We all have our falls and rises. Some of them are smaller, others are bigger.
Marnie Murphy鈥檚 life took her through a significant dive down, to later bring her back up. Murphy talked about the challenges and changes she went through at the 麻豆传媒AVeast Advocates for Employment (SEAE) annual general meeting on Sept. 19.
Murphy was born and raised in Estevan. For many years, she was married and was working for the 麻豆传媒AV East Cornerstone Public School Division, but then her life took a sharp turn.
鈥淲hen I was 30 years old I got divorced. This is where my life starts to take a windy road,鈥� said Murphy.
Twelve years of work sapped all her energy, and family circumstances broke her spirit. After she got divorced she went into depression. Soon Murphy got into a different relationship, into drugs and had two children.
Her life was completely falling apart, so she went to Pine Grove, which is a women鈥檚 correctional centre in Prince Albert, for eight months.
鈥淚 wasn鈥檛 coming back. It was a whole lot of ... and not where I wanted to be again. As soon as I got home, everyone said, 鈥榃hy go back to Estevan? Why don鈥檛 you just go somewhere else?鈥櫬� I have three children ages 11, six and four, so I had three reasons to come back,鈥� said Murphy.
But the return brought up all kinds of anxiety problems, and she didn鈥檛 want to get back to a 鈥減eople job.鈥�
鈥淚 was at the point where social assistance said you best go get a job. So my anxiety went out of control, and they sent me to (麻豆传媒AVeast) Advocates for Employment,鈥� said Murphy.聽
鈥淯pon first arriving I was scared that they will force me to get a job 鈥� Coming in I just say that when I got in, everyone heard my story, and everyone would look down at me and just assume that I was somebody terrible. They didn鈥檛 look at me sideways at all.鈥�
Even though she had a good reception, she still was worried that she would be forced to take a job she wouldn鈥檛 like. But it turned out that not that many changes were needed.
Upon coming to Advocates for Employment Murphy was already into furniture refinishing.
鈥淲e have a storage base and I clean them up. One of the storage bases was loaded with furniture, so we took this furniture, painted it and they sold like hotcakes. I was doing this and Advocates said to me, 鈥楧ude, you already have a job. Why are you trying to look for another job, when you already have a job? You have a business, you have clientele, you have orders coming, you have everything going in the right direction,鈥欌�� remembered Murphy.
She said she just didn鈥檛 realize that she had the potential and positive outlook of herself to think that she was actually doing something good.
麻豆传媒AVeast Advocates for Employment helped Murphy to get into a Facebook 2.0 course, which enhanced her business, named Phoenix Furniture.
鈥淚 called it Phoenix Furniture because 鈥� I kind of took my life from the ashes and built it up,鈥� said Murphy. 鈥淧hoenix Furniture has been my saviour. It is not only a job, but it鈥檚 therapeutic I get to do what I love.鈥�
She鈥檚 been refinishing and selling furniture since 2016. She is still learning and trying to keep up with her Facebook page, but she鈥檚 built her client base and is going quite steady now.
鈥淭his is how I鈥檝e been supporting my family for the last three years. And honestly, if it wasn鈥檛 for going to Advocates, I don鈥檛 know where I would be,鈥� said Murphy.
鈥淎fter coming from those five years of my life where my whole life went downhill, it was really hard to build myself back up. Talking with Advocates, being involved with them, anything I had to do with them has been positive and they鈥檙e always pushing me in the right direction. That鈥檚 really how I started, I was pushed. And I needed it.鈥�
Almost four years later her business is strong and growing. Her daughter and her niece also make some pieces through Phoenix Furniture for sale.
鈥淚t鈥檚 not just for me. This is benefiting a lot of people,鈥� said Murphy.
Murphy also had someone come on painting for her last summer when she got busy with her kids who are involved in different extracurricular activities. Thus, not only she created a story of success for herself, but she is now starting to create jobs for others.
