Mainebiz

V O L . X X V I I N O. X X V I I WO R K F O R C E D E V E L O P M E N T A s many workers leave their jobs and rethink life priorities dur- ing the pandemic, Mainebiz checked in with five Mainers who have reinvented themselves professionally to find out how the COVID economic upheaval is playing out in Maine. Stories range from a lawyer who took six months off to experience life as a national park ranger, to an engineer who "boomeranged" back to Maine from the Pacific Northwest. eir experiences are indicative of workforce dynamics and economic forces that may be forever changed by the pandemic. Birthing a new business Molly Brubaker birthed a baby — and a business focused on fitness for new parents — in 2021. ough well-versed in "side hustles" from dog-walking to voiceovers, the 34-year-old's unexpected path to busi- ness ownership came about after she was laid off from a job in marketing and business development last year at the start of the pandemic. Pregnant at the time and uncertain of her professional future, Brubaker worked out regularly throughout her pregnancy to help prepare for childbirth and the physical demands of motherhood before giving birth to daughter Ella in January 2021. Brubaker — a certified instructor in both group fitness and pregnancy and postpartum fitness — began offering virtual and in-person full- body workouts for pregnant moms and new parents in July 2021 via a new business she branded as Baby Booty. While parents are encour- aged to do the workouts toting their infants in wrap carriers worn on the back or front, that's not a requirement. "roughout pregnancy, I was using Pilates, barre and spinning to keep up my mental health, but it's not something I ever thought I would do as a business or profession," she says. "I just kind of jumped into it." Brubaker is both the business owner and sole instructor, teaching courses live on Zoom from her home in Cumberland, offering on-demand recordings, as well as teaching live courses at a studio in downtown Portland. She estimates a regular cli- entele of around 40 to 50 parents, and finds that they enjoy the social con- nection as much as the physical aspect of group exercise. Fitness instructor and entrepreneur Molly Brubaker teaches Baby Booty workouts in person and on Zoom to pregnant women and new parents with babies. DEC EM BER 1 3 , 2 0 2 1 12 P H O T O / T I M G R E E N WAY GREaT RESIGNaTIoN THE Maine - style F O C U S B y R E n e e C o r d e s How 5 Mainers reinvented themselves professionally during the COVID economic upheaval

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