All of my Job Titles for the last 20 years. . . .
First and foremost, MOM. I am. . . . was a mom to a sweet sensitive boy named Jerome and a little firecracker named Kiara. I currently have a little 6 month old dog named Lola. I lived for these kiddos for 17yrs 10 months and 2 days. I moved from my home August 01, 2018. I had to save myself from the life that I was living outside my kids. More on that later.
I was a CNA beginning the summer of 2000. I took a break when I got pregnant with Jerome and was afraid of getting kicked. I returned to it when I moved to Denver because I needed a night time job. You see, when we moved to Denver babysitting was not $10 a day it was more like $50-75. I would literally be working to pay daycare. I didn't want to leave my little boy to be raised by someone else at such a price. I transferred my license from NM and became a Tele Tech. A telemetry tech watches the portable heart monitors placed on patients in the hospital. During that time period, I learned how to do EKGs, draw blood, change tube feeding, wound care, unit secretary (I was a PRO at deciphering doctors written orders), unit management assistance, nurse supervisor assistance, I learned all about ventilators and tracheostomies. You name it, if it would make my job interesting, I was all for it. My hunger for knowledge and my people skills made the job so fun while I was at work. When I went home at the end of the 12 hour shift, I was called an ass wiper in front of my children. I was berated for having a college degree and being a low paid loser that picked up after nurses. Being a CNA allowed me to be the mom I wanted to be. Because I had a night job as a Nurse Aide I learned so much about medicine by working EVERY department. I was able to work nights and weekends and be with my babies all week. It allowed me the flexibility to pick up extra shifts while I learned other skills in the outside world. I even got to work special tasks like Surgical Supply, where I learned so much about surgeries and what it took to make it happen. I ended my CNA career, but kept my license and BLS certification in 2019. I realized that I leaned a little too hard on my CNA back up job and that inhibited my focus on my long term goal. Ernesto also helped me realize that I could not take pride in being a CNA because my Ex had made me feel so bad about my job that I had formulated a hefty amount of head trash in relation to that job and the way it made me feel after so many years. Its been almost a year and I respect all my years as a CNA; I learned SO much, I made so many friends, I am proud that I was a CNA. We are in the middle of the Coronavirus Pandemic, if I need to I can get my old job back and jump right in to help.
In 2012 two of my friends influenced me into starting a daycare. Michelle was a mom of Jerome's classmate and Kristin was a mom of Jerome's football teammate. Kristin showed me the ropes about licensing and classes etc. My parents helped me with licensing fees. I was up and running by the fall. I loved it. Daycare was pretty awesome. I got to hang out with babies all day, take care of my household, play with toys, drive my kids wherever they needed to go, attend all school functions, and make great money. I had the weekends off unless a parent needed help, in which I had higher prices ( so it was a win win). I learned so much about the child Psyche. I made great friends, and learned so much more about crafts and activities. I ended my daycare when my ex got a promotion to manager at night. He was home all day and didn't like the kids being in "his house". He constantly complained about their boogers and kids germs. I cried so hard when I closed my daycare August 1, 2014. I wish that I had been in a different mindset to just go buy my own house and move my daycare there, I definitely could afford it. Well the journey had to continue I guess. I returned to the CNA world full time again.
I was spoiled now. I could no longer be satisfied with being a CNA. I could get my RN/BSN by entering the fast track program at Regis and NOT work. That would not do in my life. I was not allowed to anything for myself. That meant that I had to strategically find my way out of the hospital world while remaining
I started with a temp agency in 2015 and got my first office job as a receptionist at a Security Outfitter. I Loved It!! I was given the overflow jobs and filing that hadn't been done in several months along with my schedule management, phone answering and door greeting job. It was 7 weeks of awesomeness. I worked really hard to finish my tasks so that I could get on to the next. I learned several software platforms and got better at Microsoft office. I learned how to schedule luncheons, ordering supplies, schedule managers, technology and other administrative jobs. I made my first Job Manual to carry around with me. It detailed EVERY task I learned in the 7 weeks of employment, all passwords, all contacts. I left it behind when I left. My seven weeks were up in the blink of an eye. I unfortunately made less than I did as a CNA so I used this assignment on my resume to keep on going.
