I certainly never thought I would be an entrepreneur one day, let alone own a Pinterest marketing business… yet here I am! And you couldn’t pay me enough dollars for me to go back to the 9-5 lifestyle (or for me in nursing, 3-11). This is how I went from being a nursing school dropout to a thriving Pinterest manager, all while graduating college, birthing two humans, and moving across the country!

2020-2021 – Ditching nursing school and becoming a Pinterest manager

I still remember the moment I stood in my scrubs outside a patient’s room, charting the bowel movement I just cleaned up and asking myself, is this really going to be my life? I said I wanted to be a nurse for as long as I could remember and I was working my booty off to get there, but I was suppressing a screaming voice in my head saying “THIS IS NOT THE LIFE YOU WANT!” I really thought I had no other choice.

I was thousands of dollars deep in student loan debt and I really didn’t want to let my family, professors, and reputation down (forget my happiness, right?). So I ignored that voice and kept working my way through school while working part-time as an LNA.

Until one day I said fr*ck it.

I craved the dream of freedom and I loathed the thought of having to work 10+ years just to get a small promotion and no more than a $5/hr raise. The desire to be home, raising my babies and enjoying slow mornings with my husband became so strong. I kept suppressing those feelings until one day, I was illegally fired (a battle I chose not to fight) and I was suddenly presented with a new path for my life.

Being an entrepreneur (let alone a Pinterest manager) was NEVER on my radar. I never dreamed of it. It literally never crossed my mind. So when I looked down at my pregnant belly and said to my husband, “What if we sell our second car and I start a business with that money?” I shocked myself just as much as anyone else.

So, we sold our second car, invested in a virtual assistant course, and I dove right in. In just one year (the beginning of the pandemic), I started my business, pivoted to becoming a Pinterest manager, sourced a small handful of clients, gave birth to my first baby, went back to school (switching my degree) and graduated Summa Cum Laude, at the top of my class. I still can’t believe I accomplished that much in just a year, all while navigating pandemic life… but it taught me so many lessons.

Year 1 Lessons:

1. I really can do whatever I set my mind to. It sounds so d*mn cliche, but man is it true.
2. I deserve to give myself more credit. When you’re in the middle of it all, it doesn’t feel like anything extraordinary. But when I scale back and look at the whole year, I see my accomplishments for what they truly are: incredible.
3. Sometimes God takes things away from me, but every time it’s been because he has something way better in store for me.

2021-2022 – Navigating trauma while building a business

My second year in business as a Pinterest manager was a blur. Things took off and I had the privilege of working with so many cool people. But I also had to navigate some really tough and traumatic personal stuff that honestly made 2022 a little hard to remember. Looking back, I don’t know how I navigated it all. 

But it was also the year I met two of my best friends, Alethea and Fran, which was the start of something so magical and life-changing. I didn’t know how badly I needed friends that would just get it. 

Next, I went through an immersive brand discovery process where I uncovered and built the strategy behind the new Hannah Reed and Company. I discovered that rebellion was a core pillar of everything I was building and that’s when my company went from a business to a deeply personal brand. 

Year 2 Lessons:

1. It’s okay to remove yourself from unhealthy relationships, organizations, and environments.
2. Community is vital to entrepreneurship.
3. My brand is rooted in my story, not in the service I deliver.
4. Being a rebel doesn’t have to be a negative thing!

2022-2023 – My most transformational year as a Pinterest manager yet

My third year in business was transformational in so. many. ways. It was the year my husband and I decided to sell everything and move to a random state. We pretty much threw a dart at a map and went with it. And that’s how we ended up in Louisville, KY (of all places).

It was also the year of many firsts: I found my first therapist, started my first podcast, brought on my first mentees, became sober-curious, and launched my first digital products. I had to learn so many new things in order to get from A to B, but I didn’t let that scare me away.

To be totally honest, I never wanted to build a Pinterest course. Mostly because I had seen so many bad ones. But I also didn’t know how I would make one that wouldn’t go out of date every time Pinterest made platform changes (which they do like 10x a year). When I saw the gap in my industry, I kept making excuses as to why I shouldn’t fill it.

Until one day I said screw it, I’m going to freaking do this thing. I launched a workshop, made it evergreen, and built my first Pinterest course, teaching people how to make passive income with Pinterest! But you know what was the biggest hurdle in all of this? My inner child.

I was making massive leaps and little Hannah was trying to protect me. You see, success happens outside of your comfort zone. You have to jump into the fire, do the scary sh*t, and release all the anxiety that comes along with it.

For me, my inner child tried keeping me stagnant with my anxiety. I would be mid-work sesh in my favorite coffee shop when I’d feel the edge of a panic attack creeping up on me. I’d have to drop everything and walk laps around the parking lot, regulating my nervous system. For a while, I was so confused about where all this anxiety was coming from, until I realized it was my body’s way of trying to get me to quit. To pull me back inside my comfort zone. 

When the anxiety didn’t work, the self-doubt took over. I kept hearing myself say, “Who the h*ck do you think you are? You’re not worthy of this. This is possible for other people, but not you. Check yourself, sis, because this is all a pipe dream. You’re a fraud and everyone thinks so too!” 

It was painful. But I’m so thankful I recognized it all for what it was (intrusive thoughts and impostor syndrome) because I took the time to write out all those limiting beliefs and reverse them.

Year 3 Lessons:

1. Trying new things is scary but so good for me.
2. Sometimes my anxiety and impostor syndrome is a sign that my body is just trying to keep me safe. Suspending all disbelief, having 100% faith, and reversing limiting beliefs can help so much as I gently push forward.
3. Sometimes you just gotta move across the country! It can bring so much healing and peace.
4. Trauma-informed therapy is a must. But so is the ability to self-regulate outside of my sessions.
5. Life without alcohol is freakin’ amazing. 

At the time of writing this blog, I’m entering my fourth year of business. I know it’s going to be the best one yet too. Stay tuned 🙂

If you made it this far, thank you for holding space for my story. I hope it was encouraging to you. I hope you read my words and thought to yourself if she can do it, so can I. Because guess what? YOU CAN DO IT TOO. I won’t lie to you and say it’ll be easy because it definitely won’t be, but you have what it takes to build the life you want to live. Take it one step at a time but dream big, babe. Dream freaking BIG.

Before you go, I want to connect with you!

If you want to snag my signature strategy for making passive income from Pinterest, check out my course, Power of Pinterest! It’s where I pull back the curtain to show exactly what it takes to convert a Pinterest audience into paying clients, customers, and email subscribers! A must if you want to learn the best way to make passive income.

You should also come say hey on my Instagram! If you have a similar experience that you feel comfy sharing or you connected with a part of mine, I’d LOVE to hear all about it. Pop into my DMs and say hi!

Rooting for you, queen!!

xo, Han

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