Remember the mantra “I think I can, I think I can…”?

My kids have been the center of my world before they were even born, and of course, for the past eleven years. I knew when and if I was able to become a mother, that there was no way in hell that I was putting my baby/babies into daycare. I was lucky enough to be able to make that decision with my family, and become a reliable, always available mother to my children, there for every milestone!

Flash forward eleven years, I now have an eleven year old tween girl (yup, eye-rolling hormones) and an adventurous, heart attack inducing, eight year old boy. I’ve also tiptoed back into the working world again – the remote world that is. My dear friend, and CEO at IOI, Jared Antista, (let’s not boost his ego too much), had faith in me and hired me to help his company, IOI Ventures, as an Account Manager.  My ego has taken several blows in the process, as I’m pulled in multiple directions, and a lot of times, I simply struggle to keep up with the pace of a digital marketing company.

That said, I’m also renewed, feeling a different sense of purpose. I’ve been able to connect with the most amazing team, spread across the United States, and feel like that former Bentley Dean’s list student, contributing to something beyond my family. I am so grateful to have a safe place to learn and grow, with a team that is compassionate, smart, and caring.

Over the past six months, I’ve learned a lot. I work with two accounts, Carousels Icery, a franchise mobile dessert business that is growing like crazy, and Under The Lights Flag Football, powered by Under Armour; that brand speaks for itself.

Here are my top three tips for those stay at home moms that want back into the business world:

• 1 Ask Questions 

Even when I think it’s a dumb question, I still ask it. If I don’t know, I don’t know, and I’ve found that my team doesn’t fault me for that. It’s my job to learn it and remember. The great news today is that Google is pretty smart, I can often find a solution from the world wide web.

• 2 Just care 

I’ve had a lot of conversations with Jared. In the Account Manager role, especially at IOI, it’s simple: we care about our customers. That means answering John’s texts, from Under Armour, as soon as I can (all hours of the day) and getting back to Corey, at Carousels, quickly, even if I don’t know the answer, because he values communication. I simply care and often that buys me time to ask my questions, get the support from my team, and provide good solutions and answers.

• 3. Have Faith 

Being a mom is hard. Being a stay-at-home mom, and a working mom, is even harder. These past six months have been crazy, but I love the opportunity that I have. IOI has taught me that good people do exist, and that there are opportunities for the generation that took time to raise their families.

My advice to anyone thinking about taking that leap of faith, jump right in. Your kids will admire you, and you might just amaze yourself, and find a new purpose.