In 2015 while hanging out with entrepreneur football moms, I met Evelyn Cartagena- Meyer. She was involved in TransAmerica/WFG. She helped me get started with Life and Health Insurance Licensing. Those tests were so difficult. In fact I missed my health test by one point and my mother sent me money to retake my test. I was not supported in this "get rich quick scheme". If I thought being a CNA was bad, my Homelife was really rough during this gig. I still worked as a CNA, for money. I took time away to attend meetings and I even went to Las Vegas, NV for the 1st time!!! I didn't become a financial planner and the hustle of that entrepreneurship was not for me. Timing is everything and it was not my time. I learned about self-employement and that I wasn't crazy for wanting to have my own schedule. I wasn't crazy for wanting something bigger. I was not dreaming when I wanted to be someone. Just because I think outside the box, didn't mean I was embarking on a "get rich quick scheme". I learned so much about money and investing. I learned about self help books. I learned about mindfulness and mindset. I realized that in order to make it in this world, I needed to have something that created income without killing me, so I could come back and use my new skills. I am no longer affiliated with WFG. I still have all my friends I made there and my connections. I still use those connections today. I'm a natural networker! I still hold onto my insurance license because I worked my booty off for these licenses. I currently have ONE client in a healthcare policy.
Winter of 2016 my Surgery Supply Assignment ended and I was trying to figure out what my next step was. My friend Christine called me and told me that her tax person was looking for some office help. I called them and they hired someone. A week later they called me back and I started seasonal in a tax office! It was a little hard at first. Taxes were a whole different ball game. I worked really hard and wrote LOTS and LOTS of notes. I learning something new. I started out entering data into the program. I was in charge of the schedule and calling clients. My bosses were a husband and wife. I love people (the sociologist in me). The husband X was so amazing and smart. He got so absorbed in the numbers. The wife B was a socialite. She spent the entire month of February going on birthday lunches and planning her daughters wedding. She was a peculiar sort. She would act really nice but was so mean! She would come behind me and "rub" my shoulders very painfully. At the end of the week I would get paid and B would yell "why are you working so much!!!!". X finally told her our business has increased. "Crystal is clearing up a lot of the little tasks and it has made it possible for us to grow and take more clients". Besides the boss abuse, I had fresh flowers on my desk, I got massage gifts, I felt important. I saw the way that X treated B (even though she was Freakin nuts). He treated her like a Queen. B didn't do anything for X, but he was so proud to have his wife.
I did not plan on returning because of B. But when I did the Admissions Coordinator job, I would rather be compensated for my time and deal with a little abuse (after all my Homelife was a perfect foundation for this LMAO) than to be in that position.
I returned for a second, third and fourth season.
My second and third season were filled with learning, growing, flexibility so I didn't miss any kiddo events, networking and long hours. I forgot to mention that after each of these seasons, I used my bonus and took the rest of the school year off to enjoy my BABIES!!! Kiara and I took a week long trip to NM (Jerome was like his dad and never wanted to go) and I was able to pay for her themed birthday parties ( 9th movie party, 10th Great Wolf Lodge, 11th Dave & Busters). I took my tax class the fall of 2018 through H&R Block. I returned for the 2019 tax season with hopes of moving up and seeing if I wanted to progress with my Enrolled Agent education. 2019 Season I was turned into a w-2 employee. No perks, no overtime, less pay (due to taxes), more work, even more B abuse. This time she was roping X into it. I had to do all my tasks within 40 hours during the week -schedule maintenance, follow up with clients, do a huge portion of the taxes if not all, answer calls, no answering the door-whew, reorganize people's business records, re-typing peoples spreadsheets. NO overtime, so I didn't work extra hours. B disciplined me in front of clients for helping them. These people were her friends!! She kept telling me how this was her business over and over. Ernesto was my first full client and he would visit me every now and then when I had to stay late to finish up a goal (tax files within a date). He was a witness to B's behavior towards me. She didn't want me to grow. She lured me in this year with promises of profit sharing. I realized that during my single mom hustle, I made more money doing what I was doing in less hours than this. I had no issues with my other jobs. I told her that I was not returning. At the end of the season I got a letter saying that I had too many errors and I would not be receiving my bonus. I was so bummed, I was depending on that money. Luckily that life lesson didn't cost me a thing.
