Who am I?

So who am I? My name is Taylor and I am a mom to two boys under the age of two (16 months and 6 weeks old). That's why it took me so long to write this first post because as soon as I sat down to start typing, either a nap ended early or someone needed a bottle. I am also a mom to three rescued fur babies. My husband, Chance, works a full-time corporate job, and I stay at home with our boys. Together, we own a small business as well as a commercial building.

I have a Bachelor's degree in Hospitality Management, and I live in one of the hospitality capitals of the world, Orlando, FL, home to Mickey Mouse and an array of other theme parks. While I did not work in the theme park industry, I am a part of a very small percent that did utilize their degree and work in the field they studied. I started my hospitality career at The Ritz-Carlton, working the front desk (oh, the stories I have). I got to experience other departments within the hotel and ultimately landed in sales at The Ritz-Carlton. Working for such a luxurious brand in the beginning of my career definitely had me on a high that soon came crashing down.

Growth was something that was not easy working in sales at this resort. I would have had to move states, which was not an option since Chance and I had just married, and he had a great job here in Florida. So like every other eager person trying to climb the corporate ladder, I looked for other jobs in Orlando. I landed a position as a Guest Relations Manager with a company that had just acquired two popular restaurant brands. I was responsible for managing all of the restaurants' reviews on Yelp, Google, Facebook, etc. As well as managing the gift card program. Then COVID hit and shattered the hospitality industry.

To try and survive, the company started laying off employees. Every day I walked into work wondering if I was going to be called into HR. I questioned why I was still there when all of my close co-workers and friends were getting laid off. The sales plummeted, and in order to survive, the company filed for bankruptcy with only 8 people left running the company, and yes, I was one of those 8 employees. I wore many hats at the end, Guest Relations Manager, HR Manager, Finance Manager, Marketing Manager. Hell, I was given a list of restaurants I had to call and tell the General Manager that we were closing their restaurant and basically fire them and their staff.

Another well-known restaurant company came out of the woodworks and bought us out of bankruptcy. As soon as the deal was completed, they initiated their own round of firing who was left. For some miraculous reason that I am not privileged to, they kept me and two other people. So, very reluctantly, here I am going to a new office in a new area at a new desk. I mean, this company came in, bought us out, and fired the remaining people. I had been through so much with losing so many close co-workers and friends. This new company was incredibly unethical and had a lot of nepotism going on. To put it in perspective, the VP of Marketing’s son was my boss, and her other son was also on my team. To this day, I have no idea what my job title was. I never signed a job offer; I never saw a job description. I was told to be quiet, put my head down, and be thankful that I had a paycheck coming while there was record unemployment due to COVID. While I was thankful to still have a job and money coming in, I fell into a deep depression. I cried everyday, and the approach of Monday filled me with dread. Chance knew just how toxic my job was and how it was affecting my mental health.

Eventually, I hit rock bottom and told Chance that I wanted to quit, even if it meant walking out without another job lined up. That's when he jumped onto bizforsale.com and found a dog grooming business for sale right down the road from us. Desperate for a change and an escape from my toxic workplace, we contacted the broker to express our interest, and before we knew it, we were under contract and signing papers. We officially acquired the business in October 2020, and putting in my two weeks' notice at my old job felt like the best feeling in the world. My plan was to work full-time at the grooming shop, managing employees and helping out as needed. Even though I'm not a dog groomer, I have a passion for dogs, and we have three rescued pups: Tango, Callie, and Gilligan.

Since I was a little girl, I have always dreamed of being a mom. In March of 2021, I found out that I was pregnant with our first son, Maverick. My pregnancy went smoothly, but the labor was not without its difficulties. However, that's a story for another blog post. Maverick was born on 12.12.21. Postpartum life was going great, and we finally got him sleeping through the night. But then, BAM! I found out I was pregnant again (my husband probably has a photo of me crying on our kitchen floor somewhere). My second pregnancy wasn't too bad, although I did experience morning sickness almost every other day in the first trimester. Walker was born on 3.6.23, and both boys were delivered via c-section.

I started No Sweat Parenting because I wanted to share my experiences and insights with other moms who are navigating the ups and downs of parenthood. I know firsthand how challenging it can be to balance everything, and I'm passionate about helping other moms feel supported and empowered. Whether you're a new parent or a seasoned pro, I hope my relatable stories and practical tips will make your parenting journey a little bit easier.