Some people find their "why" in a quiet moment of clarity. Mine came with a layoff notice, a newborn, and an Uber Eats bag strapped to my shoulder. Pull up a chair — this is my story.

The Dream Job That Lasted 30 Days

In 2020, I had finally landed what felt like my dream job as a Mortgage Assistant, with my sights set on becoming a Loan Officer. I was working in non-QM lending — "non-qualifying" mortgages — which means we handled loans exclusively for real estate investors.

Unlike traditional residential mortgages, this sector didn't require an NMLS license, making it a more accessible entry point into the mortgage industry. And let me tell you, I was ready.

I was the only woman on the sales team, supporting three of the company's top four producers.

The goal?

Work my way up to loan officer and eventually pull in the kind of commissions my colleagues were making — we're talking $40K+ per month. The energy in that office was electric, and I was soaking up every bit of it.

Then, 30 days in, the world shut down.

17 Years in Real Estate — and Why I Loved Every Bit of It

I got my start in real estate at 23 years old, one of the youngest people in my licensing class. From day one, I was hooked — not just on the industry itself, but on the sheer variety of paths it offered.

You could stay under the real estate umbrella and still explore so many different directions, and that flexibility spoke to me deeply.

Over the years, I wore a lot of hats. I worked as a leasing agent, managed properties for a high-net-worth client, and served as an executive assistant to a senior vice president and partner at two separate real estate development firms.

Every role taught me something different, and together they shaped me into someone who understood this industry from the ground up.

There's something about working in real estate — especially on the corporate side — that just feels powerful. It's fast-paced, relationship-driven, and deeply respected, and it's one of the few industries where you can build a thriving career without a college degree.

No official trade school, no accreditation — just the classes, the exam, and the drive to show up and do the work. And honestly? That's part of what made me fall in love with it.

When the Bottom Fell Out

One of the reasons I had pivoted toward the mortgage side of real estate was the flexibility. Unlike being out in the field as a realtor, mortgage work could largely be done from anywhere, as long as you had a phone and laptop — a huge selling point for a single mom.

Need to work from home because your kid is sick? No problem. The laptop comes with you.

And then 2020 happened.

Who doesn't remember the feeling that the world was ending? Within weeks, millions of people were sent home with no clear timeline for returning. I was laid off with MILLIONS of other Americans— and I wasn't alone. If you managed to keep your job through the pandemic, consider yourself one of the lucky ones. For many of us, the layoffs kept coming, wave after wave, for years afterward.

For me, it happened twice in 2020 alone. And that was the moment everything changed, and I realized there was no more job security.

I managed to get my job back with the first company that laid me off and was there for a solid 1 ½ years working with a lot of the same salesmen I already met in the office prior to working from home.

Unfortunately, in August 2022 I was laid off for a 3rd time.

I knew a recession was coming well before anyone else wanted to admit it. Three layoffs in two years was not a good sign of our economy. See, real estate is the basis of our economy and what drives the majority of money flowing through the banks, the borrowers, and the corporations.

So if people aren’t buying homes due to layoffs, then (like a domino effect) the banks can’t make money off the interest on the largest loans provided = residential and commercial real estate mortgages

The Gig Life (Yes, Really)

After about a year and a half of job applications, interviews, and the slow grind of hope followed by silence, I hit a wall. I was burned out from the search, and I made a decision — instead of spending my spare time waiting for someone to choose me, I was going to start building something for myself.

In the meantime, gig work would keep the lights on.

In the beginning, it was actually great. I could easily make $100 in three to four hours driving for Uber and Lyft ridesharing. Some days I'd hit that number and head straight home to work on my online business. Other days, I'd push a little longer and walk away with $150 easy money.

It felt social, flexible, and manageable — almost like having coworkers, just on wheels

Then June 2024 hit, and things started to shift. What used to take four hours was suddenly taking six. People will tell you it's a “summer slump”, that things slow down when families go on vacation — but for me, things never bounced back the way they used to once school & college started back up again.

Here in Austin, we have nine colleges and universities, so school breaks have a real impact on the local economy. This means less work due to family vacations and more drivers on the road (students and teachers) competing for the same gig work.

And those brutal 100-degree Texas summers? Running the AC nonstop puts a serious strain on both my gas budget and my car battery.

As the money became harder to make with just Uber & Lyft as a Rideshare Driver, I had to now incorporate food and grocery delivery (Uber Eats, DoorDash, Favor, and Instacart) to make ends meet during slow months.

On average, to make $25 for a 2-to 3-person Instacart grocery shop order would take me at least 1 ½ hours, and in some cases 2 hours. That is not a lot of money per hour, thus making my bare minimum goal of $100 per day, now taking me nearly all day.

As of 2026, I now have to go back out to work more, even after picking my son up from school, in order to reach my daily goal of $100, which meant my survival.

It's not glamorous. I won't pretend it is. But it has kept me going, and I refuse to be ashamed of that.

The Lightbulb Moment

Honestly? My lightbulb moment came long before the pandemic. Even before my child was born, I was dreaming about building something of my own — something that could eventually let me work from home or provide an additional source of income.

When I was about eight months pregnant, I had to stop showing houses (Realtor) so my body could rest before delivery. That forced pause gave me space to think, and I started exploring what I would do.

After my son was born, I explored Amazon FBA — specifically retail arbitrage, where you find undervalued products and resell them on Amazon at a markup. It was my first real taste of entrepreneurship, but between the upfront inventory costs, the product photography, and the sheer amount of time it took, it wasn't sustainable for a new mom flying solo.

My real fire was lit in 2020. Getting laid off twice in one year was all the push I needed to realize there was no more job stability, and that life was short so it was time to finally follow through with things I would start and stop, constantly swapping focuses on what would make me the fastest money.

In January 2021, I opened my first Etsy shop (Bad Girl Balm, a physical product shop, closed now) and made my first sale within a week. A year later, I opened a second shop, The Daily Flow, focused on printable planner pages and budgeting templates — and that one clicked even more.

Running a physical product business as a one-person show on a limited income is TOUGH. Between inventory, packaging, shipping, and Etsy's fees, your profit gets trimmed four times before it even reaches you.

*That's why, for anyone just starting out, I always recommend digital products first.

Lower overhead, no shipping headaches, and you can start with what you already know.

Which is exactly how my podcast, No Husband Required, and this blog Money for Champagne, were born. These are two avenues of online businesses that do not require any inventory.

Welcome to the Journey

Thank you so much for being here and for lending me your eyes and your time. This blog is the next chapter — a place where I get to share everything I've learned about money, hustle, and building a life you're actually proud of, even when you're starting from scratch.

If you want to come along for the ride, here's how to stay connected:

Subscribe to the email list so you never miss a post
Follow me on Pinterest for daily money tips and blog updates
Check out my podcast, No Husband Required, available on Spotify and Apple Podcasts
Subscribe to my YouTube channel — video content is coming soon!

And who knows — Money for Champagne just might become a podcast too. 👀

The champagne is flowing. We're just getting started. 🥂

From Real Estate to Food Delivery… and Why I Started This Blog