I left Atlanta for a smaller city. It reduced my stress as a parent and helped my career thrive.

  • Wendy Daniels owns a real estate development consulting business and is a mom of three.
  • She was drawn to Atlanta for entrepreneurial opportunities but later moved.
  • She says living in Baton Rouge means less commuting time and better career opportunities.

This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Wendy Daniels, owner of Beechwood Residential , a Baton Rouge-based property development firm. It has been edited for length and clarity.

As a kid, I moved around a bit, living in New Orleans and Oakland, California, before my parents settled in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, when I was in seventh grade. When I left home for college to study urban planning, I thought I’d never in a million years move back to Baton Rouge .

After graduate school, I was recruited for a position in Atlanta . It felt like the city chose me. I loved that I never had to search for something to do because so much was happening. Growing up, I didn’t know a lot of Black entrepreneurs, but in Atlanta, I worked with the best and brightest people. When I became a mom, I liked my children being around that as well…

Story continues

TRENDING NOW

LATEST LOCAL NEWS