Working For Yourself

We’ve all heard of the fancy term, working for yourself. To be honest, I don’t think there is a job that is 100% secured other than to be working for yourself. Nowadays, almost everyone has the title “Entrepreneur” on their Instagram bio but are they, entrepreneurs?

The traditional way of thinking you have to go to college, get a good degree, and get a good job no longer applies. More and more people, especially in the U.S, are working for themselves whether that is starting their own company or freelancing.

Goals In College

So a little about me. I studied graphic design in college and my goal was to work at a firm as a graphic designer. I fancied the idea to work for a big magazine company such as Harper’s Bazaar. Fashion and luxury were my passion. My whole portfolio was built to work for a place like this.

My Last Corporate Job

While in college, nobody mentioned the term working for yourself so I didn’t have that in mind. I applied to graphic designer jobs at the fashion places that I wanted and since my portfolio was built for those jobs, I got them.

Fast track a bit to my last job as a graphic designer. This job was around 2016. I loved my job there. The people were great and honestly, I had never had a job where I got along with everyone. The work I was doing was awesome. It involved creating big in-store graphics, magazines, and luxury advertisements. I worked mostly by myself, which I loved. The job offered a lot of creative freedom. My work was displayed at different stores throughout the world. I felt like an artist.

Mind Shift

One day when it came time for my yearly evaluation, I had a meeting with the CEO to talk about my performance. Everything said was great but what hit me was when my increase was about 10 cents. I was shocked! I felt unappreciated for my work and after that day I had a whole re-evaluation of my life, my goals, my worth, what I wanted in life. Basically, it was like a wake-up call. After that day, my performance and inspiration for my work declined. I just had this question in my mind “What am I doing here?” 

I Hate My Job

I started noticing things I that I didn’t notice before. One thing was my one-hour sometimes two-hour commute. Another was my goals at the company. Do I want to be promoted? Do I want to grow with this company? Where do I see myself in the company? I was confused and didn’t seem to find the right answers. I also didn’t fancy the idea of being at the same place at the same time all the time. This lifestyle was not working for me. I think we all come to a point where we just outgrow where we are in life and want to see what else is out there. Kinda like a relationship. lol

Social Media Influencer

At this time, I had already entered the social media influencer world. I was already working on paid campaigns and getting some side money. This job allowed me to express my creativity in photography, so I loved it. The idea that I could do this full time crossed my mind a few times but I never really gave in to that idea untill…

There came an opportunity to travel to New York with one of the brands. Our flight and stay would be paid for. I felt excited to do this but at the same time I had my full time job. New York seemed like such an adventure. I would get to meet other influencers as well. This sounded so exciting! There wasn’t much time, the brand wanted an answer immediately or I would be replaced.

Quitting

I didn’t sleep for a few days pondering what I should do. If I were to quit, I would not follow company policy in giving two weeks notice. They would hate me for quitting so abruptly. On top of that, I liked my team and didn’t want to leave them overwhelmed without a graphic designer.

I knew I had to do it. I had outgrown working for that company. This opportunity to travel came my way for a reason. I would hate myself if I didn’t take this job. I talked with my team and told them I was leaving. Of course, they thought it was strange and didn’t expect it.

Growth

I don’t regret quitting. My time in New York was amazing. I had such a great time and felt more inclined to work for myself. Sometimes what seems scary, is only part of your growth. During this trip I met other bloggers/social media influencers who also worked for themselves. They inspired me and motivated me to do great things.

Working for Yourself | It’s Not Easy

Working for yourself is definitely not easy. Leaving the comfort of a secure job might not fit well with some people. It’s not an easy transition when you are used to receiving a certain amount of money each month to now having to go fish for clients. It takes a lot of courage to trust yourself and just take the leap but you will never know until you take that chance. Working for yourself is like trading 8 hours of work for 24. You are constantly working at all times.

Everything I do is for my business. I’m the business.

It’s a different type of lifestyle. You also have to have a certain mindset. One thing I learned is that you sort of have to be very “cut-throat” to get what you want in business.

My Advice

The universe will push you to where you need to be. My advice is:

• Follow your intuition (sorry if it sounds cheesy)
• Get involved with what you like to do.
• Surround yourself with like-minded people.
• Take chances

You will learn a lot from others who think just like you. Your ideas will only be pushed forward and not seen as impossible. Also, try and find people who can be mentors. One way to approach a possible mentor is to offer what you can do for free. In return, ask them to teach you about business or whatever it is you want to learn.

Don’t Quit Just Yet

While sometimes opportunites do arise and you have to make a fast decision, as it did for me, make sure you have enough money saved. This way, you can focus on working for yourself and not have another job. Working a 9-5 and working on your business on your off time is a great idea to start. If you do plan on working for yourself in the future, start to look for clients while you have a full time job. Secure a few before quitting.

My Life As of Now

This journey has connected me to many people who also work for themselves. It has allowed me to learn and grow. I’ve also done some mistakes because I don’t have all the answers. Guess what, you will have lots of failures but that is only to teach you and move you forward.

We are always evolving. While I enjoy this life now, I might not later, and that’s Ok. The point is to always listen to your inner voice. Learn to enjoy the journey and don’t take life to serious. If you fail, take it as a lesson and then move on.

I still have a lot I want to accomplish. The most important thing is to set clear goals for what you want to achieve. Make a list of what you will and will not do. Life isn’t perfect, my life certainly isn’t but if you constantly work to improve yourself you will progress in life.

If you are interested in graphic design, check out my post on Becoming a Graphic Designer Without Going to School. 

xoxo

Xio 💚