I quit my job 8 months ago, and here’s what I’ve learned so far
So you know what not to do, and what I wish I had done sooner!
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My name is Liz, I quit my full time job in February after working in higher education for two years and leaving with more debt than I had when I started. I had benefits, I had coworkers, and the job was not difficult, but it wasn’t enough.
I don’t have a lot of savings, I’m not splitting my rent with anyone, and I’m #taxstatus single, so no partner contributing to my little side hustle over here. I’m not 12 years down the road, I’m not even 12 months past quitting my job, but I have learned some things I will share with you.
People are not transparent about their entrepreneurial journey
I have way too many individuals selling books, launching podcasts and advertising in newsletters about how broke they were before they founded a six figure business. But in interviews and tell-alls, they talk about their safety net. Angel investors, relying on a partner’s full time income, or not living independently until they gained their footing. These are all filters to take into consideration when you’re looking for advice on starting your own business. What does this person have that I do not, and what does that mean for my experience?
There are no breaks, not really
I took a 3 month hiatus from pitching new projects, and can honestly tell you I have no idea what I was thinking. I wish I could go back and push myself to keep going, to increase my income past barely covering my bills to being able to pay down my debt. Because I stopped to catch my breath, I got stuck in a loop of crunching numbers, submitting less than stellar work and disappointing myself and my clients. It is easier to show up to work when you are being paid well, and I didn’t focus on that.
Absolutely everything comes down to sales and marketing
When I learned how to pitch my first articles, there were a lot of bumps in the road. I thought I was just learning how to sell an idea, but two years into writing professionally, I have garnered the ability to pitch my work, and do it well. Pitching products, ideas, projects and getting really good at listening to what my clients need has helped me land more gigs in the past 3 months than I have all year. I am actively learning.
You will fling yourself off a cliff and make camp on that ledge, teetering towards the ground
And it will suck. Some days it felt like the air was being pulled out of my lungs, like I had no concept for what the next three days would look like. If you feel stupid, keep going. If you think this doesn’t make any sense, keep going. What I learned this summer is how far I can go into my discomfort, and what it takes to climb back out again. I threw ideas against the wall trying to make something stick, and got lots of critical and helpful feedback when I did.
It is easier to make a budget when you can actually pay your bills
I had way too many podcasts and mentors encouraging me to establish a budget; but I’ve never been able to use a budget system effectively because my income was not enough to meet my basic needs, rent, utilities, food for me, and food for my cats. I have student debt, a car loan, and nobody was talking about how to make more money — I was raised to believe pinching pennies is the only way to save. And that is the furthest thing from the truth. Making more money, and continuing to apply to new contract roles even when my cash flow is okay is what brought me ahead of my goals and into budget-land. With income to spare, I can focus on saving for taxes, making contributions to my Roth IRA and taking care of myself.
This is not something to do alone
When people ask me what I do, it can be tough to say I live alone, and I’m self-employed. I get really fucking lonely. Because I’m not always as self-aware as I could be, I don’t often realize until it’s been days that I’m craving human interaction. This is a unique situation I’m in, and one I’ve learned to share with my friends. I take time to go on walks, call my friends and video chat or get coffee IRL anytime I can. That is what keeps me going, because the freedom in my schedule to travel long distances or take a day off to bring my sister home after a sleepover weekend makes it all worth it.
If you want to learn more about my freelancing journey, in real-time, you can subscribe to my email newsletter here.
