How We’ve Built a Life For Ourselves Online

by | Jan 19, 2017 | Bare Marriage | 39 comments

Orgasm Course
This semester I did something very brave–that actually didn’t turn out to be such a big deal at all.

I didn’t fuss when my youngest daughter decided she wanted to drop to part-time status at university so that she could start doing YouTube full-time.

In fact, I even encouraged her at it. (here’s a typical video:) A lot of her friends think she’s nuts, like it’s the equivalent of “I’m dropping out of school to work on my music” (though that’s not always a bad thing either!). But Katie’s earning enough money through her channel to support herself, and she feels as if God is opening doors for her to speak and minister, and those doors have a time limit. She can’t be talking to youth as well when she’s 29 with 2 kids as she can now. So she’s decided to take the plunge and throw herself into a business, and ministry, she’s created. She’s not the only one. Why two girls chose making a career online instead of going to school. Today my oldest daughter turns 22.Β (Happy birthday, Becca!) Rebecca has always loved academics. She thrived with the debates and discussions we used to have at the dinner table, and when she went to university, her marks showed it. She graduated with almost a perfect GPA. She was on her way to grad school, to pursue a Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology. And then in October she changed her mind too. Rebecca would have made an awesome Clinical Psychologist–and she still may. She knows she can always go back to school later.

But she doesn’t HAVE to go to school to make a life for herself.

She has a successful blog in her own right, and she’s about to launch another one on how to succeed in college (or university to all of us Canadians!). She’s working for me half time and trying to build a business online half time, and I have no doubt that she can do it. Her book, Why I Didn’t Rebel, is out next October, and she’ll be doing interviews and speaking events for that. And she wants to work from home, at a job that will allow her to eventually have kids without having to put them in day care for a large part of the day. She doesn’t want the stress of having to study and go to school while she also has little ones. I have two Master’s degrees that I earned while my husband was in medical school (I needed to do something with my time, and scholarships were available!). And yet I’ve never used either degree in the workplace, because I ended up working from home. I started with writing magazine articles, and that turned into writing books and speaking, and that turned into this blog, which now takes the majority of my time. But I know that people can earn a living online, and that the traditional ways of earning money that we once faced are really gone. It’s a new world. Right now Keith and I are in California, in our RV. How we built a life for ourselves online I gave my “Girl Talk” where I talk sex & marriage last week in Anaheim, and I’ll be giving it again next Friday night in Arlington, Texas (get tickets here!). We travel about 3-4 months every year in the RV, speaking, sometimes together, and sometimes just me (we have a marriage retreat and several stand alone marriage talks we give as well). While Keith used to be the primary breadwinner, he’s cut back his time at the hospital and in his office substantially so he can be on the road with me, and it’s been wonderful. The online world has changed our lives. I’ve been talking this week about finances in marriage, and how to find that “oneness” even in this most difficult area.

But I guess today I just wanted to tell you a little bit of our stories to get the message out there that I’m so passionate about: financial security today does not rest in academic degrees nearly as much as it rests in perfecting a skill that someone else will pay for.

In some cases that requires an education. But in many cases it does not. I have hired so many people to help me on this blog and I have never once asked them about their academic background. I have only asked them for proof that they have the skills I need. The problem with so many university degrees is that they give you absolutely zero marketable skills after you graduate (with the exception, I hope, of how to write well and get things done on time, which are both valuable skills in their own right). And if you go into a ton of debt for those careers, it really may not be worth it in the long run. And yet often we do school because it’s the default. Guidance counsellors in schools will rarely tell you to try to start your own business. They’ll push you to university. I think the university experience is a great one, and I’m glad both my girls have it. But I don’t think it’s worth tens of thousands of dollars in debt unless it’s a professional degree that you’re practically guaranteed a job with–especially because there are other options. Yesterday I encouraged people to think outside the box: could you move to a cheaper community? Could you downsize? And now I just want to put in a plug in and say, “not everybody needs to get an expensive degree.” It’s more important to find a skill that you have that somebody else will pay for. And you can’t always find that at school.
Incidentally, periodically I write posts on a different blog and create courses (some free!) on how you can start a speaking career or a writing and blogging career and turn it into an income. If you’d like to be notified when those things come out, just sign up for my newsletter and make sure you check the “Work at Home/Blogging” option!
What do you think? Are you and your husband thinking outside the box for education/career? What have you decided to do? Let’s talk in the comments!

