Five years ago, I never could’ve imagined where I’d be today. What started as a late-night Google search for “how to make money from home” has evolved into a thriving business and a mission to help women redefine what leadership looks like behind the scenes. As I celebrate my five-year anniversary in business, I’m reflecting on the path that led me here — one filled with pivots, persistence, and a whole lot of quiet courage.
From Healthcare to Homemaker
When I first set out on my career path, I thought I’d be improving systems in the healthcare field. My degree in Healthcare Administration was meant to lead to a career in process improvement, optimizing systems, reducing inefficiencies, and making a difference in patient care. But life had other plans.
At 20 years old, I became a mom. I got married, bought a house, and decided to stay home with my daughter, Mallory. While I loved being a mom, I also found myself craving something more, something that gave me a sense of purpose and identity outside of motherhood.
That’s what led me back to school for my Master’s in Business. I figured if I couldn’t enter the workforce right away, I could at least invest in my education. By 2018, I landed my first full-time job with a dermatology practice, earning $16.50 an hour. At the time, it felt like a big step, until I realized how quickly I was outgrowing the role.
The Breaking Point
I was efficient. Too efficient. I would complete a day’s worth of work in just a few hours, leaving me bored and frustrated. And as a mom, strict corporate policies made it nearly impossible to balance work and family. After being passed over for a promotion following my second pregnancy, I knew something had to change.
A month before my daughter was born, I quit my job. I didn’t have a plan, just a deep knowing that I wanted flexibility, fulfillment, and freedom.
The Blog That Started It All
While home with my newborn, I started researching how to make money online. That’s when I stumbled upon blogging. Two weeks postpartum, I launched my first mom blog and fell in love with the creative process. I’d write during nap times and make Pinterest graphics while breastfeeding at night.
My first year of blogging brought in $422 — not exactly life-changing money, but it lit a spark. More importantly, it taught me the foundations of online business: content creation, marketing, SEO, affiliate income, and consistency.
Looking back, that blog was the first stepping stone to everything that came next.
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Starting a Business in the Middle of a Divorce
By late 2020, I was facing one of the biggest transitions of my life: divorce. I needed to find a way to support myself and my kids, without losing the lifestyle I’d come to love. Around that time, I heard other bloggers talk about hiring virtual assistants, and a lightbulb went off.
I could help other entrepreneurs with the same skills I’d been learning for my blog.
I invested in a course, got my LLC on November 11, 2020, and launched my business three weeks later. By January, I had four clients. By February, six. Within three months, I was earning enough to fully support myself and my girls.
That season taught me one of the most powerful lessons in business: momentum comes from action, not perfection.
From VA to OBM to Integrator
As my business grew, I realized I was meant to do more than tasks. I was meant to lead. I transitioned into an Online Business Manager (OBM) role, helping clients manage their operations and strategy. Then, in 2023, I discovered the term Integrator, and everything clicked.
It was the perfect description of what I’d already been doing: translating a Visionary’s ideas into reality, managing operations, and creating structure that allows both the business and the people within it to thrive.
That realization became the foundation for the next chapter of my business.
Launching the Integrator Certification Program
By 2024, I had reached full capacity with clients. I wanted to keep making an impact, but without growing an agency or overextending myself. So, I decided to teach what I knew.
That’s when the Molly Mariss Integrators® Certification Program was born. I launched the first round with nine students, and it quickly became clear that I wasn’t just teaching business strategy, I was building a movement. A movement for quiet leaders, behind-the-scenes women who make businesses thrive through clarity, systems, and calm confidence.
Living My Vision
Today, in 2025, I’m living the dream I had five years ago. I get to support incredible clients, mentor future Integrators, and lead a business that gives me and others flexibility, fulfillment, and freedom.
Looking back, every chapter, from long nights with my daughters to quitting my job to starting a blog, was a step toward the life I have now. And if there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s this:
Success isn’t about doing more. It’s about doing what matters most in a way that feels grounded and aligned.
So if you’re standing at your own crossroads right now, wondering if it’s too late to start over or too early to try, this is your reminder that it’s never too late to begin again. The quiet, steady steps you’re taking today are shaping your future success.
If this story resonated with you, share it with a friend who’s ready to rewrite her own path, and remember, quiet leadership creates the loudest impact.
