This post is sponsored by Vanguard but the content and opinions expressed here are my own.
It wasn’t that long ago that it I was quitting my job in corporate America and jumping into the deep end of self-employment. I hoped, and crossed all of my fingers, that I would figure out what it meant for me sooner than later.
Not long after that, it was Nathan and me, trying to figure out how self-employment would work for us both. It wasn’t (and still isn’t) always easy, but it was important to us to make it work.
And now we’re here, in a house with a shop, figuring out how self-employment will work for us as a family with a toddler. It’s harder than it ever has been to make being an entrepreneur work, but the reward is massive.
While the work and landscape have changed, the reason hasn’t. We pursued this journey because we wanted the gift of time with our family to be our focus. And this was the best way we could chase that dream.
This year, that’s come into focus a lot more. I’ve slowed down and let things slip to spend more time with family. And as our summer came to an end, I realized how ready I was for winter. I was ready for days snow days spent indoors, giggling over movies and baking in the kitchen versus the constant rush of the warmer days.
So we made it a point to invest in our family time.
As Christmas inches closer, it’s becoming even more of a priority. This time of the year is always about family for me, but as Lily grows older – that holds even more true. I want memories with her every season, but especially during my favorite time of the year.
Putting the tree up and getting it decorated was a family affair. Movie nights while we play in the living room end our evenings instead of work. And instead of me doing the baking on my own, we started early – and did it together.
Our family date night this past week consisted of making and decorating sugar cookies so we could finally try royal icing. It was a massive failure learning experience for us all, buuuut we had SO much fun! Plus, I’m super glad we did it early in the month. Gives me a bit of time to practice!
These are memories I’ll happily look back on. Memories that are filled with laughter and joy. We spent time together as a family and every time I enjoy those delicious cookies, that’s what I think back to.
And this mentality is exactly why we’re considering Vanguard to invest with.
Vanguard embodies that mentality. Vanguard is a community of investors with a shared focus on long-term planning instead of chasing short-term fads. They aren’t after the quick buck or the timer savers. They want to help ensure that all of their members feel like they’re a part of the community for the long haul.
Vanguard knows the importance of where you invest and their clients don’t live to invest – they invest to live. Vanguard clients are 14% more likely to make time for date night compared with clients of other investment firms. Not only that, but Vanguard clients spend 6 more hours per week, on average, with their kids compared with clients of other investment firms.
Sounds like the perfect place to invest when family time is our priority, huh?
So take the time this week and invest in family time. Invest in making memories that will last a lifetime – not just until next week. Then explore what makes Vanguard investors different, and see if Vanguard is a place for you.