Interview with Joelle!

This week I am bringing you Joelle, who is a mother to three children and grandmother to one. You'd think her life was busy enough, except she traded in her away from home job to work at home with her teen boys. Can ya blame her? Besides the fast-paced life of being a working mom, she is now able to spend more time with her sons. Hey, I worry about when my boy enters his teen years and no longer wants to spend time with me, I think what she is doing it GREAT. Joelle opens up about motherhood and her business, Freedom at Home Team

Interview:


Tell Me a bit about yourself:
I am a married stay-at-home mom of 2 teenage boys. I love my Heavenly Father and my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, reading my Bible, spending time with my family and friends. Some other things that I enjoy are camping, fishing, board and card games, and tennis (playing and watching it).

I love board games with my kids, it is so much fun. I hope that once we get moved and settled down I can finally take my kids camping and fishing. I hear where we are going has lots of areas to do that. We always went as a child and I have fond memories of doing that. I just know your children will as well.


How many kids do you have?
I have 2 teenage boys at home, 1 stepdaughter who's a little older, and she
has 1 child, my grandaughter.


Tell me a bit about your business?
I work with the nation's largest discount dental and health benefits company, having over 1.7 million members nationwide. Our Corporate office is in Dallas, Texas, with over 50,000 people nationwide who work from their homes doing what I do. We market affordable benefit plans, online and/or in our local area. We also talk with others who have an interest in working from home or starting their own business. It's a great legitimate opportunity that lets you really make a difference and help people.


Did you work outside the home before this?
Yes, I worked outside of the home before I had my children. I mainly did office work. Right after I had my 1st son, I worked for a little while at a cleaners. I found out that I was pregnant with my 2nd son while I was working at the cleaners.


What is the hardest thing about being a WAHP?
So far it just seems to be finding the right places to advertise that don't cost anything or at least, cost very little. Then, I guess, juggling finances to try to pick out inexpensive places to do advertising, printing costs for fliers, etc..

Have ya had any luck with certain ones? I hear google is a good one but still not sure, since I haven't tried it myself.


Which do you prefer?
I think I like being able to stay home and work more, just so I can be with my kids. Also, the flexibility is GREAT!!

I love the flexibility, not to mention if the kids are sick I don't have to ask for the day off to be home with them.


Are there moments where you wish you could work outside the home again?
Before I started working from home, I sometimes thought about and missed working outside the home, but I wouldn't change the decision to stay home with my kids for anything. I'm very very thankful that I have been able to do this also.

I know a lot of moms don't have the same opportunity to do that, or maybe don't think that they can. And, it's not that I was able to do it because my husband makes a lot. He doesn't. Honestly, sometimes he was even without work. Sometimes things were tough, but it drew me closer to the Lord, and He's always provided!

We are a family of 6 (four kids, and us two parents) living with a military salary, so I know what ya mean about hubby not making a lot. I've been very happy to be able to stay home, it was only recently that I started earning money which I love because not only can I help pay bills I have a little spending money for small things.


How long have ya been a WAHP?
I have been working from home for a year this month.


What made you decide to be a WAHP?
I just really wanted to stay home with my children.


How do you advertise it?
Free and some inexpensive paid advertising online. Also, I put out business cards, fliers, and brochures. I'm checking into seeing how much our local paper would charge for small ads.


Thank you so much for your time and I really hope you continue to earn money at home. It sounds like a wonderful opportunity and one way to know your teen boys. Hopefully you get to see that grandbaby of yours too.