MILLCREEK — Jennifer Stagg was at the top of her game, or so she was told. She was the perfect age, had the perfect look and was a successful broadcast journalist. She had recently won two Emmys and been awarded Best Reporter in Utah from the Society of Professional Journalists while reporting for KSL-TV.
The love she felt for her job ran deep, but after her first child was born, leaving home each day became difficult. In 2013, Stagg chose to stay home with her 1-year-old daughter Ruby and pursue new goals. She created a blog, started a YouTube channel, was recently invited to participate in the Hallmark DIY star competition and continues to share creative techniques from home.
While Stagg is the first to recognize that each family situation is different, she's grateful for the opportunity to have found a balance that works for her.
"It was a really, really, really hard decision because I loved my job, I really loved it," Stagg said of her time reporting for the 10 o'clock news. "I had worked so hard to get where I was. ... It was really hard, but it was harder to leave my daughter every single day."
Stagg's schedule allowed her to be home until around 1 p.m. when she would leave her daughter with her husband or a family member as she went to work. Some nights she'd return by 11, other nights, travel was involved and it would be later, possibly the next day. The schedule became a strain not only on her relationship with her daughter but with her husband as well.
"(Ruby) kind of got to the point that she was clinging to me and crying every time that I left, like 'Mommy, don’t go, don’t go,'" Stagg said. "And then also, my husband has a really demanding job, so we were like ships in the night passing."
While the schedule had worked prior to their daughter, Stagg soon recognized a need for an evaluation of their family needs.
"Of course, I loved my job and I feel like I poured my heart and soul into it, but it was hard to feel like that large amount of time that I’d spend away from Ruby and my husband was worth it anymore," Stagg explained. "I’d get home and they’d both be asleep. So that’s how I came to that decision, it wasn’t without a lot of really careful self-examination. I really had to look at what my motivations were to continuing my job."
As Stagg wrestled with her decision, however, she received advice from both sides — those who believed she should stay home and those who encouraged her to continue working.
"I had a lot of women who were like, 'Don’t you wish you could just stay home?' or ‘Your husband has a good job, why are you working full time?’ I got a lot of that," Stagg said. "And I also had a lot on the flip side, I had a lot of women who did work full time and they said, ‘You’re such a good example of doing it all,’ ‘I don’t know how you do it all.’"
Although Stagg understood their intent, she learned firsthand that each family circumstance is different and should try to be understood.
"Women work for a lot of different reasons and sometimes it’s out of great necessity and sometimes it’s because they feel like they need that professional outlet," Stagg said. "I think overall we just need to cut each other some slack. It’s hard either way, and instead of judging someone’s decision, or trying to make them feel like they should make a certain decision or the decision they have made is the right one because they’re finally on your team, something like that, I just think every situation is very unique and everyone is just trying to do their best."
Choosing to stay home with her daughter also meant working from home. Stagg created her blog and YouTube channel With Heart, a "Do It Yourself" site that encourages renovation in the home.
"The blog is a great outlet for me, and it’s kind of a great middle ground," Stagg said. "I’m still working now, but it’s on my terms, it’s on my schedule, I’m sort of the one who can say yes or no to opportunities."
Just two months ago, Stagg was selected as a contestant on the Hallmark DIY Star competition. She appeared on the "Home & Family" show several times, both as a contestant and as a top-five finalist. In each of her appearances, Stagg showed creative projects that could enhance the home. Although she was not selected as the winner, Stagg was grateful for the opportunity.
"I feel like with things like this you never know where it’s going to lead, or what’s going to happen from it down the road, and so I’m just really grateful for any opportunity or any chance I have to share what I love to do," Stagg said.
Looking back on the past three years, Stagg's life has definitely changed. She now stays home with her two daughters and is expecting her third child. While she strives to continue to share her talents through her blog, Stagg explained her most important job will always be her role as a mother.
"My life has changed a lot," Stagg said. "I used to spend every night covering the top story of the day and now I’m doing bedtime stories and watching the news from home if I’m able to watch it. I think my shoe wear has changed dramatically, I used to wear heels every day and now I’m like, 'What are the most comfortable flats that I can find?’ ... But beyond that, I just hope my girls know how truly loved they are and how special they are and how they are always No. 1, always. No matter what is going on, no matter how busy I am, that they always come first."
Email: sarahsanders.byu@gmail.com | Twitter: @Sarah_DNews