Meet Hay There Social Media INsider: SonSeri Kennedy

Hay There INsider
SonSeri Kennedy

SonSeri Kennedy has lived all over the world, and as a mom, she focused on raising her kids. So, when this proud military spouse with an MBA wanted to get back into the workforce, she needed to find work – and work that was flexible – but she couldn’t make it through the door. Until she decided to create her own business and have Hay There Social Media help her do just that.

“This all happened during Covid – so my children went to hybrid learning. The fact I was still able to focus on running a business while my children were at home, it fit in,” SonSeri said.

 

The Resume Gap

Unfortunately, the work world often looks at a resume gap from moms who put their careers on hold to devote time to their families as a negative. But why?! SonSeri had about a decade of a gap on her resume – when she was living overseas in Bosnia, Romania, France, Germany, two different tours in Germany, and then Albania for a short period. Think of all the experience she gained during that time…even though it wasn’t on her resume.

She had the skills, the life experiences, and the know-how – and even spent time updating her skills in marketing. But she still couldn’t find a job to suit her needs.

Then she started looking on Après, the working mom’s guide to reentering the workforce and navigating career gaps. That’s where she noticed that Hay There Social Media trains moms to run their own social media business – and she knew that was what she was meant to do.

 

How She Found Flexible Work for Moms

“I was nervous but I think less nervous because I knew there was a support network through the group of other moms that had done the course before me,” SonSeri said.

So SonSeri took the Hay There Social Media INsiders Training, and then she was equipped to start taking on her own clients right away.

“Just knowing that I had other women that I could fall back on for help and support eased my anxiety a bit,” SonSeri said.

After completing the Hay There Social Media Core Training, SonSeri worked on an account referred to her by Hay There (which was her first paying client).  Right after that, SonSeri took off running – and got another paying client.

“It was exciting…I felt empowered, I felt like I was actually a business owner,” SonSeri said. “It felt great knowing that I was working again.  I no longer had a gap.”

 

Mompreneur Success Story

And it turned out that SonSeri already had the abilities…and she flourished after learning the skills to start her own social media business.

“I felt most confident about creating, and confident because I had worked out a process that was efficient,” SonSeri said. “And I felt confident about my writing skills; I could crank out a calendar and weekly content.”

However, we all get a little nervous at times. SonSeri was no different – but she tackled that head-on, with her Hay There support network.

“I was most nervous about performing the other duties a business owner does, and wearing all the hats,” SonSeri said. “I was still trying to figure out the best way to run and scale my business.”

So how exactly did she plow through that? By her own admission, “lots of google searches and asking questions in the Slack community.”

Because the “Slack community” is where all the women who have gone through the Hay There Social Media Core Training – and the Hay There Social Media founder, Emily A. Hay, and her team – all actively participate in conversations and help each other, with questions large and small.

 

Work + Life Integration

But the best part of starting her own social media business?

“It’s great work + life integration,” SonSeri said. “I’ve been able to be present for my family; my youngest especially.”

 

Emily A. Hay

Founder & Instructor at Social Media Manager Training Courses
Creator of flexible work opportunities for moms since 2009 | Shared our journey in FAIR PLAY Documentary by Reese’s Hello Sunshine based off Eve Rodsky’s book 🎥 | Work+Life Integrator 👩‍💻 👧 👧

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