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Sheila Wray Gregoire

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Sheila Wray Gregoire

Author at Bare Marriage

Sheila is determined to help Christians find biblical, healthy, evidence-based help for their marriages. And in doing so, she's turning the evangelical world on its head, challenging many of the toxic teachings, especially in her newest book The Great Sex Rescue. She’s an award-winning author of 8 books and a sought-after speaker. With her humorous, no-nonsense approach, Sheila works with her husband Keith and daughter Rebecca to create podcasts and courses to help couples find true intimacy. Plus she knits. All the time. ENTJ, straight 8

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39 Comments

  1. Chante Anderson

    This post came just on time for me! I am currently in University and I had to make the decision to change my major to General Studies in order to graduate in May…(which I’m super excited about …Woohoo graduation!!! ) Last year I also took the plunge and started my own blog and a YouTube page for my music because I realized that if I want to pursue my dreams I don’t have to wait until after I graduate to do that. Yesterday I presented to a group of my peers about blogging and minimalism and it really inspired me to consider motivational speaking and to keep writing!! I’m so excited about what the future holds! I really appreciated this post because it affirmed that it is okay to take the unconventional route and pursue a ministry that you have, even when the world tells you that you should do things in a certain order. Gods way isn’t always what everyone else says it should be. That is why I love how He will drop gems like this post in our lives to remind us that His path for us is often unconventional but SO SO fulfilling. I’m excited about this post and the ministry of your family! It inspires me to keep moving forward in my calling! Thank you !! I am pumped! Let’s do this Jesus!

    Reply
    • Ngina Otiende

      Chante, love your words..and super excited with you! πŸ™‚ I was talking to someone earlier today about this (they haven’t started college yet, just out of high school) , and what a difference it makes to acknowledge and start utilizing the God-given gifts we have and develop them into a skill (that someone will pay for, as Sheila has said). He’s heading off to a coaching program that will help him with purpose and entrepreneurship. College is amazing but there’s more, as the Lord leads!

      Reply
  2. Mel

    When I was in high school I knew I wanted to get married, settle down, have a family and stay home. Our school’s guidance counsellor asked us what we wanted to be when we went off to school (I was only in grade 10!) and I said that I wanted to be a house wife. She said I couldn’t do that and I needed to go to school (crazy right!?!). I went to community college and got my ECE diploma. Now, I’m married, a stay at home mom with 3 boys, and the income I make in one month of doing home child care is almost equivalent to what I paid for one year’s tuition at college!

    Reply
  3. Dean

    I also work from home (as a freelance software developer). I built this career before finishing my degree. No client ever asked me if I have a university diploma, or what I studied. They were interested in what they heard about me from another client, in seeing things I built, in my level of understanding of their project during the preliminary discussions, etc., not in my diploma. Which I did get eventually, for self-confidence and closure and some extra knowledge. I think that by finishing it years later than I was “supposed” to, I actually got much more out of it.

    Reply
  4. Laura

    Ok I’m a little surprised by this post because the whole reason you can do what you do and grow it is because of your husband and his time at university! If you both didn’t go to university, where would you be now? I guess I wish you gave him a little more credit and acknowledgement that his job as a doctor has significantly helped you and your girls in being able to choose this route. My husband is a resident physician so obviously we are not thinking outside the box, lol!

    Also, I feel like you’ve built your online work yourself from scratch (and not to tear down the hard work your daughters have done) but don’t you think they have obviously benefited in their endeavors from you promoting them? Encouraging people who read your blog to or go to college because they can become YouTube stars on their own is kinda scary because that’s not how your kids did it! Again, I’m not discounting that they work hard and have good content!

    All that being said, I don’t think college is for everyone and hope to remember that for my kids when they get to that stage. As long as they find a vocation and work hard is all I ask.

