Why am I Here?

My name is Octavia and I’m the founder of ThriveNexxt.

I’m also a mother, a professional, a provider, a caregiver, and—like so many women—a person who has spent the last few years learning how to rebuild while still making sure everyone who depends on me is okay.

I want to be clear about something from the beginning: this is not a pity story.

I work. & dang it work hard!

I currently work two jobs because that is what it takes to financially support my children, maintain our home, pay our bills, and provide for the needs of my family. I have learned how to be incredibly productive because I don't have much of a choice. My days require planning, organization, sacrifice, flexibility, and a whole lot of determination.

And I am doing it without a safety net.

I don't receive state assistance to help support my household. Even as the mother of a child with autism and additional needs, I receive no financial assistance from the state for her care.

So I work.

And then I come home and continue working—because motherhood doesn't clock out when my workday ends.

One of the hardest parts has been watching how this affects my oldest daughter. She is an amazing big sister, but sometimes I look at her and realize she feels a responsibility to help our family in ways that go beyond simply being a sister.

She deserves her own life.

She deserves to be a young woman building her future without feeling like she has to help carry responsibilities that ultimately belong to me as her mother.

And my younger children deserve more of me, too.

Lately, I've had to acknowledge something that is difficult for a hardworking parent to admit:

I am providing for my children, but I feel like I'm missing too much of their lives while doing it.

Why ThriveNexxt Matters to Me.

ThriveNexxt didn't come from a random business idea.

It came from something I understand personally: starting over.

I know what it feels like to have experience, knowledge, work ethic and value—and still find yourself trying to convince someone to give you an opportunity.

I know what it feels like to submit applications, prepare for interviews, get your hopes up, hear "we went with another candidate," and start all over again.

I also know that behind every résumé is a real person.

There may be a mother trying to increase her income. A father trying to provide for his family. Someone rebuilding after a layoff. Someone changing careers. Someone with years of experience who keeps being overlooked because their background doesn't fit neatly into a hiring system.

That's why I created ThriveNexxt.

My vision is to build a platform and community that helps bridge the gap between job seekers and employers—while also providing practical career support such as résumé assistance, interview preparation, job-readiness resources, employer connections, and ultimately a place where employers can post opportunities and candidates can be discovered.

I want ThriveNexxt to become something that actually helps people move forward.

But somewhere along the way, I made a decision that I now realize came with a cost.

I put ThriveNexxt on hold so I could work two jobs.

At the time, it felt like the responsible thing to do. My children needed stability. Bills needed to be paid. Life needed to keep moving.

But every hour I spend working my second job is also an hour I cannot spend building the business that could eventually allow me to stop working that second job.

That cycle is exactly what I am trying to break.

What I'm Working Toward

My goal isn't to stop working.

Anyone who knows me knows that's probably impossible anyway.

My goal is to build a life where my work makes sense for my family.

I want to be able to work one primary job while growing ThriveNexxt into a sustainable business—eventually allowing the business I've built to become an even greater part of how I support my family.

That would give me something money can't replace:

time.

Time to be present.

Time to attend the things I currently have to miss.

Time to be more available for my child who needs additional support.

Time for my oldest daughter to simply be a daughter and a sister—not someone who feels obligated to help hold everything together.

And time to build something that can help other people create better opportunities for themselves, too.

Why I'm Crowdfunding.

I'm crowdfunding because getting ThriveNexxt fully operational requires resources, and right now my personal income has one very important assignment: taking care of my children and our household.

Rather than continuing to put the business on hold indefinitely, I'm asking people who believe in what I'm building to help me give ThriveNexxt the push it needs.

Funds raised will help me invest in the infrastructure necessary to launch and grow ThriveNexxt—including the website and job-board platform, business technology, marketing, employer outreach, job-seeker resources, and other startup expenses necessary to turn the vision into a functioning business.

I'm not asking anyone to fund my life.

I'm asking for help funding the opportunity I'm working to build.

An opportunity that I believe can change the trajectory of my own family while eventually helping other families and job seekers change theirs.

