Kerri-Lee Mayland used to anchor the news at WVIT (Connecticut) but after being diagnosed with chronic Lyme disease, she decided to move in another direction.

Mayland showed there is life after TV news and it doesn’t have to be in PR or as a PIO.

She now works as a home designer and rental cottage proprietor.

“It seems I’ve been decorating and designing my whole life — in the newsroom, for colleagues, even during my college days. Classmates would stop me and ask if I could help make their rooms look more like mine,” Mayland said. “For as long as I can remember, I’ve been helping people with their living rooms, kitchens, bedrooms, patios and yards.” 

The Stamford Advocate writes that in essence, it’s a natural instinct that people seem to instantly recognize. When the pandemic began, that instinct induced her to create the Kerri-Lee Mayland Company, an Avon-based umbrella firm under which sit several divisions and more than a half dozen creative associates. Interior and exterior remodeling, furniture design, painting, upholstery and a retail accessory boutique are among its many services.

Her advice to others that might be looking at a career change. “If you find yourself in need of a career change, think of something you love or are really good at,” she said. That’s exactly what she did. “Take the leap, even if you’re terrified. I was! But when you follow your passion, chances are you’ll realize you made the best decision of your life.”