From Finance to Fabric: Searching for Work-Life Balance

Three years ago, I made a big life decision. I left a stable career in finance, where I had spent years climbing the ladder.

I graduated from Auburn (where I met my wife, Bri) in 2011 and moved to Nashville for a job at the Tennessee Department of Financial Institutions. A few years later, I'm working on the trading floor of an investment bank. A few years after that, I'm at a hedge fund that manages over a billion dollars.

I loved my job and the founders of the fund were nice, intellectually curious people, and you're lucky to have that on Wall Street.

When I told my friends and family that I was leaving my job to buy a quilting company, they were confused. My parents knew that I enjoyed my finance job. Some former colleagues who had become my close friends (and were much smarter than me) were asking if they could apply for my job.

Further doubt crept in when I realized that 18 year old me would be equally as baffled by the decision if he could provide his two cents.

Why would I take this risk?

The downside of working on a trading desk was I needed to be ready to make trades in our portfolio while the stock market was open from 8:30 AM to 3:00 PM. 

I wanted control over my time. I wanted to attend my kids’ school events, go fishing on a Tuesday with my dad, or help coach the tee ball team. 

I needed to own my schedule.

Same Hours, But My Schedule is Mine

Fast forward to today, and I’m running our two businesses—Choice Fabrics, a wholesale manufacturer, and The Fabric Company, our retail fabric store. 

Choice Fabrics is the business we acquired and The Fabric Company is the business we started. 

While the dream of freedom was a major motivator, the reality is that the work hasn’t decreased. In fact, I work just as many hours as I did in finance, if not more. However, the difference is that I have control of my hours.

I know that I can go to Wednesday Chapel with my daughters at 10 AM without asking for permission from a boss. Even if you like your boss like I did, I still had to ask if I could attend Wednesday Chapel. I have the flexibility I craved.

And, at least at this age, they love to come to work with us..

Balancing Family and Work

Balancing the roles of father to three and business owner is a challenge. 

Most days feel like I’m juggling numerous tasks while striving to be fully present for my family. Despite the demands of work, I make a concerted effort to be there for my kids—whether it's attending school events or riding our scooters when we get home.

The good news is that I get to spend the work day with my wife. And sometimes work means making videos for content to advertise for our companies.

Bri is still pregnant with Thomas in these YouTube videos :)

The Benefits of Working with My Wife

One of the greatest perks of this journey has been working alongside my wife every day.

Running these businesses together allows us to combine our different strengths. I handle the finances and sales, while she does basically everything else. 

I know she finds the creative parts of the job most rewarding, like creating new products or designing a fabric collection. Here's Bri's Home Collection and some quilt kits made from the line.

We get to spend the day together, making important decisions as a team, and that shared experience has deepened our relationship. 

It's also helpful that we don’t have to catch up on each other’s day at the end of it. We get to jump right into hanging with the kids.

The Weight of Responsibility as a Business Owner

While I appreciate the perks of being my own boss—flexibility, freedom, and shaping my schedule—I didn't fully understand the weight that comes with employing 20 people. 

The reality is that their income is critical to supporting their families, and that responsibility rests on my shoulders. 

Before I owned a business, I never fully grasped how significant that would feel. Now, every decision I make impacts not just my family, but the families of the people I work with. 

It’s a humbling reality, one that adds another layer to the balance I’m striving for every day.