Meet Pat Fenner

 November 2008

I’m a homeschooling mom.  I’ve been at home with my 5 children for over 14 years.  My life has revolved around baseball and soccer games, the library and museum, Wal-mart and the grocery store. Until fairly recently, I don’t remember the last time I sat down to read a complete newspaper (although I do remember reading The NY Times in college), and also until fairly recently the only books I read were either school books (for my kids) or homeschool-related (for me).  My computer training consisted of a college class in Basic, when computers were programmed using rectangular cards with holes punched in them; and I used a “green screen” during my (pre-kid) years working at IBM.  So using my name and the phrases “computer geek” or “techie” in the same sentence would definitely have created an oxymoron.  But I did get married and did have kids, and they did grow up, and despite having me for their mother, they did learn how to use (and became quite proficient at) modern computers.  When my daughter first left for college 2 years ago, I finally entered the 21st century.

Now you know who I am!  I’m your sister or your friend or your cousin or your neighbor or your girlfriend - maybe I’m a bit of you, as well!  And, incredulous as it may seem, I have a home business.

It started innocently enough.  I got involved with an international health and wellness company because I had hoped to supplement our family’s income.  I hated watching my husband work long hours and have to travel to find work in the construction industry, and I was always concerned about my family’s health, so it seemed the perfect business opportunity.  I would work from my home so we could continue homeschooling; the kids would help; the burden would be lifted from my husband - what could go wrong?  Well, I loved the products, but I hated selling - at least the way I was being taught.  I didn’t have the money to get my first order of inventory (it went on a credit card), but my “upline” kept telling me if I had enough faith I would make it all back.  (Just the first of many, how shall I say, “inaccuracies.")

Long story short, as I searched the internet to find ways to build my business at home, rather than from home, and not spend my children’s financial inheritance in the process, I found I was learning new skills and loving it!!  I’m learning computer skills: how to build a website, how to blog, how to use Facebook and Twitter and social sites.  I’m learning how to network: meet and make connections with other business-people, market myself and advertise my skills.  I’m learning how to write: I’ve even become brave enough (or crazy enough!) to write about topics like feminism and Sarah Palin, and the current financial crisis - from the humble perspective of a homeschooling mom, of course.  I’m learning where and who to ask for help when I need it: technical questions, marketing questions, content questions.  I’m learning to live out all the things I’ve been teaching and telling my kids to do these many years: stretch yourself, try new things, don’t be afraid to learn, find out where to get information when you need it!

My head still spins as I reflect on how far I’ve come.  It so encourages and energizes me! I know that if I can do it, you can, too. Yes, it takes hard work, effort, persistence through a steep learning curve at times, but words could never express how it feels to draw deep inside me to find the gifts that God had hidden there, and the amazing satisfaction it brings to watch them grow and be available to help others.  Let me encourage you today to try something new.  Maybe a home business isn’t for you - but don’t rule it out, either.  Especially in today’s economy, the future will require us all to be a little more creative than we may have been in the past, in terms of creating income.

But regardless of what it is, don’t keep a lid on your light!  Before you go to bed tonight, try something that’s “out of the box” for you - and then tell someone about it!  You can even tell me ;-)!  (Hey, I’ll post it on my blog if you want, and give you your 15 minutes of fame!!)  Better yet, how ‘bout I show you how to create your own blog?  Then you can tell everybody ;-)

Pat Fenner is a 40+ year-old veteran homeschooler of 14 years.  Her passion is to help homeschoolers ~ and other at-home moms ~ tap into their unique interests and abilities to develop a viable home business.  Using Web 2.0 and the principles of attraction marketing, she coaches small business owners on free and low-cost ways to get their message out without breaking their budget! Visit her blog and get a FREE report on attraction marketing when you sign up for her Learning and Earning at Home! newsletter. You can also follow her on twitter.