    Reply
    • Sheila Wray Gregoire

      I do know what you’re saying–and I am very grateful for the income Keith had. But I think the point is that people need SKILLS. My girls have seen so many of their friends go through university and not be able to get a job because they don’t have a skill that anyone will pay for. But at the same time, they have lots of friends who have taken hobbies they had in high school and turned them into a job (woodworking in one case, swimming in another). I would just say to parents: if your child isn’t getting a “skill” out of university, then don’t freak if they don’t want to go that route. Let them do the college route, or let them start a business. I just see so many friends pushing kids towards university, and it’s so much money that doesn’t necessarily get them anything. And I think we need to get out of this mindset that people need a degree. They don’t. They need a skill, and the one does not guarantee the other. I’ve written about this more before, but I just wanted to put a post that had something to do with Becca up on her birthday. πŸ™‚

      Reply
    • kellyK

      I agree Laura. I think Sheila’s daughters have GREATLY benefitted from their mother’s online ministry! Sheila promoted Katie’s YouTube channel many times. In that same thread, Rebecca posted a blog here as to why she didn’t rebel which ended up getting her a book deal. If not for her mother’s blog, she wouldn’t have been afforded that opportunity. Plus given the fact that Sheila is married to a doctor, that’s also afforded Sheila the opportunity to be a SAHM while pursuing her blogging career. My husband is an unemployed laborer. He’s lucky/blessed he married a nurse! I’ve NEVER been laid off or unemployed! While this is the 6th or 7th time he’s been laid off in our 17 yr marriage :/

      Reply
  5. Deanna

    I thought by the title of this article, you were going to explain the actual ‘how’ money is generated through your blog. I have a great idea that I’ve been running with for the past year. It seems to be a successful, popular idea and I would love to take it bigger in the future, (I still have littles at home) but I guess I don’t fully understand how the money starts rolling in… is it just through advertising, if so how do you go about getting that advertising? Anyway – very helpful information that you’ve written about, I appreciate it very much, just wondering if you can point me in the direction of some bloggers/books who could give me an actual “how to” make money on the internet, I’d love that advice!!

    Reply
    • Sheila Wray Gregoire

      For sure, Deanna! I do have another blog here where I talk more about that, though I haven’t updated in a long time! But do sign up for my newsletters and mark that you want the blogging information, because I will be sending out more info as I have time. I’ve developed a course that you can buy on how to launch a speaking ministry, and I’ll be doing more of that. But for a quick look at some good blogs that talk about it, take a look at my “Improving Blog” board on Pinterest. There are some great links there!

      Reply
  6. Kari

    I can’t imagine what our lives would look like right now if not for the opportunities available to us from the internet! My husband and I were both excellent students – he earned an engineering degree, and I finished a BA through distance ed after experiencing severe health challenges. It was never on our radars to not go to university! Three years ago, he quit his job to start his own consulting business from home so he could care for me. Basically all he needs is a computer with internet access, a phone, and a quiet space. I have been running a small business online for seven years. I think often of the blessing of being acutely ill in this day and age, as all of my transactions are done online – as are almost all of materials purchases, etc. It has been amazing to see how God has led us together and down these current paths. Very few educational backgrounds would have allowed my husband to work from home with a completely flexible schedule! While we would like our kids to pursue secondary training in something that leaves them with a helpful skill set, we are encouraging our kids to think outside the box and to consider entrepreneurial options.

    Reply
  7. Leah

    Sheila! I love this! This is the stuff we think and talk about all the time for our kids, and frankly, for ourselves. We worked our TAILS off to get out of school debt and here we are, neither of us using those degrees. The best thing about school for us is that we met each other and we got to see how God wove our stories together. But University shouldn’t be the default. It’s a wide wide world out there. So many options!!

    Reply
  8. Phil

    Fantastic quote:
    “…financial security today does not rest in academic degrees nearly as much as it rests in perfecting a skill that someone else will pay for.”

    I don’t know if you’re familiar with Mike Rowe (of “Dirty Jobs” fame, among other TV shows). This is very similar to what he’s been saying for years.

    College education can be incredibly valuable and useful for a career (hey, I have a doctorate, I’m all for education!), but it can also be a tremendous waste of money and time. It all depends on what somebody wants to do. The days of a diploma (be it a 2 or 4 year or graduate degree) being a guarantee of a good life are gone. What matters is, as you point out, if you can do something somebody else is willing to pay you to do. Sometimes that means a degree. Sometimes it means advanced education. Sometimes it means doing something else.

