Plot Twist: It’s Me Again

Elizabeth Catlett, Which Way, 1973, photo: Axel Schneider

For over a decade, I existed in what many now call the “gig economy”—before it was considered admirably entrepreneurial. Back in the early 2010s, freelancing and contracting were often code for “unemployable” or “unmanageable”. But for me, it was freedom. I consulted, I created, I navigated. I built a life on my own terms. 

By 2020, I decided to formalize what I had built into a small agency. Then, the world shifted. Covid happened. Like many, I pivoted—this time into federal contracting, partnering with my sister. It was stable, steady, and less susceptible to the chaos. And then life shifted again. I got married. I had my first child. My husband and I began investing in real estate. I stepped back from my pursuits and continued assisting family business.

By 2024, with a second child on the way, I did something I hadn’t done in over 12 years—I took a traditional 9-5 job with a prestigious federal agency. It felt like the right time for security, predictability, and, truthfully, a little ease. We relocated to Washington, DC. I was ready for a new chapter.

But life, yet again, had other plans. A new administration. A sweeping executive order. Eight months in, I accepted the infamous federal buyout with paid administrative leave.

And now… here I am.

Sitting in the quiet, listening. Remembering. Reflecting. Not just on what I can do—but what I’m excellent at. What I love to do. The gifts I buried under years of survival, motherhood, pivoting, and reinvention.

So when people ask, “What do you do?”—I’m working on answering without computing a calculus equation in my head.
Stay tuned. The next chapter is already writing itself.