When I found out I was pregnant almost 3 years ago (surprise!), I knew instantly that I wanted to stay at home with my baby. Unfortunately, I also live in a town where living on 1 income & owning your own home is fairly hard to accomplish.

So, I explored my options. The pool of legitimate "work-at-home" jobs is very, very, very tiny- so I agreed to keep teaching- part-time. When that job evaporated after a year, I found myself in a bit of a panic & suddenly remembered an email I received months before. In that email old friends from college who were living in San Diego were talking about this great fitness class they were part of called, Stroller Strides. I immediately searched for a class here in Flagstaff & when I found out there were none- I decided to start one!

I knew from the instant I explored the Stroller Strides website & talked to the franchise team that I was in- it wasn't until much later that I actually started comparing Stroller Strides to other stroller fitness franchises and talking to franchisees in similar markets. I did all this way after the fact, I knew from the moment I read about Stroller Strides that it was what I was going to do (which is why it is a decision I never made- it was made for me).

Owning my own business has been beyond eye-opening. I have learned, through many mistakes & lots of trial & error, SO much about myself and what I am capable of. I have acquired countless new skills and impressed myself with all that I've done in a year.

The best part of Stroller Strides & owning my own business is getting to hang out with my daughter all the time, while still maintaining my own sense of self. It is so easy to get lost in the world of mommy-hood and not stretching your mind to think past milestones, sleep schedules and toy organization. My daughter and I have made such great friends through Stroller Strides class, I've been able to contribute financially to my household and every time I hear a mom say "Stroller Strides saved me", I know that all the hard work is more than worth it.