- Traci Szemkus, 47, got pregnant with her daughter, Lyrik, when she was 19.
- She went on welfare, including food stamps and childcare.
- She vowed to become a doctor by 25, and did. Now, she and Lyrik run a company.
This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Traci Szemkus, cofounder of WorkPlay Branding. It has been edited for length and clarity.
I grew up in a very small, tight-knit farming community in Iowa. That's where I learned about hard work. Farmers never stop — they're always working to achieve more, a lesson I've carried into my life.
Being in a small town was dull during my rebellious teenage years, so I went to live near family in Chicago. There, I started a relationship that didn't amount to much but got my daughter, Lyrik, out of it. I was 19 when I found out I was pregnant.
I returned home to Iowa, and everyone around me was ashamed of my pregnancy. I didn't feel that, though. I was determined to prove them wrong. I enrolled in college and completed as many credits as I could before Lyrik was born. I planned to complete the rest of my degree online or through more flexible classes.
I vowed to become a doctor when I was on food stamps
Being a young mom was financially very difficult. I used to go to the grocery store and push a cart around while I ate fruit to fill my belly. Then, I'd abandon the cart and leave the store because I couldn't afford groceries.
Eventually, I got government assistance, including food stamps and day care. I would shop at night so fewer people would see me using food stamps. I was self-conscious but determined this wouldn't be my life.
One day, I was waiting in line at the food pantry. I had a voucher for food and wrote on the back, "I'm going to be a doctor by the time I'm 25." I don't know why I did it — maybe it was a cry for help — but I completed my doctorate two weeks after my 26th birthday. It wasn't quite what I'd written, but it was close enough.
I felt like I'd paid back my welfare through taxes
I had planned to become a chiropractor. During my doctorate program, I met many wonderful friends and my husband, who adopted Lyrik when she was 3. I also realized that I wasn't interested in being a chiropractor. I was much more drawn to the marketing side of business. So, my husband and I opened a chiropractic clinic: I did the marketing while he saw patients. We were profitable within three months.
When I was on welfare, I added up all the benefits I'd received. It was about $20,000. I vowed to pay them back one day. During the second year of operating our clinic, our tax bill was almost exactly that amount. I felt like I'd cleared my debt to the government.
I started placing recent graduates in new clinics and then selling those clinics to those doctors. It was lucrative, and today my net worth is in the seven figures. Still, it feels strange to call myself a millionaire. I have more security than I used to and don't need to struggle to survive. But I don't feel like I've made it yet or like I can coast.
Having Lyrik young shaped my success
Lyrik has always been at my side as I built my businesses. When she was little, we used to drive around listening to CDs about business and goal setting. I think she absorbed that because she's always been naturally business-minded. She started working in the clinics when she was 16, and we would always talk about business over dinner, to the annoyance of my husband and son.
A few years ago, Lyrik and I went into business together more formally. We founded WorkPlay branding, a visual marketing company that brought together her skills as a creator and my business network. Last year, our company broke $1 million in revenue.
Lyrik and I work so well together because we trust each other implicitly. We know neither of us is going to give up or leave. If someone is sick or needs a break, the other will step in without question. In 2021, I was out of work for about six months due to a brain tumor. Lyrik took over during that time and tripled our revenue.
I might have been a mediocre person if I hadn't gotten pregnant so young, but having Lyrik thrust me into a higher level of operating. I don't do anything that's not intentional. Now, seeing her as a professional and running a business with her has been one of the greatest gifts of my life.
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