    College has gotten way more expensive than it was when I was in it 20 years ago. It’s not necessarily a good idea to drop over $10,000/year (usually well more than that) for a degree that won’t get used. Not everybody will succeed in college. Better to figure out what you can do that will result in somebody paying you for it (preferably, paying you enough to live on) than just follow an educational road you don’t need.

    Reply
    • Sheila Wray Gregoire

      Absolutely! And I LOVE Mike Rowe. I wrote a column about him a few years ago. I think, too, that the mindset of many graduates is off. They think, “I know all of this, so I am worth a lot of money.” They’re not thinking, “here’s what I can contribute to YOUR ability to make more money”, which is really what businesses need. Nobody is worth anything economically just by virtue of being an amazing person. It’s what they bring to the table. And young people need to think more in terms of what they bring to the table! That’s totally separate from your worth as a person–everybody is incredibly valuable. But to get paid, we need to contribute something.

      Reply
  9. Paula

    Where can I get tickets for event in ArlingtinTx? No link where you mentioned it.

    Reply
    • Sheila Wray Gregoire

      Ack! So sorry. I meant to. It’s right here!

      Reply
  10. Lisa

    My husband and I both have advanced degrees. Which we don’t use. And the student loan debt that goes along with that. It will not be paid off when our own children go to college.

    I graduated high school in the early 90s and we were fed the line that a degree is essential at any cost. I vehemently disagree. A degree can be useful. Debt can be crippling.

    I will neither encourage nor discourage our children from attending college. I will encourage them to seek out ways to be debt free if they choose to go. Working full time and being a part-time student is one way.

    This blog does a fantastic job of explaining our views on college.

    http://www.oursmallhours.com/im-not-encouraging-my-kids-to-go-to-college/

    Great post, Shelia. I love reading about how people live outside the box.

    Reply
    • Sheila Wray Gregoire

      I love this! “A degree can be useful. Debt can be crippling.”. I feel like I need to make a graphic out of that or something! πŸ™‚

      Great blog post, by the way. Lots of food for thought!

      Reply
  11. Mara L.

    One side comment. I’m very happy for your older daughter, but don’t understand how she can write a book titled “Why I Didn’t Rebel” while she is so young and not completely financially independent from your or her father. People tend to look back at their lives very differently at age 40+ than age 22, because there hasn’t been enough time at 22 to have real perspective. If you want a good example of this, just look at Josh Harris.

    Reply
    • Sheila Wray Gregoire

      Actually, she is completely financially independent–and she’s married! She works for me, yes, but that’s because I need her. And she earns every penny! She had job offers for the same thing she does for me, but I asked her to help me because she knows what she’s doing.

      I think the thing that the publisher agreed with is that people wanted a different voice–a young millennial who grew up with Facebook, unlike the rest of us, who can tell you what kids really need. Maybe we need to start listening to younger people’s voices again!

      Reply
      • Mara L.

        I agree. What I am trying to convey is that, unless she can look you both in the eye while saying completely honestly, here is what my parents did right, and here is how they really messed up – then put it in the book, whether or not it will cause you to be disappointed with her or angry with her, then she’s not ready to write it. If she can do that, great for her! I do, however, think she will be writing a revised edition in twenty years. πŸ˜‰

        Reply
      • KellyK

        The young People I see are all self-absorbed and don’t care about anything but their own personal happiness. I’m friend with a woman who has a daughter the same age as Rebecca…was a super-popular cheerleader in high school.. did a semester at Cleveland State, did another semester at a ‘fashion college’ in Cleveland. Was a ‘Disney Princess’ impersonator for awhile and did birthday parties with the help of her mother and friends…then decided to chuck all that and move to Orlando Fl to work at Disney World…as a manager of a Sunglass Hut shop in the park. She seems to be happy. She’s too short to be an actual Disney Princess inside the Magic Kingdom..even though she’s the most beautiful Elsa I’ve ever seen(From Frozen) . I suppose that she’s happy as thats how she portrays her life on FB and Insta. Seems like she’s got a dream life though….someone is footing her life…whether her mom is sending her money to pay the rent, I don’t know. But as long as she’s happy doing what she’s doing, I guess that’s ok.

