Debra Cohen had a killer job.
She was on a business trip to Paris when she found out she was pregnant with her first daughter.
That was 20 years ago.
No Interest Til Almost 2027?
He said, quit your job.
[It was about] quality of life over quantity of money.
Cohens company accommodated motherhood as best it could.
After maternity leave, she was even able to work at home some days.
But when she did go to the office, thecommutemeant she was away from home for 12 hours.
And the position still requiredtravel, which Cohen says was the hardest part.
But adjusting to life on one income wasnt easy.
They cut down toone car, eliminated eating out and didnt need daycare, but bills were piling up.
Her husband took a second job, but money was still tight.
Whats worse, she says, I was getting more bored by the minute.
About three months into full-time motherhood, she was ready for a new solution.
She looked forpart-time jobs, but theyd all require childcare, pretty much canceling out any earnings.
Full-time work wouldnt allow the flexibility she needed to be the mother she wanted to be.
I had worked my entire life, Cohen says, and I have a good head on my shoulders.
She knew she could put that to use and design the work and lifestyle her family needed.
The Aha!
Moment
In addition to starting their new family, Cohen and her husband had just purchased their first home.
The final straw was a pregnant squirrel in the attic.
The family lived in a 75-year-old house the critter easily crawled into.
The couple went through several contractors to remove the squirrel, but she kept coming back.
Cohen finally asked for a referral at the local hardware store and connected with someone new.
He educated the couple: Once a squirrel has a litter somewhere, shell return to it forever.
To get rid of her, you cant just shoo her out of the space.
You have to displace her across a body of water.
He did just that and 20 years later, hes still their go-to contractor.
Cohen was so impressed with the mans work, she wanted to spread the word.
The data pipe grew from there, Cohen says, and Home Remedies was born.
painters, plumbers, carpenters, general contractors, architects, etc.)
Contractors in the web connection pay a pre-negotiated commission for work secured and the service is free to homeowners.
When she says shes a Penny Hoarder, shes not kidding.
The loan came with 1% interest and had to be repaid within five years, she recalls.
They paid it back in six months.
Cohen remembers being so afraid to fail, she wouldnt even pay for a second phone line.
Home Remedies operated under the familys home phone number until it simply became too busy.
For extra money, she worked part time the first summer in a friends decorating store.
During the first year, expenses were minimal.
Did I mention this was 1997?
She launched the business completely offline.
Home Remedies launched long beforeCraigslistorAngies Listbecame household names.
People thought Cohen was crazy, wondering, Who would use a service like that?
But she saw the need and powered forward.
While she shares her knowledge with newer entrepreneurs, Cohen says she also benefits from this growing web link.
Working from home can beisolating, she admits.
Despite its growth, Home Remedies remains the grassroots, community-focused business Cohen started 20 years ago.
Networks are based on quality and trust, so each contractor is personally screened before shell make a referral.
No one can pay an advertising fee for a preferred listing they simply have to do impressive work.
Im glad Ive been working this whole time instead of being out of the workforce, she says.
This way I have something to do now that the kids are grown.
She wouldnt prescribe any one lifestyle to other mothers, though.
For Cohen, starting a business helped her find her balance.
Will her daughters follow in her footsteps?
It was such a part of our routine.
To them, Cohen says, she was just… She was able to do what she set out to do: be a mom to her kids.
She got creative and figured out how to put her family first without ignoring her own talents.
But theyll have a better sense of whats right for them.
Because of the environment they were raised in, Cohen believes, her daughters will understand their options.
They wont be forced to choose along strict lines between work or family.
Their mother had it all why cant they?
Dana Sitar (@danasitar) is a branded content editor at The Penny Hoarder.
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