A little over a month ago, I lost my job.
When it happened, I was in shock—but if I’m being truthful, there was another feeling underneath the shock.
Relief.
Not because I wanted to lose my job. I loved my job. I spent seven years there. I grew from an individual contributor into a leader, built relationships that I’ll always be grateful for, and learned lessons that shaped the person I am today.
But for a long time, I had been holding my breath.
The company was changing. The industry was changing. I kept wondering if the other shoe was going to drop.
Then one day, it did.
And strangely enough, I could finally breathe again.
The first question that ran through my mind was the same question I imagine most people ask when they suddenly find themselves without a job:
What am I going to do now?
For the first couple of weeks, I grieved.
Not just the paycheck or the routine, but the loss of something that had become part of my identity.
Slowly, though, I realized something unexpected.
A door had opened.
That door was time.
Time to sit with myself.
Time to ask questions I had been too busy to ask.
Time to discover what actually excites me.
Time to figure out what I want the next chapter of my life to look like instead of simply accepting the one that was already written.
For years, if someone asked me what I did, I’d have a polished answer.
“Hi, I’m Angela. I’m a sales manager for a company that manufactures equipment for gas stations and industrial customers.”
It was a mouthful.
It explained my job.
But looking back, I’m not sure it explained me.
Today, if someone asked me what I do, I’m honestly not sure I’d have a simple answer.
I’m building a website.
I’m learning AI.
I’m exploring business ideas.
I’m writing.
I’m researching products.
I’m applying for jobs.
I’m building Sparkles.
I’m trying to understand who Angela is when no company is handing me a business card with a title on it.
At first, that uncertainty felt uncomfortable.
Now, it feels… exciting.
Because maybe I don’t have to fit into one job title anymore.
Maybe what I’m building isn’t a career.
Maybe I’m building a life.
One thing I’ve noticed during this season is that I keep coming back to the same question:
What kind of work actually lights me up?
I don’t think the answer is selling.
I don’t think it’s leadership.
I don’t even think it’s entrepreneurship.
The more I reflect, the more I realize that what gives me energy is connecting people with the things that will genuinely help them.
Sometimes that’s a product.
Sometimes it’s information.
Sometimes it’s introducing two people who end up becoming friends.
Sometimes it’s teaching someone something they didn’t know yesterday.
Sometimes it’s simply helping someone see a possibility they hadn’t considered before.
There’s something about watching someone else move one step closer to the life they want that fills me with a kind of joy that’s hard to describe.
It’s like a light turns on inside me.
I’ve spent a lot of time thinking about why that matters so much to me.
I don’t think I have the full answer yet, and maybe I never will.
What I do know is this:
I’ve never cared about being the smartest person in the room.
I’ve never cared about having the biggest title.
What I care about is making things a little easier for someone else.
Helping someone understand something that felt confusing.
Helping someone find a solution they didn’t know existed.
Helping people discover opportunities, resources, or even friendships that make their lives richer.
When I look back over my career, I realize that’s what I’ve always been doing.
Sales was just the vehicle.
Now I get to ask a much bigger question:
What if that purpose could take many different forms?
Starting over has also taught me something I wasn’t expecting.
I thought losing my job would create constant stress.
Instead, I’ve felt an unexpected sense of peace.
That’s not to say this has been easy.
It hasn’t.
There are days when I wonder how I’m going to make money.
Days when I question whether I’m making the right decisions.
Days when I feel pulled in ten different directions because I have so many interests and no clear roadmap.
But I’ve also realized something.
For years, I was worried about what would happen if I lost my job.
Then it happened.
And somehow…
I’m okay.
Not because everything is figured out.
Because I’ve learned I can trust myself to keep moving.
Some days that movement is big.
Some days it’s as simple as writing another paragraph, learning one new thing, or taking one more step toward whatever comes next.
That’s enough.
I don’t know exactly where this journey is leading.
Maybe Sparkles becomes a successful business.
Maybe I find a new career that surprises me.
Maybe this blog becomes something much bigger than I can imagine today.
I honestly don’t know.
What I do know is that I’m done waiting until I have all the answers before I start building.
This website isn’t here because I’ve figured life out.
It’s here because I haven’t.
It’s a place to document what I’m learning, the mistakes I make, the ideas I’m exploring, and the moments that change how I see the world.
If you’re reading this because you’re starting over too, I hope one thing sticks with you.
Starting over isn’t just about finding another job.
Sometimes it’s about rediscovering yourself.
Sometimes it’s about realizing that the thing you’ve been looking for isn’t a title, a promotion, or even a business.
Sometimes it’s simply the courage to build a life that feels like your own.
I’m still figuring out what comes next.
But for the first time in a long time…
I’m excited to find out.