        I went into life wanting to be able to support myself without relying on my parents or any MAN . Which is one good thing about being in the medical profession. People are always gonna be sick…and people will always break the law and be put in jail( I work in a male prison as an RN–for the great pension and benefits–much better than working in any hospital). I could quit my current job today and be able to find a new one tomorrow!

        Reply
  12. Michelle

    Shiela, I’m sorry that by the comments it seems like some people are giving harsh opinions about your articles or your girls. I think the article was great, and it gave me hope that I can figure out what my future holds. I am going for a degree slowly (while a SAHM, but need some side income in the meantime since my husband will be finishing his military enlistment and transitioning to a local police dept which pays much less, in less than 2 years). I had a question that didn’t pertain to this article, but didn’t know where else to ask it. Do you have any articles previously written that can help me know what to do to help my husband, who I am afraid is falling into a depression. Any help is greatly appreciated

    Reply
    • Sheila Wray Gregoire

      Thanks for the encouragement, Michelle! I actually haven’t written much about depression or mental illness. I know I should. It’s such an important topic. I just haven’t dealt with it firsthand, and I always find it hard to write about tough things when I haven’t walked it, because it seems so trite for me to be giving my opinion on something so hard. Let me reach out and I’ll see if I can find someone really good to write a guest post for me!

      Reply
    • Flo

      Hello Michelle, my husband has struggled with anxiety a lot, and once he started also getting into depression. Especially if this is happening in winter, I think the first thing to try is supplements: fish oil, vitamin D, vitamin B, and magnesium. Very often depression is cause by lack of some of these.

      Reply
    • alchemist

      That’s a difficult situation.

      I’ve dealt with depression on and off my entire adult life. It’s pretty prevalent in my family as well. I can tell you what’s helped me. 1) as Flo said, try and get him to a doctor. A lot of actual physical things mimics symptoms of depression including lack of Vit B, Vit D, fish oil and magnesium, thyroid problems, exhaustion, food intolerances, low blood sugar and some others.
      2) self care. Try to encourage him to get enough sleep; get exercise (running and yoga in particular are great for depression); go outdoors in nature (this is for sunlight, exercise and the anxiety abating effects of nature); see his friends (the tendency is to isolate yourself.); not binge-watch TV (too much TV is terrible for depression); eat healthy foods (including leafy greens); drink water; listen to happy music; do hobbies that he likes, even if he doesn’t feel like it; not be harsh with himself; set a manageable to-do list/ write a done list so you can have a visual reminder of accomplishments, even if it’s small stuff like got up, took a shower, ate breakfast, made the bed etc.; start a gratitude log… There are list of self-care suggestions on-line. Ideally he picks out some of them and does them every day.

      This stuff is hard because it’s all exactly the opposite of what you want to do. Which is part of what makes depression so hard to deal with. Getting doctors or counselors involved earlier rather than later is a good idea.

      Keep in mind that this is not your fault. It’s not his fault either. Make sure you have plenty of outside support. You can’t help him if you go down yourself.

      Reply
  13. Michelle

    And happy birthday Becca! I’ll have to check out your blog. And I’ve been subscribedoing to Katie since you first mentioned her, I love her videos. I’m a 23 yo SAHM, so can’t relate to everything, but she is funny and I love her content, wish I had it as a high school girl

    Reply
  14. Hannah

    This is kind of an interesting topic for me. I have a 4 year college degree, graduated 3 years ago with no debt and even some savings thanks to living at home, scholarships, working a part time job, and generally being frugal. Same for my husband. I am a SAHM (quit my degreed job after 1 year) and he has a entry-ish level job in his field that he enjoys. I like the thought of working online or as a consultant but starting a business or opening up my life and family for the internet to see are not things that sound good to me, and even less to my husband πŸ˜› I guess we just don’t have the entrepreneurial spirit? And then some ladies are so good at all those artsy craftsy things that they can sell, but that’s totally not me either. Ah well πŸ™‚

    Reply
  15. Karen

    Sheila,
    There is a growing dissatisfaction with college (university), but not everyone is willing to take the plunge. It’s still seen as a greater risk to forego a higher education than to do the default, acquire thousands in debt and hope for the best. I applaud you for supporting your daughters in taking an alternate path!

