How my divorce transformed my career - Women's Agenda

How my divorce transformed my career

The latest news coming from my world is that I am divorced.

Outed by an article in the Sunday Telegraph’s Body+Soul, I have unintentionally opened a can of worms where women (and men) from all around are expressing their views on how I handled myself.

Following the divorce, I went all out on a 5 star trip to New York City, flew business class, stayed at The Affinia and Novotel Times Square, shopped until I dropped and even danced on stage with Chuck Berry. I spent $30,000 on one trip.

Divorce was the catalyst for a personal journey. One that I would like to share.

Pre-divorce (aka married) I ran a business specialising in marketing and graphic design for small businesses. I loved it. I worked very hard and was doing well.

Then I started to notice that things weren’t quite right in my marriage and soon enough, I could see that it was inevitable that I was to be divorced, one day in the future.

I was gutted. This was the end and the beginning for me. I am a traditional woman and had taken my husband’s last name so dropping it was going to cause a lot of questions (and it did).

So my solution?

I closed down my business within a week. If my life was going to change then I was going to go all out and change everything.

I also dropped my married name while still married and rebranded myself to just that, myself. “Amanda Rose”.

Throughout this whole chapter of my life, I was seeing my business mentor (mind you only five people in my life knew about my divorce until it was official). Together we brainstormed. I was honest and open about what I wanted, who I am and what I am most passionate about.

That is. Connecting people using fantastic ideas to realise their potential.

If my life was changing I was going to make sure it was changing for the better.

What better distraction from rejection then to take back control of your life one step at a time, ok maybe in leaps and bounds. I was excited.

So instead of paying off the mortgage for a house I was about to lose, I invested in the “Amanda Rose”. A logo, website a new wardrobe. You name it, I bought it.

I also acquired a personal trainer (nothing better than a hot body when it comes to signing divorce papers).

The pains of sharing a house with someone you are divorcing (for an entire year), arguing over money, legal fees and selling the house set in. But I was already living my “new life”. It was the light at the end of a very long, dark tunnel.

Starting all over again in a business is risky. Money was always a concern so I listed everything I needed to do to “make it” and went for it.

I secured some contract work for regular money while spending all my time networking, meeting people, blogging. Making sure everyone knew I was reborn and ready to rock.

My new vision kept me going. While hemorrhaging money and losing a lifelong partner, there is nothing more exciting than letting go of fear and making the commitment to do what you want in life.

Every day I am so grateful for the opportunity that my divorce has given me. I love who I am, what I do and where I am headed.

Why not? You only live once, right?

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