I had always been filled with regret from not using my degree. I have a Bachelors in Criminology. The paper says "Sociology/Anthropology with an emphasis in Criminology". I think one of the reasons I felt silly working as a CNA was because I actually was educated. I made it my mission to get a job with my degree. I became an Admission Coordinator in a Drug and Alcohol Rehab October of 2016. This was the same time my cousin started her journey into therapy/counseling. I utilized her education to teach me about drugs and the paraphernalia associated with it. I learned that I was green when it came to substance usage. I was killer at connecting with new intakes and ALL the paperwork that came along with it. I utilized all that I had learned about addictive behaviors and the sociology of substance abuse. I was on fire!! I loved partaking in daily client summary sessions with the therapists. I learned how to function in a Google based computer system. I attended mixers with other rehabs for marketing. The only problem with this job was my pay. I was salary and because my lovely co-coordinator was in remission she convinced the owner to give me every darn task besides being on the phone with new clients. I was drowning. I was getting called in the middle of the night, leaving football games for potential clients in crisis, spending nights in the ER so that I can admit the client the next morning, driving people around in my personal car, carrying two phones everywhere I went, working holidays. If it wasn't for my management and organizational skills, I would have drowned. I made a Job Manual here too. It was to the point where people would ask me for my instructional pages to help them out in a world of complete chaos. I kept it and still have it. I learned at this job that I loved being in charge. I love having authority. I am strong enough to survive in the midst of chaos and I have the ability to make sense of it. Now I need to get paid for it. I saw my tax bosses at church and they asked me if I was returning. I shouted YES! I would rather deal with that kind of crazy than the one I was currently in.
With tax season and organizing people's files, I figured I would be good at keeping people's books. I reached out to friends and got a bookkeeping gig in August 2018. The same month I moved!! I learned so much from A. I still work for her. She is a spiritual teacher. I upkeep spreadsheets tracking payments for sessions and retreats. I keep track of 5 accounts. Pay her credit card. Pay invoices and track all spending. A bought me a Mac to do my work with. She has taught me so much. She is a great sounding board when I am rolling around issues in my head. I started working for a quickbooks expert doing Quickbooks online and I was able to get two clients under him that I fixed their books. One was a business consultant and the other was a start up electrical company. The QB expert was in Centennial and he was super busy with his adoption agency he worked FT. I started to grow in my loan signing business so I didn't pick up any new clients from him. To be honest the clients I did have, had some serious book issues. I succeeded in fixing them at night and on the weekends. I still help my friends do their books and consult with friends in organizing their finances.
and finally my most current job for at least 6 more years. . . . . LOL
Loan Signing Agent
June 7, 2017 I went with Jeremy to On Tap Credit Union to refinance our home. The guys there helping us didn't work at the bank and I got to talking with them and realized that they did this independently and made decent money to do it as well. I started the process a few months later. I became a Colorado Notary Public and then I began the Notary Signing Agent process. In 2017 I had 7 loans. In 2018 I had 90 loans. In 2019 I had 274 Loans. Up to date I have 188 loans. It has been 2yrs and 7mos. I love my job. I have flexibility, learned so much about loans and real estate transactions, I make decent money. This is my main job. The job that pays for my living expenses, Subie's payment, child support to the man who never let me find a suitable job, attorney's fees, and I have a little remaining for me. I have met so many awesome people and seen so many beautiful homes and rural towns. Life is Good.
I want my kids to know that you can be whatever you want. I am successful and I am not even working in the capacity of my degree! Being self employed is nice and gives me the flexibility that I love. Every now and then I take some time off to visit my family or travel.
