Why I am Thankful I Lost My Job

The Day Everything Changed

It was 5:30 on a Wednesday when a meeting popped onto my calendar. The next morning I was set to meet with my boss’s boss — someone I knew, but rarely worked with. I didn’t think much of it. In fact, I was almost excited. I had been putting in long hours and tackling some big projects. Maybe this was something good.

Ten minutes before the meeting, my phone buzzed. A co-worker texted me: she had just been laid off. My stomach dropped. I walked into my husband’s office and said, “I think I’m about to lose my job.” And sure enough, I did. Our department was downsized, and suddenly, the life I knew had shifted overnight.

It was terrifying — but it was also freeing.

Living a Double Life

For years, I had been balancing two worlds: a corporate design job by day, and the beginnings of Nat Marie Design by night. I poured every spare hour into building my dream, always telling myself I needed to wait until I was “ready.”

Wait until I had more savings.
Wait until I was a stronger designer.
Wait until life felt more stable.

But when that safety net was pulled away, I realized something important: there is no perfect time. Sometimes, life nudges you — or shoves you — into the very thing you were meant to do all along.

Building Something Different

Nat Marie Design isn’t just a business to me; it’s a calling. Over the years I’ve seen how design is often treated as surface-level — a logo here, a color palette there. But I believe design should be deeper than that. It should be rooted in strategy, in story, in collaboration.

At the studio, our work isn’t just about visuals. It’s about creating brands that feel alive, thoughtful, and human. It’s about helping entrepreneurs and organizations see their vision translated into something tangible, something that makes people stop, connect, and remember.

Most of all, it’s about relationships. I want every project to feel like a partnership — one where ideas flow, creativity thrives, and the end result is something we’re both proud of.

What’s Next?

When I think back to the day I was laid off, I don’t see it as the end of something. I see it as the beginning. That moment gave me the push I needed to step fully into this dream — to stop waiting and start building.

And truthfully? I don’t know exactly where this journey will take me, but I do know this: I’m having the time of my life building Nat Marie Design into something that feels bigger than myself.

If you’ve read this far, thank you. Sharing this part of my story is vulnerable, but it’s also a reminder — for me and for you — that sometimes the unexpected detour is the very path you were meant to walk.

So here’s to the next chapter. And just know: whatever your dream is, I’m cheering you on too.