So here we are, and here I am

It's January 2022. The pandemic continues and we are adjusting to our new circumstances. We have new habits, new rules, new guidelines that each of us follow to settle into our "new normal". Myself included. The past 2 years, well almost 3 for me really, has been one big WTF. Let's hop in the time machine and I'll give you a little refresh of what's been going on in my world for those of you that wondered to yourself "what the hell happened to Katie Myers?"... First, I am now Katie Schroeder and sometimes still catch myself not believing that I am. I have been married to my husbthe-guide-to-successful-photography-bloggingand for almost 3 years for and have been together over 13. He is my person and I knew that the day started dating, but I also had come to terms that marriage wasn't in the cards for us. It was still something that I dreamt about and held a flame for in my heart. And then on February 27th, 2018 he proposed in the most romantic way on the beach in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic. I know, I know... awwww....

In 2018 I was at the top of my game with CR Conversations, my former entrepreneurial business where I created my own series and program of sales trainings to help other entrepreneurs become comfortable with sales. I wrote a book (hint hint, that's where the blog name comes from) and I started an online training program called The Conversation Club. In addition to the biz, I was winding down my position as a Managing Director of a networking group. I was also pursuing an insanely fun hobby of djing with one of my dearest friends, Jeff, who owns an entertainment company. Needless to say, I was busy. I was gone all the time, I travelled to conferences, had speaking engagements across the country, played hard with my friends and fiance and our furbabies. Life was good.

Fast-forward to the beginning of 2019 and when my world started to shift. Now I am not a person of any specific organized faith, but I do believe that there is something energetically and spiritually bigger than little ol me out there, and whatever that is, started brewing. I began to feel an itch to change up what I was doing career-wise, I felt I had reached the catalyst of how I wanted to serve entreprenuers at the time and it simply wasn't filling my cup. However, I am no quitter, nor do I want to admit any type of defeat. So leave it up to my saving grace of a husband, Henry, to call it like it is and ask the question I kept asking myself... is there something more? In particular, is there a client that you think you could help more. Why yes, my love, yes there is. Jessica Sidener is the Founder and CEO of Night Out with "The Girls", a company specializing in early breast cancer detection and overall breast health education. A dynamic and magnetic woman. I adored working with Jess as a client and truly fell in love with her mission. The lightbulb went off and every little piece started to fall into place. I approached Jess at our next meeting about contributing more to her company and long-story short May 1, 2019 I became the COO of Night Out with "The Girls", hello shift #1.

Two weeks later, May 16th, 2019 to be exact, I married the love of my life in the most spectacular, perfect and bursting-with-love wedding I've ever experienced. I know I am biased but there wasn't a dry eye in the house when we exchanged our vows. It was visceral. You could tell everyone felt what we felt, unbridled devotion and love for one another. Now, I am Mrs. Katie Schroeder. That's shift #2.

I spent the rest of 2019 riding the blissful high of being a newlywed and wrapping up my biz. I dove right in to being a COO and have loved every single second of it, still do :). I still have this incredible position and I am grateful for it every day, more on that later...

Shift #3 came on November 5th, 2019. The day after my 32nd birthday which Henry and I celebrated quite well with delicious food and countless numbers of whiskey cocktails and champagne. I had an odd feeling that came over me at about 7am that morning and I thought what the heck, and peed on that oh-so-powerful plastic stick that changes your entire world after 3 minutes. Positive, I was pregnant. Now, we had been trying so it wasn't a complete surprise but it still came as a shock. I immediately ran into the bedroom and told Henry "I think I'm pregnant", put on shoes and went to Walgreens. My hair was completely disshoveled, makeup smeared across my face and I can't tell you what I was wearing but I am sure I hold a record somewhere for someone, of the greatest "walk of shame" they've ever seen.

Off to Walgreens I went, I bought 2 more packages of tests, 2 in each pack. I went home and peed on 4 more tests... all positive. It was really, really true. I was pregnant and going to be a Mama! The next few months were a whole other level of bliss and nesting.

I had a pretty uneventful pregnancy up until Feburary 27th, 2020. Yes, that date sounds familiar, the anniversary of when Henry proposed. Although this time instead of sand, ocean spray and coconut cocktails it was violent vomiting, cramping, dehydration and an ER visit. I had come down with the worst stomach bug I had ever experienced. I was 5 months pregnant and there was this buzz about a new virus going around that was "nothing to worry about". As I sat in the ER room watching the tech find my baby boy on the ultrasound, I asked the doctor if this new virus was anything to worry about, could this be what I have? "No, no, just as I've been telling my own family, it's nothing to worry about." I took the doctors word and stayed for another 5 hours in that hospital bed trying to keep down just one sip of gingerale. Baby was perfectly fine, they sent us home and I recovered easily in my own bed but there was still something lingering in my mind...

Okay so shift #4 is a global shift, it has affected everyone in some way. The COVID-19 pandemic hit in March 2020 and we were quarantined, I was pregnant and downright terrified. I began to take nesting to a whole new level and welcomed the movie marathons with Henry and snuggling the doggos on the couch. We are also big boardgame people so we played our boardgames, ate pizza (so much pizza) waited for the world to be safe again. I have separate posts about my experience, specifically around mental health and being a brand new parent during a pandemic so I will spare you the details here.

We kept plugging along with all the different advice, mandates and changes that came our way. Henry was laid-off from the bar industry which after many days of freaking the fuck out, we realized was an epic gift. He started his woodworking and renovations company, Hammer and Beard and probably would have never taken that leap if we weren't forced to do so. I kept going to pregnant lady hours at Target and one one fateful day, June 16th, 2020 my water broke while shopping at Target. I honestly thought I had just peed my pants a bit because I was 8 months pregnant, gigantic and that happens, so I continued on with my shopping and called my Mom when I got home. She encouraged me to call my doctor and they asked me to come in to be sure I wasn't in labor.

It was a month early and I was cool as a cucumber. I didn't feel a thing physically, and did not think that my little one was going to arrive a whole month early. Well, shift #5 here it is!

Around 2:00am on June 17th, 2020 Henry William Schroeder Jr.(aka Hank) was introduced to the world. He was absolute perfection even though he was a whole month early. It was just Henry and I at the hospital, we weren't allowed any additional visitors due to COVID protocols. When they laid Hank on my chest the world stopped, I had laser-focused vision on this perfect little being and this shift hit me like a ton of bricks. From this moment forward, everything will be different.

Over the past year and half, I pulled away from social media. I found that it did not do my mental health any good and it was best for me to stay off of it. I had made a complete 180 from the person I was in 2018. Now a wife, a mom and a COO instead of a long-term girlfriend, furbaby mom and CEO. I used to be in the public eye doing videos, trainings, speaking engagements, networking etc. and all of that slowly changed and then drastically halted. At the time I didn't realize the impact it was having on me mentally and even physically.

There was a part of me that was hidden from the world, which I welcomed on many occassions. But now, today, I am feeling empowered and inspired to share again. I am ready to contribute and to offer up a shared experience for those still figuring themselves out. Starting this blog and this website to showcase what I have created, be able to lend advice and support to others and have something to call my own, is my first real step to reclaiming my identity and purpose.

So for those of you reading this, or knew the 2018 and prior Katie, and have wondered where she went, she's been finding herself and welcoming shift #6, whatever it may be.