She was abandoned from her job at the height of the epidemic, but a Jacksonville military mom of five saw her retreat as a way to make a career leap forward.
A Jacksonville military mom of five children found herself at her lowest point at a time when the country was also at its lowest point.
With the rise in COVID-19 cases and unemployment, Tara Bossier has been released from her job. She is among millions of women who have been disproportionately affected by the pandemic’s blow to the economy.
“Oh my God, it was just horrible,” Bossier said. “Around this time, my son had surgery. My husband broke his leg and literally had a mental breakdown. And all of a sudden, I was taking care of my five kids, my husband couldn’t do anything. Four of my kids are in four different schools, and it looks like I’m going to be their teacher and I’ve lost income. Like oh my god! ”
Bossier sat in her Jacksonville home for a couple of days drugged, and she worked entirely out of necessity as she struggled to understand her circumstances.
“She was like very sorry that I’m going to have to leave you,” Bossier said, as she contemplated her conversation with her former boss. “And I’m fine.”
Bossier repeated these words several times in her mind before realizing that hope was not lost.
Psychologist Tracy Alway explained: “While it is important to acknowledge the frustration we may feel at not having a similar structure that we have become accustomed to, it is okay to admit it but it is also important to follow up with gratitude.
Louay offers this advice to those who find themselves in a situation similar to Bosier’s, saying that there is always a positive side to difficult situations and the key is to shift your focus.
“My own research shows that optimism acts as a barrier against symptoms of depression,” Alway said. “So instead of letting ourselves drown in this feeling that everything is changing. I don’t know how to approach it. Focus on what you control and focus on what you can be grateful for every day.”
Bossier said, “I am already enrolled in classes to become a real estate agent at this point. After I felt a little flattered, I had nothing better to do anymore. Better to beat the books!”
Her husband was still a submarine in the Navy.
Bossier said, “I still have some slight income. So I’m like this really terrible but we can make this work.”
To fulfill a childhood dream, Bosier completed her lessons to become a licensed real estate agent.
“The next day I was already interviewing brokers interested in working with me,” Bosier said enthusiastically. “I ended up going back to Bold City Real Estate, but now I’m a real estate agent.”
Her advice to others is to figure out what you want to do and find a way to do it. This is easier said than done.
Dr Valicia Dunbar, Business Coach, details the critical steps she will need to take the leap forward during her interview with FCN’s Keita Nelson.
Dunbar also shares tips on which startup services you should pay and not pay for.
“This week I have two companies who told me that they paid or were willing to pay for business start-up services that should be free or low-cost,” Dunbar said. “One of them paid $ 350 to register with Sunbiz while less than half of that amount was to do it himself. Another was preparing to pay $ 1,400 to register with SAMS, a free government procurement portal.”
Dunbar says new business owners need to be careful. It works with two programs one by the US Department of Commerce to restore COVID businesses and the other by the National Economic Development Agency where business owners can register through the Trust Center to get free assistance.
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