How I Learned to "Have It All" as a Working Mom (Hint: I Ditched My 9-5)

This is the first post in the series “Real Estate Investing for Women.” This series is dedicated to providing inspiration for women, especially 9 to 5-ers, to move toward passive real estate investing—a considerably lower-risk investment than other strategies.

After my father passed away when I was very young, my mother—a teacher—dreamed to see me in a steady full-time job. I graduated with a master’s degree in engineering, built a 17-year career, and was recognized as an industry expert in my field. Climbing the corporate ladder was the gold standard. So, when I made it to a managerial position, she was thrilled! And I was, too—for having made her proud.

For us 9-to-5 folks, this dream—the gold standard—trains us to be risk-averse. It makes us comfortable in the cycle of steady paychecks, despite marginal yearly wage growth, mortgage payments, and retirement accounts. Saving for a few weeks of vacation, cars, or some other indulgence reinforces our feeling of security—even though it rarely satisfies our desires.

This tentativeness is generally even more pronounced in women, who are conditioned to keep their head down and be grateful for what they have. A risk-averse, 9-to-5 job further closes women off in a society that has already put them into a box.

This brings me to a very important issue that faces women today. We’ve all heard about the gender wage gap. Women earn only 79 cents on the dollar compared to men.

However, the more troubling and lesser-known statistic is that of the wealth gap. According to WomensWealthGap.org, women own only 32 cents on the dollar compared to men. [1] The caregiving burden is one of the key drivers of wealth inequality.

Working Moms: This Is Why You Should Invest in Real Estate

Motherhood is what made me start my real estate investing journey. Here’s my story.

My husband and I decided to have kids in our late 30s. When I got pregnant, I thought I had it all. And then, when the baby came, everything changed!

My maternity leave was short, childcare was expensive and subpar, and my health was suffering because I had no time for myself. I pumped breastmilk during conference calls in a tiny office, using newspapers so nothing would be visible to the outside world (lest I offend a male coworker).

I felt like a lie had been sold to me for decades. I thought that I was doing the right thing by waiting to be in a good financial position, working hard to build a career, and then having kids once all the stars aligned. What I didn’t realize was that a thriving corporate career involves a lot of sacrifices that I was not willing to make. I wanted more…

I wanted to make an impact in the world but still be able to spend time with my kids—and not kill myself trying to do all of this.

The Moment I Decided to Take the Leap Into Real Estate

After much internal turmoil, I decided it was time to take control of my destiny! I took a big risk by quitting my job to pursue my passion in real estate. But I promised myself one thing: This time, it was going to be on my terms.

My goals were to achieve financial independence, to become my own boss, and to grow to reach my fullest potential. Real estate investing and entrepreneurship gave me the freedom to get out of the cycle—to make my own rules.

Have you heard a business owner complaining about the glass ceiling? No? That’s because there isn’t one!

Entrepreneurship is limited only by the entrepreneur’s vision and drive. Sure, society’s prejudices will still be there. You may need to navigate those challenges, but you’ll have more control in how you do so. In my real estate investing and entrepreneurial journey, I’ve found that integrity is respected, hard work pays off, and your good ideas, well, they’re benefiting the business owner—you.

Foregoing Comfort & Tradition for Greater Benefits

So, why do smart people choose to make money for others by working for them? Because the liberty of entrepreneurship comes at a price. To get that liberty—setting your own goals, making your own decisions to benefit your own ideas—means giving up the ease provided by the low-risk cycle of traditional career paths.

Living passionately and giving something your all means getting out of your comfort zone—steady paychecks and all. For me, the biggest challenge was being OK with being different, because becoming an entrepreneur really gets you out of the box.

Physician and author Spencer Johnson asked, “What would you do if you weren’t afraid?”

This question points to the core of what stops us—fear. I propose a different way to mitigate that fear: a combination of the liberty of entrepreneurship and the low-risk of passive income. Investing in passive real estate is a low-risk business strategy that lets you pivot from the traditional path and into the liberty of spending more time on family, hobbies, or whatever makes your soul sing.

Sources:

[1] https://womenswealthgap.org/

Are you considering real estate in lieu of a traditional 9 to 5? What’s holding you back? How can I help?

Let’s discuss in the comment section below.

Note By BiggerPockets: These are opinions written by the author and do not necessarily represent the opinions of BiggerPockets.