Blueprint Change: Transitioning from working full-time (as social worker) to being a mom and independent photographer

An Interview with Sunny Mancuso

The Basics
Age: 30
Location: Hillsboro, OR
Current occupation: Mom and Photographer
Last school attended: Pacific University
Biggest and/or most recent Blueprint Change*: Transitioning from working full-time (as social worker) to being a mom and independent photographer
*A decision you made or something that happened largely or completely out of your control

Could you elaborate on your Blueprint Change?

In college I studied Social Work and worked in that field for 6 years before deciding to have children. Once I had my daughter I decided to stop working and stay home full time. [After the change], I ran a sewing business for four years and am now working to build my photography business.

Before deciding to stay home, I was around so many people. I worked for the county doing program development and management as well as worked for two family homeless shelters. I am a really social person, and I was around a lot of people [when I was working], so transitioning to being at home was a very big change. It was very hard, because I felt a lot of isolation at first. Most of the early days were spent by myself and a small baby.

So when my daughter was around 5 months old – I decided that I wanted to do something else that would allow me to interact with other people and have projects to do, while still being at home with my daughter. I started sewing, and I ran an online website and [sold my items] at the farmer’s market every weekend. But as my daughter grew and became more active, and with the addition of my son, the sewing business became too challenging. I had to do the sewing away from my daughter and son, because they couldn’t be around the sewing machine. It was just too much to balance both work and home life and, since my family is my priority, I decided to scale back on my sewing business.

Sunny with her family

I have always had a deep love of photography and being able to capture moments in time. After my son was born my passion for photography grew even more because I wanted to document our growing family. I started taking classes and studying photography and eventually decided to open a business focusing on family photography. Photography is something that I have always loved and it’s something that I can do with my kids – which I love. That was the whole point; I wanted to still be present and engaged at home with them. I wanted do something that I could involve them in. [Photography] is something that combines both my home life and my business.

What was the most challenging part of this change and how did you adapt?
The hardest transition was leaving my work as a social worker to be at home. Just because it was so completely different. Like I said, I was around people all the time [when I was working]. Also, we are conditioned to think that we go to school and then work, and that’s how it’s going to be. I had never thought about just staying home. Then when I made the decision to stay home, I realized how happy I was. 

Every day was something new. There was always something changing or happening. It was just so worth it. I never regret staying home. I am so thankful that I have had the opportunity to stay home with my kids and still do. I am so grateful that I get to witness my children grow up and to be there for all the milestones.

[Even though] my family is my priority and my main focus, I think it's important to remember that you can also do something that's just for you too and that's okay. I started doing photography, because it was something that was separate. It was something that was for me.

Could you share a piece of advice from your experiences (e.g. something that you thought about a lot during changes)?
I think it’s really important to be happy, but the thing is, no one is going to make you happy. You have to decide what makes you happy. If working makes you happy, you should do that. If staying home raising your family makes you happy, you should do that. You shouldn't feel like you are just confined to one path. You can enjoy two worlds at the same time. That’s my advice to give people. If you are struggling or if you feel like something is not right, explore other options. That’s what I did. I mean, I wanted to work but I really wanted to stay home, and that’s why I was able to find something that I was so passionate about – something that combined both my wants. 

[And to find the thing that you are so passionate about], think about what it is that you are naturally drawn to. If you have free time, what are you doing? What are you learning about? What are you researching? What are you talking about? I think that’s the biggest indicator of what you want to pursue.

I practiced social work and I loved it. I loved loved loved it. I worked at two homeless shelters and worked with the county on macro level social work and in direct service at the shelter. But then, when I had my daughter and I went back to work, I was miserable. I realized that it wasn't for me anymore. It might be later on, but I was working with other families and felt like I was missing out on my own. And once I made the decision to leave work and to stay home, I was so much happier. Once you find something you love you will never question it, if you are questioning if what you are doing is the right path then it most likely isn't. I never question the path I am on because for me it's the right one.

Thanks Sunny for sharing! You help me remember that we always have options to explore.