This blog has been around for a few months now, but with some big announcements coming up over the next couple weeks, I thought I’d start by telling you a little bit about who I am and how Towards Happy came to exist.

My name’s Bethany, and I grew up in a very lovely small town in Ohio. I was your typical overachieving smart kid, being involved in like every extracurricular and taking all the AP classes, and I went on to be that same person in college. I ended up graduating with a double major, a minor, and a concentration, because why not? And in my head, I thought all these accomplishments meant that life would be easy for me.

But SURPRISE. They kind of meant nothing. I had no idea how to make school something that benefited me, and I graduated without a job and with nothing lined up. I ended up just working retail full time, making not that much more than minimum wage, and I moved out on my own halfway across the country. I made it through, but it was tough. When my student loans hit (which I took on with absolutely no understanding), I had to take on a second job. I didn’t know how to grocery shop effectively, so I spent way too much money eating out all the time. I took on credit card debt, had a hard time making new friends, and once I even flooded my kitchen by using the wrong laundry detergent.

Things in my life did turn around though, eventually. I worked hard and got promoted. I absolutely made the most of a life in retail, which turned into two years of overseas management for a company I loved. But at the end of that two years, I was ready to come back to America and dive into something new.

My business and my blog are called Towards Happy, because at the end of the day, what I really want to do is help people be happier. I’ve been talking to lots of people about happiness in their lives, and a common theme is that this post-college transition is where things tend to really fall apart. So that’s what I’m focusing on! (Although to be honest, so many of the issues there are things that continue to plague us for the rest of our lives, so even if you’re in a completely different stage in your life, I promise there’s a lot here for you too!)

I’m so excited that you are along for this journey with me. Thank you so much, and let’s get going!