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 HOMESTART A PROGRAMABOUT DERBY LITEFAQSCONTACT US SHOP |
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After a 20 year career in direct and database marketing, I escaped the job-a-year plan of corporate America in by starting small businesses serving women like me: first, a specialized wedding gift registry (as I was getting married), and then designing custom nurseries and baby blankets (as I was becoming a mom), and helping my husband with his new law firm. The flexibility of entrepreneurship and a supportive husband encouraged me to go for it when a friend suggested I join the Windy City Rollers in 2004 at the age of 42, with no athletic ability and not having roller skated in over 26 years. "Could be fun," I thought.
Two amazing years and one Ivy King Cup League Championship later, I retired from WCR when my son, who'd been in afternoon kindergarten when I started playing roller derby, had 11 tardies his first semester of first grade because mommy couldn't get up on time after late night practices. I'd also become concerned about injury: it was already a challenge to run my baby business, manage law firm marketing, wrangle two active little boys and do laundry in a three story house – much less even think about doing it all on crutches.
I took a year off, but ended up missing skating so much and needing exercise so badly that I got permission from my kids' principal to skate in the school gym. Missing the social aspects and knowing I needed to make a commitment to ensure I'd actually show up, I emailed a bunch of friends to see if anyone wanted to join me.
One email led to another and before I knew it, things grew quickly beyond the concept of me and a few friends skating around to Abba in a gym. Organizing DERBY LITE became a part-time job that paid for my passion: I get to roller skate every week with awesome ladies while keeping my body, heart & head in pretty good shape.
They say the third time’s the charm, and here I am again… running a small business serving women like me. It’s the perfect work/life balance. |
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I might have been voted local mom least likely to own a fitness business. And my journey with DERBY LITE started with anything but business on my mind. I fell in love with skating and the idea of DERBY LITE as one of the original members in 2007. I’ve been skating ever since and became more and more involved in the day to day operations of DERBY LITE along the way. In 2009, DERBY LITE was incorporated and I became a co-owner!
The 15 years I spent in corporate management supporting clients for a large telecommunications company gave me many great opportunities to develop relationships with clients, and to manage a staff. I know what it takes to roll out products and programs, to install complex services, and to keep customers happy while doing it. However, frequent corporate changes in direction and reorganizations, plus two small children led me to leave the corporate world in 2004.
I slowly adjusted to being at home, never having planned to stop working permanently. Like many women, I really hoped for a part-time job that would give a balanced life and a sense of satisfaction in my work. I also finally had the time to take my own fitness more seriously, and was able to join a gym and start yoga. I liked feeling healthy and felt like I was ready for more.
That's when I got an email forwarded by a friend from someone I didn’t know who went by "Queen B," about a new recreational roller derby group in my neighborhood, I don’t think I hesitated very long. I ordered skates and gear before ever being on skates (since high school anyway) and showed up for the first practice without skates (because they hadn’t shown up yet). I have been skating regularly ever since.
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