Life and Work with Jennifer Digges

Jennifer, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
As a young woman I had my sights set on getting married and living happily ever after with no long term goals of being a self-sufficient or a self-reliant individual. Although, I had been working and supporting myself since I was 18, I still didn’t understand the need of an outlook like that until now.

I will begin by saying my story starts with being a survivor but not the kind one typically would imagine, like that of cancer, a scary accident or racial oppression. No, not any of those situations at all, I’m a survivor of Divorce! You might, like many people do, overlook the struggles of someone who is divorced or going through one because it’s regarded as a common event of life and we are surrounded with those who are labeled in this status!

Not only has divorce become a part of my adult life, it was part of my life from the very beginning because I was a child from a divorced family. When I was three years old my father committed suicide due to his broken heart and because of his death my mother turned to alcohol to ease her pain. As a result she lost her parental rights to care for my brothers and me. Luckily we were raised by relatives in a loving home that helped us understand what a family unit is about and they attempted to provide the most normal life a child could have. After becoming a mom myself, I quickly understood the sacrifices they made to give us a supportive home environment. Also because of my family history I am self-aware of the possibility that I could be affected by depression in my life as well especially after a tragic event like my divorce. I strive every day to never let this be a controlling factor of my life.

So in conclusion, that’s why I blog, to raise awareness of the struggles one faces in divorce, to positively guide those going through divorce by sharing my experience on how I’m dealing with the life changing repercussions and all the while raising my beautiful four year old daughter to have the most stable loving environment a momma can give her. Additionally, I hope to empower women to stand up for themselves as independent and strong single ladies!

We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
Every day is a new experience and when the divorced was initiated, I was scared and alone. I had no idea how I was going to survive raising my daughter while having a decent good paying career that would be flexible enough to uphold my obligations as a parent. I’m grateful of my education because having a bachelor degree definitely helped with this transition. Also, I didn’t cower or give up. I fought long and hard for fairness for my daughter in the custody battle, and for myself, which led to victory in gaining equality as a parent and now she is able to see us 50/50 (equally)! It wouldn’t have been fair for her to see one parent more than the other and I never wanted her to suffer a lost connection with one of the people she loves most.

I would tell other women that are facing a divorce to not let your ex-spouse manipulate or control your life as a single parent. You have the right to live the lifestyle you prefer to live, example living in the city versus the suburbs, if you feel this is best for your child then make it work! There are many factors involved but just don’t give up on your rights as well. If I had not pushed for the things I needed, I could not have provided the financial security and comfortable lifestyle that I am giving to my daughter today.

I think the biggest barrier I experienced as single mom is the enforcement of the rights for women in the workplace. It shouldn’t be optional to provide schedule flexibility to a parent, let alone a single mom who only has themselves to depend on for support! A woman shouldn’t be bullied when requesting time off or needing an alternate schedule that is different from the normal 8-5. When this happened to me I left that job and found one that worked for me but some ladies aren’t as lucky as I am and are sadly stuck in a similar situation.

Also, I would say that loneliness is probably the ongoing struggle I am currently facing. Dating is hard when you are divorced with a child and I’m nearing my forties so there’s that factor as well. So my advice on the dating realm is give yourself time to heal! Don’t jump into dating like I did because your radar for detecting a bad man is low on battery, recharge and fulfill yourself with love so that you are ready to allow the right man to come around.

So, as you know, we’re impressed with Be Loved Be Happy – tell our readers more, for example what you’re most proud of as a company and what sets you apart from others.
As my day job I work for Rice University in the Campus Planning Department. I love my job because my opinion matters, is respected, I’m included, and allowed to be mom because they truly honor the “family first” philosophy unlike my previous employer. While I was married I was a stay-at-home mom so when the divorce took place I had to quickly find a job. Since I didn’t have a job while being a mother, I was scared to ask for what I needed and quite frankly, I didn’t know what was acceptable for a single mom to ask of a company and what they could accommodate me with. Rice is an amazing place to work, the holiday/personal time and other benefits are great and it’s such a beautiful place in Houston to be in so that’s why I chose to have our photos taken on campus!

As a hobby I blog, like I mentioned before, so I can raise awareness about divorce, encourage women to be self-sufficient and strong after being left by their spouse (like I was) and sharing my experience on lessons learned. Additionally, I have taken on songwriting as a fun therapeutic way to express my feelings. My four published songs can be found on Amazon Unlimited, Apple Music and Spotify.

Lastly, I am currently launching a new business, Bevi-Amo, which is a vintage Piaggio Ape bread truck converted into a traveling Prosseco and Brew bar for weddings and events. We will be available for event bookings starting this spring!

What advice would you give to someone at the start of her career?
Try different aspects of the career type that you have studied in college or pursuing in life. Know what opportunities are available within your passion. For me, I received a Bachelor of Science degree in Architecture because architecture was my dream job as a kid; I wanted to design really cool buildings! But many years of trying to make it a perfect fit, by pushing myself to be an amazing designer, I eventually learned something about myself, it didn’t come naturally and it simply wasn’t the right fit. I also realized that I enjoyed more of the technical and business side of my career so after about 12 years of architectural training I shifted to facilities/campus planning and now work on the owner side of the business. I’m truly happy and finally found my dream job!

Image Credit:
Red’s Photography, LLC

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