I've spent the last several years surviving, rebuilding, working, parenting and figuring things out as I go.

Now I'm ready to give ThriveNexxt the attention I should have given it a long time ago.

I'm ready to build.

And if you choose to contribute, share this campaign, connect ThriveNexxt with an employer, or simply tell someone about what I'm creating, please know that you aren't just supporting a business idea.

You're helping me build the next chapter—for my family, for myself, and hopefully for many job seekers who are trying to build their next chapter too.

PLEASE DON'TSTOP READING! THERE IS MORE!

So, What Exactly Am I Building?

Let me tell you a little more about what I actually want ThriveNexxt to become.

I don't want to create just another job board.

We have enough of those. 😂

I want to build a place where job seekers actually feel like people again—not application numbers.

I've experienced the job-search process myself. You can have years of experience, a strong work ethic, great transferable skills and STILL struggle to get in front of the right person.

That's one of the biggest reasons I'm so passionate about ThriveNexxt.

My vision is to create a platform where job seekers can create profiles, upload their resumes, find opportunities, get help strengthening their resumes, prepare for interviews, attend hiring events and ultimately CONNECT with employers looking for people like them.

And I want employers to benefit too.

Businesses will be able to post their openings, connect with candidates, participate in hiring events and get their opportunities in front of people who are ready to work and ready for their Nexxt.

What Do I Want ThriveNexxt to Accomplish?

This part means a LOT to me.

I don't want to measure success just by how many people visit a website.

I want to eventually be able to say:

"We helped someone get hired."

"Someone landed an interview because we helped them tell their story better."

"A company found an amazing employee through ThriveNexxt."

"Someone who was ready to give up on their job search finally got their YES."

THAT is the impact I'm trying to create.

Eventually, I want ThriveNexxt to host hiring events, career workshops, networking opportunities and employer events while partnering with businesses and community organizations.

I want to help close that frustrating gap between "I'm looking for a job" and "We're looking for great people."

Because somehow both sides keep saying those things at the same time. 🤷🏽‍♀️

Okay... So Where Does the $15,000 Go?

This is important to me because I want anyone who contributes to know that I'm not just throwing out a $15,000 number.

There's a plan behind it.

The money raised will help me:

💻 Build the ThriveNexxt website and job board — $5,000

Job-seeker accounts, resume uploads, employer accounts, job postings, hosting and the technology needed to make the platform actually WORK.

📣 Get ThriveNexxt in front of people — $3,000

Marketing, advertising, employer outreach and building relationships with recruiters, businesses and community organizations.

🖥️ Build the business infrastructure — $2,000

Business software, CRM tools, communications, administrative systems and the behind-the-scenes things nobody gets excited about...but you definitely need. 😂

🤝 Create career resources and programs — $2,000

Resume and interview resources, career workshops, virtual events and programs that can actually help job seekers move forward.

🚀 Launch and operating expenses — $3,000

The initial costs of getting ThriveNexxt running while I build employer partnerships, clients and sustainable revenue.

And Here's the Bigger Goal...

I don't want ThriveNexxt to live off donations.

That's not the plan.

This campaign is about getting the resources I need to finally BUILD the foundation instead of continuing to put the business on hold because every available hour has to go toward working my second job.

The goal is for ThriveNexxt to generate its own revenue through career services, employer services, job postings, events, partnerships and other opportunities as the business grows.

And yes, there's a very personal goal attached to this too.

I want to eventually be able to say:

"I don't need that second job anymore."

Not because I don't want to work—I think we've established that working isn't exactly my problem. 😂

I want to replace those hours with building ThriveNexxt and being home with my children.

That's the freedom I'm working toward.

So whether someone gives $5, $20, $100, shares my campaign, introduces me to an employer, or simply tells somebody about ThriveNexxt—it matters.

$15,000 isn't the finish line.

It's the starting line.

I'm ready to build this.

And I'm excited to see what happens when I finally stop putting ThriveNexxt on hold and give it the opportunity to THRIVE. 💙

CONNECT. GROW. SUCCEED.!