    My husband and I are working on a project called College Alternative, in the hopes of inspiring individuals to forego debt and see what other careers are available to them. Many years ago, your blog may have been one of the first places I heard someone talk about how college isn’t a necessity. Thank you for putting your viewpoints out there! And good luck to Katie in her YouTubing endeavors!

    Reply
  16. alchemist

    I have some (rather disjointed) thoughts:

    Please keep in mind that college/ university was never intended to be career prep/ vocational training. It wasn’t ever intended to be for everyone.

    College is not an “experience”. It’s not a place to prolong your adolescence or hide from the world either. If that is your primary reason for going, you’re wasting everyone’s time and money.

    This applies double and triple to the graduate level. A masters does not guarantee a job. A PhD definitely doesn’t. In fact, a PhD significantly narrows your job possibilities. You are now hilariously over-qualified for a lot of jobs. And your skill-set is extremely specialised. You are much more expensive to hire, so getting a job becomes a lot tougher. Companies really want to make sure you’re worth it. It also comes at a massive opportunity cost. So if you want a guaranteed job/ higher pay, getting a PhD is NOT the way to go.

    Community college is a overlooked resource.

    College is largely what you make of it. There is a way to do it that is a complete waste of time, and there’s a way to do it that actually helps you.

    The career counselors may not have accurate information. They may also have excellent financial incentives for driving you towards university. I’m not sure if this is deliberate, or just out of ignorance. People should really be spending a lot less time fussing about SAT prep and which college has nicer flowers and a lot more about whether college is actually a good idea at all.

    If I had to do it all over again, I’d start with the desired life-style. i.e. I want to be a SAHM. Ok, what is compatible with that -blogger, teacher, nurse, online business in general. You actually need a degree for teacher and nurse (as in, there is no other way to get there). Now look at the degree options and plan accordingly.

    Another way to go about it is to look at what part of a job you absolutely cannot
    cope with.
    E.g. Say you wanted to be a concert pianist. What comes with the job – relentless criticism -intense competition – performances, like all the time (which btw, means your schedule is going to be a-typical. Working day from 10 am to 11-12 pm on performance days) -insane amounts of travel -no real job security. Can you actually cope with that. If not, you’re not going to be a concert pianist.
    In this example, you might also seriously want to consider whether conservatory is worth it. What will you be missing in terms of career development/ networking/ content? Can you just as easily go out and try and launch yourself? What level do you need to be at (e.g. tier school) so that the costs is worth what you’d get in “brand recognition”. Can you afford it? Are there other considerations?

    I do support higher education. But I don’t like what it has become. And I certainly don’t think it should be the default after high school. We should really try and amp up high school so that graduates have more marketable skills, and make kids more aware of alternatives.

    Reply
    • Karen

      I completely agree with you that we should “amp up high school.” Unfortunately, teachers often don’t have real-world experience outside of teaching to know what areas are up-and-coming and what businesses want to see in job candidates. We tend to teach what we know and what we’re familiar with, so we teach Shakespeare instead of, say, inbound marketing.

      I also completely agree with your suggestion to look at the end goal of what a job entails and to make your decisions off of this. Usually the decision process tends to go- first: what college, second: what major, and third: what jobs to apply to. That should absolutely be flipped on its head.

      Reply
      • KellyK

        Even in middle school. my son is forced to take a subject in which he has no interest….art! He’s no artist! He HATES that class and I have to pay a $7/yr fee for it!!! NO THANKS! I’m no artist either so I feel his pain! I could try and try and I just wasn’t good at it!!!! It really brought my GPA down in middle school!

        the 4 extracurriculars now are Art, Music, Phys Ed(gym) and Computers. I remember when I was in middle school, I’m pretty sure I had Phys Ed EVERY DAY! our electives were Art/Music/Home Ec/Industrial Arts–wood shop. I thing we need to bring Home Ec into the classroom again! Many kids who graduate HS have NO CLUE how to fry an egg, clean the bathroom, do laundry, sew a button on a shirt….balance their checkbook, make a budget…how NOT to get into credit card debt!! THOSE are the skills we need to be teaching our kids!

