“Where there’s a will, you just find the way,” according to Lori Young.

Lori poured her heart and soul into her nine-to-five—the admissions department at a college. She wanted to make sure the last person of the day who called received the same attention and treatment as the first person. This often meant working well past 40 hours a week, while keeping her energy and dedication up day in, day out.

Which made her dreams of pursuing acting and modeling full-time increasingly difficult. “My passion of acting, modeling, and writing took a backseat,” she says. “I would fit them in on long lunch breaks or use my PTO to attend networking events or photo shoots. I always felt guilty about using my PTO on my goals though, and not solely on family vacation or for when my kids got sick.”

Eventually, she knew she needed to make a change if she was ever going to find a way to put her goals first. Lori quit her job, knowing that she’d figure it out along the way.

And figure it out she did—but not without constant networking, hustling, and willingness to take on any project that came her way.

Now, Lori is a Jill-of-all-Trades. Acting and modeling come first, and she ensures that any new employer at a job she takes on knows that, so she’s able to commit to saying yes to auditions or gigs at a moment’s notice. She also works part-time at a healthcare facility, as a production and events assistant, content creator, personal trainer, and skincare expert. Not only do these positions give her the flexibility she needs to focus on her on-screen career, but they also give her space and time to spend with her loved ones.

“I have several ways of making money and they all fuel my creativity,” says Lori. “My view has gone from ‘I must find time to pursue my dreams around work’ to ‘I must find work that allows me to pursue my dreams and be present with my family.’ I feel like my life is mine for the first time in a long time and I’m focused on making memories, not regrets.”

“My view has gone from ‘I must find time to pursue my dreams around work’ to ‘I must find work that allows me to pursue my dreams and be present with my family.'”

Lori says that there have been some trade-offs to make her new approach to her career work – and they’ve been worthwhile. While she’s more intentional about her spending now, the exhilaration she feels being able to earn income doing what she loves with people she admires, while being there for her family and modeling positive behavior and relationships with working for her daughter are more important than the number on any pay check. “Before quitting my nine-to-five, I’d constantly have to tell my daughter that mommy was busy, and I didn’t like the message that was sending. Now, I’ve been on three school field trips and haven’t missed a single one of her cheerleading practices. There’s so much more to life than dollars and cents.”

So how’s her on-screen career going now that she’s been able to commit fully to it? Let’s just say the shift has paid off. At the time of publication, Lori has been published as a model six times over, including landing a cover, and has contributed her writing to dozens of media outlets. With that under her belt, she signed on with agency Signature Models & Talent. “Since being signed, I have been in several commercials, a student film, an industrial film, and most recently, a feature film,” she says. “I have had the opportunity to model for clothing companies, fitness apparel, an editorial swimwear shoot, high-fashion, lifestyle shoots, healthcare attire, AirB&Bs, walk the runway, rodeo attire, and I even did an underwater shoot.”

The flexibility speaks to Lori and her goals, and she wouldn’t have it any other way. Every day is a new adventure. “Each day I might get an email for an audition, notifying me of a callback, or from someone considering booking me for their next project,” she says. “The more you do, the more opportunities will come to you.”

And while taking that leap into the unknown might be frightening, Lori suggests adopting her can-do attitude. “Stop just thinking about it or considering the reasons why you can’t do it, and instead think of ways you can make it happen.”