onsite medical clinic. I have had the opportunity to speak in California, Washington, Arizona, Florida, Washington DC, Boston, Chicago, and probably more places that I cannot remember. I was flown around the US to speak on behalf of SAIF but almost never paid by SAIF. Other companies would pay for my trip, and it was a win for our company and me personally. I love being a keynote speaker, and I was able to open and close many conferences. There is an absolute high when you deliver what you want to in a powerful way.
Now I plan to take my skills and work on them in a way that benefits me and my family more directly. The past few years I have worked tirelessly and long hours. Many of the projects I work on are important to me personally and keep me up at night and working on the weekends. Nobody makes me do it, it's just how I'm wired. I am rebuilding for the third time our onsite fitness center right now at SAIF. It won't open until long after I'm gone and I am driving myself crazy not being there and knowing how it's going. I've even made my poor family see the parts of the buildings that I've remodeled, and listen to my speaking engagements. I just turned down two this month so that I can stay home with my kids.
For some moms, they know immediately they cannot go back to work. Having a husband who was in school for 8 years was part of the reason I kept working. But honestly, I love what I do, and I'm good at it. I get a lot of satisfaction going to work. It's crazy hard to get my kids up and out the door in the morning. Especially when Caleb lived and worked in Medford all week, Calvin was 6 months old, and Shelby was 3. That kept going for two years, and I doubt if I ever missed a day of work.
I've never seen myself as a stay-at-home mom. Nothing against them, but it just wasn't something I thought I would be good at or want to do. After a treacherous morning getting the kids off to daycare, I get to work and the day flies by! It's 5:00 before I know it, and I'm running out the door to grab my kids. When I get home, I am always sad with how little time we have together as a family. We usually get home around 6, throw dinner together, maybe some homework, play outside, and go to bed. It's a fast paced life and days feel like minutes.
But I know this is the right move for me and my family. I don't know if I'll be good at it, or if I'll get the same exhilaration as a finished project. It's a huge leap of faith and not one that I take lightly. When my boss Shannon left over two years ago now, they made me the "Interim Vice President". All the extra money they paid me only made it worse. I never saw my family. I worked every weekend. And it was such a drastic change so quickly, that I told Caleb then that I knew my days were numbered. After we decided to buy his practice it took me longer than I thought. But now that I'm sick, pregnant, tired, nauseous, grumpy, swollen, and barely in my fourth month of this pregnancy, it's time to go!
Goodbye huge paychecks, see ya later free medical insurance for my entire family, hasta lavista paid retirement, and hello free market where we have to pay for all these things we have had for free. I get tons of vacation time, sick time, bonuses, oh my heck, let's change the subject. This is hard to leave, but I am doing it and trying not to look back.
If you see me in my pjs, it's Wednesday at 2 pm, and I'm at Walmart with four screaming kids, please don't say hello and just keep walking! Haha!
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