By Barb Bergman

My daughter Erica graduated from BYU in 2023 and landed a job at a charter school in her field of Communication Disorders. As a speech pathologist, she worked one-on-one with young kids, helping them improve their speech. Though she loves children—her original major was elementary education—after several months, she started to feel restless and stuck in her path. Erica knew that to make more money and possibly have a bigger impact, she would need to get her master’s degree.

We often talked, and I loved hearing her stories. I told her how proud I was of the difference she was making in those kids’ lives. Erica has some hearing loss in one ear, which makes her especially sensitive and passionate about the progress her students make. But after about six months on the job, something shifted. Maybe it was no longer being in college or adjusting to a new routine—whatever it was, I saw her lose some of her sparkle. She felt stuck and didn’t know why.

As she talked with friends and a mentor from a previous summer job, she felt a nudge—an inner whisper—to check LinkedIn and explore new opportunities. I heard excitement in her voice as she told me about the interviews and job offers that followed. The energy had shifted from stagnant to alive, but then came the surprise: SALES! That was unexpected.

One of the offers was from Dandy, a company that aligned with her values and passion. She was excited, nervous, and ready to learn—she said she finally felt alive and energized. This wasn’t her first rodeo with sales. Two years earlier, she’d worked as an appointment setter for a solar company. That summer was an emotional roller coaster full of tears and stress—something she vowed never to repeat.

Erica chose to let go of something that wasn’t appreciated or fulfilling, despite the sacrifices she’d made, to make room for something better. She gave notice at the school and committed to starting fresh at Dandy. The company provides state-of-the-art imaging machines to dental offices and labs, requiring a minimum usage period to build ongoing relationships. Erica started at the bottom—setting appointments between dentists or qualified assistants and Dandy sales reps—with the opportunity to climb the sales ladder quickly if she performed well.

In just five months, she’s already earned a small promotion and consistently exceeded her quota. April 2024 was training with no sales expectations, but she still closed one. May’s quota was 3—she made 11 sales. June’s quota was 5—she hit 7 sales. July’s quota was 8—she closed 14. August’s quota was 8—she achieved 16 sales! September is still underway, but she’s already exceeding her quota again.

Erica loves the social atmosphere with her coworkers and enjoys visiting the different dental offices. Contrast this with her previous job, where she’d only see her supervisor for a few minutes each day and spend hours back-to-back with different kids, wondering if she was truly making a difference while feeling isolated. Saying goodbye to that job was bittersweet, filled with guilt and mixed emotions as she made space for this new chapter.

Now, Erica is happy and fulfilled. She moved from Provo to be closer to her job in Lehi, stepping into a fresh social circle outside the college scene. She sold her lease in Provo, spent six weeks at home, and after finding the right apartment, signed a new contract—once again creating space for what she hopes will be “something better.”