A Different Way of Doing This Work

Thoughts of a Stay at Home Mom Going Back to Work

By Jana N. Yost

I am intentionally changing the model of how I show up in this work. Not because the traditional way is wrong, but because it no longer fits who I am or how I believe women are best supported. I want to meet women where they already are in their lives, not only in scheduled sessions or structured spaces, but in the everyday places where real life happens.

My perspective has been shaped by season of reinvention. I spent fifteen years as an educator where I felt seen showing up for others every day. Much of my life has been shaped by military service and other serving professions, where plans often change and stability was never guaranteed. Then I stepped fully into life as a stay-at-home-mom, where the work was meaningful, and largely unseen. Now, as I return to life as a working professional. I carry both worlds with me.

I want to be able to say hi to my clients in public without awkwardness or distance. I want to see them at school events, community gatherings, coffee shops, and games. I want to watch them win, grow, take risks, and step into fuller versions of themselves. I do not want to disappear when a program is over. Support should feel human, not hidden.

So much of women’s growth happens outside of quiet rooms and formal conversations. It happens in carpool lanes, work meetings, family transitions, and moments when no one else is watching. This model allows me to walk alongside women in those spaces with encouragement and presence. Not as an expert above them, but as someone who understands the weight they carry without underestimating themselves.

This work is about forward movement, not fixing. About connection, not containment. I believe women grow best when they feel seen and validated beyond an appointment. Changing this model allows me to stay connected to community, invested in long term growth, and fully present to the women I support.