How has my first month been since I left my 9 - 5?

The question I have gotten a lot is, how long are you going to be a Freelancer until you go back to a 9 – 5? Are you just taking a break?

Like, what?

I always knew deep down that I wanted to be my own boss, it might be purely coz I come from a very entrepreneurial family. A couple of years ago, we had another company that failed, and I had to go back to the corporate world; I was so lucky that people believed in me that I got my dream job – I was a Marketing Manager in hospitality. OMG, what a journey from visiting beautiful lodges to having crazy (almost impossible) deadlines.

I have been terrified of even thinking of leaving my 9 – 5 for years, yip I have wanted to quit for years. But the thought of not having a set income every month as a Mom always stopped me, and I always hoped it would get better.

So, what changed?

I wanted to share my story early on so that you can follow my journey. As I said, I had a dream job and worked with amazing people and never want to come across ungrateful for any of the opportunities I have gotten in my career. Quitting my 9 – 5 was a very personal journey and decision. While I was running this scenario through my head for years, lockdown made it clear in my head that I knew what needed to be done.

I invested in a coach just as lockdown started in April, and this was the secret sauce I needed; and yes, signing up for a group coaching program or working with someone is not going to be for everyone but, I knew that I did not want to let myself or the coach down. Now I was responsible for 2 people’s results.

Fast forward to September, when we were told the hotels are opening up again and that we would be going back, my heart stopped. All my hard work, and now I have to go back to reality!? Likely for me, it was only 50% of our time, so I could still focus on my business, clients, and students.

Now I am sure you are wondering why you would quit if you can do both?

I did go back, and I was so miserable. After working long hours during lockdown for something, I was so passionate about, and I felt like I was not adding value to my job. I always say you need to add value, whether this is with the content or with a strategy. My hubby has been so supportive and told me that I could quit if I knew that this was my path from day one of being back.

Remember, this is my story, and it is a very personal journey.

I handed in my resignation, and I felt relieved, and more so, I felt scared. I cried so many times thinking, what have I done! There have been times where I even wanted to ask if I could withdraw my resignation, but every day, I went back, and I felt miserable again. I found myself feeling frustrated on the days that I had to go to work, and sometimes it was even hard to get up. Even though this was a dream job, I felt forced to do something I no longer wanted.

How has the last month been?

It has not been all roses and rainbows; I have lost clients, gain clients, and have had my own limiting beliefs to work through. I have had days where I have felt so overwhelmed, and in the back of my mind, I am always thinking about “What happens if we have another lockdown?”. I then remind myself that I now make the same money as a freelancer as what I did in my corporate job.

Is the road going to be easy? Probably not, but I do believe that I have what it takes.

What is next for me? I am going to keep adding value to my online followers. I have enrolled in 2 more coaching programs to better my skills even more. I am launching my new course in April 2021 called Sociale Media Academy, from side hustle to freelancer.

What are my goals for 2021?

I want 15 1:1 clients each month, and I would love to work with 20 new students each time my course cart opens. I want to keep adding value, I would love to be an inspiration for someone else, and I want to do all the things I have ever wanted with my family.

My main goal is to create a business that fits my lifestyle. I want to go to my daughter’s school sports day without having to ask for a day off. I want to take a break when I feel I need it without having to book leave. Yes, I get it; I have clients and students that I need to take care of, but let me tell you, I can now be so much more flexible when I need to be.

I would rather fail at something I love doing than fail at something I hate!