Michelle Ciarlo-Hayes had a choice: stay in a safe job as a university librarian or go after her dream job in photography and digital art. “What sane person leaves their dependable job with steady salary and excellent benefits to make a living in the art world?” she asks.
But that’s exactly what Michelle did. She took the leap and today, is the artist, creator, designer and maker of several product lines decorated with her artwork and featured in nearly 40 stores in the U.S. and Canada. Michelle says some of the best parts of her career are working from home and the flexibility owning her own business gives her as a mother. Michelle hopes to keep expanding her reach in the next year, which—attention, job seekers!—means she might be looking for an intern soon.