I’m a mother of three who was looking to develop her professional skills and start a freelance business or get design contract work, after years of staying home taking care of my kids. In September 2024, I went to the Eastern Utah Economic Summit to see what resources were available and to attempt to network. I had no idea what I was getting myself into. While there a business owner asked, who I was and why I was there? I fumbled over my words, I didn’t have any clear talking points, and I felt embarrassed, insignificant and out of place as I tried to answer his simple and important question.

I did not know how to talk about myself. After feeling out of place, I decided I wanted to find a place. I wrote down a specific reasonable goal – I listed my skills and what I liked doing and wrote down that I wanted a remote, part-time job that used my skill set, with specific pay by February 2025 – and started looking.

I was not necessarily looking for a sales job, I honestly didn’t think I had the personality, but I needed to learn how to sell myself or my services if I wanted an at-home business, or to get more contract work; the only thing I thought available to me at the time. I applied all the lessons I learned in the October Sales Professional Course and later the Remote Work Professional Course. I asked questions, applied the assignments, and took advantage of the resume, portfolio and MarketStar interview offers.

Marta and Becky, the Program Specialists, were an incredible support. Marta led the weekly meetings with professionalism and understanding of the material. The partnering company professionals had good advice and challenged me each week. And Becky provided me with some insightful and supportive feedback on my assignments and questions about how I could make the material work for me, and my personality.

I learned that sales positions are not the traditional, uncomfortable, salesperson... but someone who genuinely wants to help: help solve a problem, fix a pain-point, or provide a service. That’s all I wanted to do, use my skills and experiences to help.

I learned how to write professional emails, work as a team, and research a company. I practiced cold-calls, and how to handle a “no” response, and I worked on my resume. Becky helped me think of ways to use my 10 years of stay-at-home-mom experience as a selling-point in my resume, instead of a gap. She also gave some suggestions as I applied for the job I have now.

The Sales Professional and the Remote Professional Courses helped me to label skills I needed to develop and to identify the skills I already had. The courses introduced me to ways to manage my workflow and provided me with an understanding of remote work culture. Most importantly, I took the time to figure out what I wanted, defined my strengths and weaknesses, practiced talking about myself and I gained confidence in who I was. The encouragement I received to ask good questions and to share what I can do helped me find a position.

I now have an answer to the question, who are you, and why are you here? I shared it comfortably with my kid’s school teacher the other day. I interviewed and started a remote, part-time job in February 2025.

I am StacyAnn Maxwell, a Program Coordinator with the Remote Online Initiative’s E-Commerce Accelerator. I am a digital designer and visual communications expert who is passionate about lifelong learning and empowering others. I enjoy tackling complex projects, finding solutions and driving initiatives to success.