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Work at Home
Mom Profile
9.10.2006
 Name:
Amy Sandling Crawford
Age: 31
Home: Plano, Texas
Family's Names and Ages:
Husband, Ben, 32
Daughter, Elizabeth Grace, 4 months
Job Title:
Freelance Writer and Public Relations Consultant
Job Description:
Currently I write freelance feature articles for a local
magazine. I have also done freelance publicity and
marketing work for a variety of companies in the Dallas
area.
How I Started My Business:
I worked for a well-known Dallas public relations agency
for almost nine years prior to having our daughter.
Knowing I wanted to stay home with her, I started my
own consulting practice before Elizabeth's birth so I'd
be set up to work from home after she arrived. My big
agency boss was open the idea of my working flex time,
part at home and part in the office...and I'd been doing
freelance magazine writing at night and on weekends
while working my "day job". Now, since Elizabeth's
birth, I have the flexibility to pick and choose the
projects I want to take on. Right now, I am doing small
jobs that can take place during nap-time or when my
husband is home.
My Typical Work Schedule:
Since I work for a magazine that is published monthly,
my deadlines are very spaced out, which is nice. I can
fit in interviews, research, writing and other duties
during nap times or when my husband is home. It's a
huge blessing to be able to focus on our daughter and be
able to utilize my writing and journalism skills. It's
hard to quantify hours involved for each project or
feature story....they are broken up into 1 and 2 hour
bits (as I said, usually during naps!) until the job is
done and the deadline is met.
What I Love About My Job:
Without a doubt, being able to be home with my daughter.
I am blessed to work in a profession where you can "do
your job from anywhere". If I have a phone and a
computer with an internet connection, I am set. I have
always loved writing and journalism. Being able to meet
new people for each project or story and "tell their
story" through a feature article or communications
program is an awesome feeling.
Challenges I Face:
It's hard to focus sometimes, when I'd rather be making
silly faces at my daughter or taking a nap of my own,
but once I sit down and "get in the groove" or writing,
it's really not so bad.
Tips and Advice:
If you have a communications or journalism degree, talk
to your boss or contacts about possible tele-commuting
or work from home opportunities...it never hurts to ask.
I wasn't sure my boss would go for it....but she said
yes!
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