I Quit My Job As a Lawyer to Become a Cooking Influencer

This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Blair Lonergan, author of “The Seasoned Mom Cookbook.” It has been edited for length and clarity.

When I went to Princeton for undergrad, there was a clear path to success laid out for me. In the fall of my senior year, big consulting firms and investment banks came to campus, hoping to offer jobs to new graduates. But that version of success was not what I wanted for myself.

I wanted to teach underprivileged children and feel like I was making a difference, so that’s what I did. I never felt like a failure for not going the more traditional route. I was confident in following my gut, and that has served me well ever since.

I knew that private practice would impact my parenting

After teaching special education at a school for underprivileged kids for two years, I decided to go to law school at George Washington University. I was part of the law review, where there was an expectation that everyone would go to big firms with big paychecks.

I had loans to repay, so I didn’t rule that out. I interned with a large firm in DC, where I was wined and dined. I knew if I worked there, I’d be treated (and paid) well. However, I also knew that working for a private law firm wasn’t going to be conducive to being a hands-on parent because of the long hours.

I wasn’t a mom yet, but I wanted to be. I accepted a job with a legal-related nonprofit associated with the Virginia Bar, choosing a quieter rural life over the hustle and bustle of corporate law. The role blended my loves of law and teaching, and felt like a great fit for my personality. Once I became a mom, the job gave me the flexibility I needed.

I quit my day job when my site generated as much income

Between 2009 and 2013, I had three babies in four years. I dropped down to working part-time, but still felt I needed a creative outlet. When my second child was about a year old, I started posting about our days online — including the food we ate. I called my site The Seasoned Mom.

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I never imagined the site could become a money-maker. Originally, it was just for family. Yet acquaintances and then strangers were finding their way to my site. The posts that were most popular were about food, so I narrowed the focus. I posted Southern-inspired, simple meals that appealed to busy parents like me who just want to get a meal on the table.

Before too long, big food companies started reaching out to me to do sponsored posts. They paid pennies at first, but it added up. Within about a year, the website was generating as much as I was making working part-time at the legal nonprofit — about $30,000 annually. That’s when I decided to quit my part-time job to focus on The Seasoned Mom full-time.

The lifestyle is worth more to me than the money

Since then, the website has only grown. Today, it generates over $1 million annually. Not all of that is profit, but the site has had a huge impact on my personal finances. Still, success for me isn’t about the money — it’s about the lifestyle I have. I would happily do this job for less because of the time it gives me with my family. The money is an added bonus.

I work at least 40 hours a week, but I can split them up however I need to. My boys are now 15, 14, and 11, so I work before they’re awake, when they’re at school, or in between carpool runs to soccer or golf practice. This non-traditional career has given me the opportunity to be present and at home with my children, which is what I always wanted.

When I had three babies under 4, life felt so chaotic. Just getting dinner on the table was such an accomplishment. I still think about that today: no matter what happens, if you can manage to pull off a home-cooked dinner, you’re doing alright.