Ready to Make Income on Your Own Terms?
When I landed a dream job as a post-production coordinator for Terrence Malick, I thought I had it made. Suddenly I was taking calls from Sissy Spacek and John Lithgow, and bumping into Taylor Swift and Ryan Gosling in the office. I picked up Christian Bale in my little beige Civic and was his assistant during a test film shoot. But long hours and meager paychecks left me unfulfilled. I left that job, thinking freelancing would give me more opportunities to grow, but I was hit with an all too familiar reality – financial instability.
When my son Mason arrived, that’s when the wheels really fell off. I found myself swapping car seats with my husband on the road, barely seeing each other as we juggled work and childcare. Sound familiar?
I tried looking for a “big girl” job, but I didn’t want to put Mason into daycare. I thought of going back to film, but the thought of 12-16 hour days just didn’t appeal to me anymore. I wanted to be able to participate in school activities and have family dinners.
During this time, I created an in-home daycare so we could keep Mason home, and I strung together odd jobs to make ends meet. More babysitting gigs and a slew of random executive assistant gigs, both in-person and virtual. I was making it work, but I wasn’t creatively fulfilled in my career. I missed film, but I didn’t want to give up time with my family.
That's when I had my lightbulb moment: Squishy Banana Studios. By merging my love for film and children, I created a thriving business teaching start-to-finish filmmaking to kids. I used the knowledge I already had and created a profit from it.
Fast forward ten years and I’m still loving it. I’ve grown a business that works for me, inspiring kids and watching them grow up each year. For over a decade I’ve enjoyed a flexible schedule, time for family and personal development, and do work that feeds my soul.
I’ve turned my own successes with Squishy Banana Studios into a simple process to take creative individuals on their own journey: figuring out their expertise, freeing up their schedule, making an income they can be proud of, and feeling fulfilled - sharing their gift with others.