When I was first laid off from USAID, I had a vision of what life after government service would look like. I imagined building a portfolio of fractional consulting clients, working on projects I cared about, and creating the kind of flexibility that would allow me to spend more time with my daughter.

Reality, as it often does, had other plans.

A few months ago, a friend connected me with an opportunity to manage social media for a nonprofit organization. It wasn’t something I had actively been pursuing, but it felt like a natural fit. The organization is mission-driven, focused on issues I care deeply about, and the work allows me to continue contributing to causes that matter.

After nearly two decades in international development and public service, I wasn’t sure what came next. I knew I wanted to stay connected to social impact work, but I also wanted the freedom to experiment with different ways of working. This opportunity gave me exactly that.

The most interesting part has been using a completely different skill set.

Throughout my career, I managed multimillion-dollar portfolios, built partnerships, oversaw programs, and navigated government bureaucracy. Now I’m thinking about social media algorithms, audience engagement, content calendars, website updates, and how to translate complex issues into content people actually want to read.

It’s a different kind of challenge, and I’m enjoying it.

What has surprised me most, however, is how much my perspective on work has changed since becoming a mother.

Initially, I hoped to have two fractional clients. On paper, it seemed reasonable. More clients meant more income and faster progress toward rebuilding my career.

Then reality arrived in the form of a five-month-old baby.

I have learned that one client is more than enough.

Between feedings, naps, tummy time, laundry, doctor appointments, and all the countless tasks that come with caring for an infant, my available work hours are far more limited than I imagined. Every hour of focused work requires planning, flexibility, and sometimes a little luck.

And honestly, that’s okay.

For years, I measured success by how much I could accomplish. Now I am learning to measure it differently. Success might look like completing a project during nap time, writing a social media post while the baby plays beside me, or simply maintaining a healthy balance between work and motherhood.

There is another realization I’ve had recently.

For years, I regretted not having a baby during the COVID-19 pandemic. I looked at all those people working remotely and thought maybe I had missed an opportunity. If I had a baby then, I reasoned, I could have avoided daycare costs and continued working from home.

Now that I am actually caring for a baby while trying to work, I see things differently.

Working remotely is still working.

A baby doesn’t care that you’re on a Zoom call. They don’t understand deadlines, meetings, or urgent emails. They need to be fed, comforted, entertained, changed, and loved regardless of what’s happening on your work calendar.

I now realize that trying to work full-time remotely while caring for a young child would have been incredibly difficult for me. Some parents made it work during the pandemic because they had no choice, and I have even more respect for them now. But looking back, I know it would have stretched me beyond my limits.

This season of life is teaching me something I have always struggled with: capacity.

Just because I can do something doesn’t mean I should.

Right now, one client is enough. One mission-driven organization is enough. A few hours of meaningful work each week is enough.

There will be time later to grow, take on more clients, and expand my business. But my daughter will only be five months old once.

For now, I’m grateful for a friend who made a connection, a nonprofit that took a chance on me, and an opportunity that allows me to stay connected to meaningful work while embracing this new chapter of motherhood.

Sometimes rebuilding a career doesn’t happen through giant leaps.

Sometimes it starts with one client, one introduction, and one small step forward.