        Reply
  17. Cathy Davis

    Shelia,
    I couldn’t agree more with your point about college not being for everyone. I can think of at least eight friends of mine who have put their kids through private, christian college. One is 60k in debt for it! And now these kids are either working part-time or not at all, a few are heading to the mission field; while mom and dad are left with tremendous debt! I recently met a lovely young lady with a Bachelor’s degree in sports medicine and she’s working at Panera hoping to get into their management program.

    Good for you encouraging your girls to go for their dreams and passion!

    P.S. My website isn’t showing up because I am rebuilding it and moving it to another host right now.

    Reply
    • Sheila Wray Gregoire

      Thanks for your comment! So sad about your friends, too. What often saddens me about a lot of Christian colleges, too, is that many aren’t accredited. So you may have a degree, but the credits aren’t transferable and you can’t use them towards pursuing anything else. In fact, many secular organizations won’t even recognize the degree. My girls both went to a secular university and met so many Christian friends on campus through the Christian group. That’s where I met my husband, too. It’s not like there aren’t Christians at secular universities. I just think we need to be careful not to limit our kids, and especially not to go into major debt at the same time!

      Reply
    • KellyK

      For me, what’s even more ironic is that I know people who were 2nd (salutatorian) in their high school graduating class….got to college. Partied it up SO MUCH because they weren’t allowed to do it(VERY STRICT PARENTS) when they were in high school, that they flunked out of college and never went back. One girl did eventually get her degree in Elem Education but the other woman never did and has been lucky to find jobs that pay well but didn’t require any kind of college degree to obtain.

      Reply
      • Sheila Wray Gregoire

        I know people like that, too! That’s why we always say that the last year that kids live at home they should have no rules. I mean, as soon as they move out they’re going to have no rules, so when they’re living with you they should practice it. Now, we did enforce certain things that are just safety and courtesy (texting so someone knows where you are, who you’re with, and when you’re expected to be home). I ask that my girls always do that, and continue to do that when they move out with roommates just so that people know when to start worrying. But other than that, kids have to be self-motivated to do things, not motivated just by the consequences of breaking a rule.

        Reply
  18. Kelly

    In my case, I always knew that I wanted to be a nurse(RN). IN the states, the ONLY way to become a nurse is to go to college, whether it’s a 1 year LPN/LVN program or a 2 year program sponsored by a hospital or community college OR in my case a 4 year degree from a University.

    I could not become a nurse by watching YouTube videos because there’s a test I had to take to become an RN in the US…NCLEX-RN. Not sure what it’s called in Canada. Just like Doctors in the US have to take the USMLE–United States Medical Licensing Examination.

    Your daughters take after you in that they’re attractive(and not gonna lie, people don’t want to watch videos from people who they think are ugly) and are good with words. Not everyone is good with words.

    I agree with the posters above that your daughters have greatly benefitted from your online ministry. Especially Katie. You promoted her YouTube channel on your website so I’m pretty sure she’s pretty popular because her Mom promoted it on her blog. If not for you, would people know who Katie was? I enjoy her videos seeing as how I wasn’t raised in that kind of environment. I was raised Roman Catholic. We never touched a Bible. Was just told don’t have sex, don’t do drugs and don’t drink!

    Reply
    • KellyK

      Plus I have higher career goals now that I’m more financially stable. I want to become a Family Nurse Practitioner….in many states in the US, it gives me as much authority and prescribing power as a Dr. I will need to pursue that degree online since I have to work full time. I have former colleagues who are also Nurse Practitioners and I’ve already contacted them for potential clinical sites. Both have said yes!! That’s one good thing about networking! I went to school and worked with both of these individuals and have kept in touch via FB! Online schools require that you line-up your own clinical experiences. I’m also pretty sure that my former PCP, who now works at a ‘free clinic” would also allow me to shadow her/do clinical hours at her worksite!

      Reply
  19. Hannah Friesen

    I’m getting married in a month and have been following your blog ever since I read Good Girls’ Guide, and today I was worrying about finances so I decided to read one of your money posts to calm me down and started freaking out when I realized that the cool Christian girl I’ve been following on YouTube for the last year is your daughter! Life is just too funny πŸ™‚

    Reply
    • Sheila Wray Gregoire

      I absolutely love that! πŸ™‚ I’ll tell Katie! πŸ™‚

      Reply

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