Reader,

It's been almost 10 years, but I'll never forget climbing those office steps thinking, 'There has to be more than this.'

I had the title. I had the salary. But sitting in another pointless meeting while my kids were at daycare, I realized I was living someone else's definition of success.

The 3rd Path

Here's what led me to the 3rd path:

After a failed 6-figure café venture left us in debt, I thought I had only two choices: climb the corporate ladder or stay home with the kids.

The corporate path felt like a trap. Starting over with a business felt impossible as the primary breadwinner.

That's when I discovered the 3rd path: Keep your paycheck while building a side business.

This isn't about "hustle culture" or working 80-hour weeks. It's about using your job as your business funding strategy while you build something that gives you time and financial freedom.

For working moms like us, this is the only sustainable way to create the career we actually want.

3 Signs You're Ready

Sign #1: You catch yourself thinking 'I could do this better'

When COVID hit and everyone suddenly worked from home, I was vindicated. I'd been suggesting this for years, only to be told 'it would never work.'

That frustration with outdated systems? That's your business brain talking.

Sign #2: Colleagues treat you like their personal consultant

People constantly asked me to review their emails and presentations. I was basically freelance coaching inside my 9-5.

If people already come to you for help, you have a skill worth monetizing.

Sign #3: You daydream about controlling your schedule

I called mine my 'WFAAA dream' - work from anywhere, anytime, with anyone.

If you're tired of asking permission to pick up your sick kid or attend the school play, you're ready.

Your 3rd Path Audit

Before you do anything else, answer these:

• What energizes you at work vs. drains you?
• What do colleagues always ask your help with?
• What would you do with 3 extra hours per week?
• What would $2,000 extra per month change for your family?

I did a 2-week time audit, tracking everything I did and how it felt. Eye-opening.

I also mapped out our finances to see exactly what 'freedom' would cost. (Hint: It was less than I expected.)

Start Here

This week: Track your time and energy for 7 days. Notice patterns.

Mindset shift: You're not 'just an employee'. You're someone with valuable expertise that people will pay for.

Normal fear: 'I'm not qualified enough'. Every working mom feels this. Your qualifications are the problems you've already solved and the results you've already delivered.

The only difference between you and someone making money from their expertise? They decided to start.

In Closing...

I won't sugarcoat this: My path to the 3rd way was messy.

I started my first business right after university (a children's party business where I dressed up as mascots). Turns out I don't actually like kids' parties that much. Back to corporate I went.

After having kids, I tried three more times to start businesses. Three more failures. I started believing I wasn't cut out for entrepreneurship.

It wasn't until I made my first dollar from an online course, then signed my first coaching client, then made $20k freelancing as a trainer that I finally believed: You can build a business alongside your 9-5, even as a mom.

Here's why this matters so much to me:

The traditional 9-5 wasn't designed for us. It was built when men were breadwinners and women stayed home. But today? We're often both the primary earner AND the primary caregiver.

The work world hasn't caught up to our reality.

I believe the 3rd path is our solution. With today's technology, there's no reason we can't build lucrative, flexible careers that work around our families instead of against them.

As you start your 3rd path, it will feel messy. Unclear. Frustrating.

That's normal. That's growth.

If this working mom could stumble through almost a decade of figuring it out, you absolutely can too.

Start small. Start imperfect. Just start.

I'm building right alongside you,

Sharon

Prefer listening to me talk about this on the podcast?

Click to listen on your favourite podcast player:

Ready to design your 3rd path?

Join my priority list for Career By Design: https://sharonsinghsidhu.com/redesign​