Anyone who knows me is probably thinking, "GIRL! This ain't news!" But I wanted to come on and tell you guys all about my post-college journey, because it's had a lot of ups and downs, and it honestly seems to be never-ending (and there's nothing wrong with that, OK?!).
I studied journalism in college. I loved it so much. I originally had plans to major in theatre when I got to college, but my calling for journalism came very unexpectedly during my junior year of high year when I discovered my adoration for writing. I was in numerous writing clubs and, whenever I had a pen in my hand, I felt impenetrable. I chose journalism because I also loved talking to people and fashion, and hoped to pursue a career in the magazine industry. So off to Hofstra University I went, a scholarship in hand, ready to kick some serious ass in the field.
After I graduated in 2013, finding work was really hard. I wasn't prepared for the numerous rejections I'd faced due to being entry level. A lot of companies wanted me to freelance for pennies, and I just wasn't having it. A few months post graduation, I accepted a job with a corporate company that was honestly AWFUL. We received five (YES, FIVE) days off a year. So, if you needed emergency surgery or wanted to take a two-week vacation, you weren't getting paid for it.
I was a promoted to a copywriting position within the company, but I was suffering from some serious writer's block (that I actually still deal with today). I had no motivation. The pay was crap and I didn't enjoy working for the owner of the company. Long story short - my work was lacking and I didn't care to do well, so I was fired the same day that I scored an interview with another company. When I started working for that company, I realized that, AGAIN, I was trapped in a corporate hell.
I'll eventually make a video about my experiences with corporate life, but in a nutshell, the pay was still crap and my anxiety was constantly through the roof while working there. I walked on eggshells every single Friday because someone always seemed to get laid off or fired on Friday afternoon. It was inevitable. For a while, though, I'd hoped it was me .. the thought of collecting some minimal unemployment at home sounded lovely compared to staying there. During my time there, my relationship fell apart, I gained about 75 pounds, got suuuper depressed and stopped leaving my house, experienced extreme fatigue, and STILL had no savings to rely on because my paychecks weren't good.
I needed to get out and I wasn't sure where to go. In extreme desperation, I messaged my bestie and told her that I needed out. She got me a job with a company for which she worked - a cleaning company - and just like that, I took a huuuuge leap of faith and finally left corporate life - and my initial career choice - for good.
I needed to get out and I wasn't sure where to go. In extreme desperation, I messaged my bestie and told her that I needed out. She got me a job with a company for which she worked - a cleaning company - and just like that, I took a huuuuge leap of faith and finally left corporate life - and my initial career choice - for good.
The company for which I worked thereafter provided a very different experience. I didn't work five days a week and I had a little more control over the goings-on within the company. But, again, I was unhappy and unfulfilled. The pay was OK, but certainly not enough for me to make a living. In fact, on some weeks I made less than what I made working for corporate America. Since I had my toes dipped into waters of the service industry, I decided to open my own service-based company with my bestie on the down-low. We cleaned a couple of houses on the side for some extra cash, and had plans to quit our current jobs when we were making enough to leave. It wasn't working. We weren't sure how to score clients and we had to keep the entire operation a secret because we were kind of competing with our boss. It was extremely anxiety-inducing.
After about a year of our secret business, our boss found out and fired us immediately. This was in fall 2017. She was really hurt and, to be honest, I don't blame her. But my bestie and I knew that that we had these great ideas and we wanted to bring them into fruition. The problem was that we had NO MONEY. No savings. No starting capital. We were fucking PANICKING. The day we were fired, we hopped onto social media and let the cat out of the bag. We were messaging everyone we knew about our services. We had a total of, like, five clients, and were NOT making enough money to make ends meet. It was terrifying. I started freelancing on the side also because the $400 we were making (total!) each week wasn't nearly enough. After endless hard work and A LOT of word-of-mouth referrals, we were finally making disposable income - more than I ever made working for corporate life. Soon after (like only seven months after starting the business full time), we were able to hire some lovely team members and put some family members to work. We made some awesome friends along the way and, all in all, we've been pretty successful.
And did I mentioned that I did all of this while severely struggling with a PCOS diagnosis?
And did I mentioned that I did all of this while severely struggling with a PCOS diagnosis?
Now, I'm feeling ready for more change. And NO, I will never go back to corporate life. But I'm ready to learn something new - to take on another challenge and succeed. So not only am I working on re-branding my current company, I am ALSO going back to school!
The beauty of owning a business is that I can do something as crazy as going back to school. As it is now, I'm working in the field for about 20 hours a week and I'm taking home much more money than I ever did as a full-time corporate slave. I'm paying some awesome employees to give me more freedom. I have a business partner who takes the reigns when I'm overwhelmed. I'm fucking blessed. And even though we never really "stop working," I'm able to keep striving for more while comfortably making money.
Here's the situation. It's perfectly OK to not stick to your original plans! It's OK to want more. It's OK to change your mind! Whether you're a college student debating on changing your major, a corporate worker who is feeling sick of the 9-to-5, or a fellow boss babe who's ready to tackle a new industry: follow your heart (I know it sounds horribly cliche, but it's true), take some risks and ensure your happiness. We've all got one life to live - make the best of it. For real.
With love,
your friendly neighborhood business-owning, lifestyle-blogging, future-school-going, PCOS-battling boss bitch,
The beauty of owning a business is that I can do something as crazy as going back to school. As it is now, I'm working in the field for about 20 hours a week and I'm taking home much more money than I ever did as a full-time corporate slave. I'm paying some awesome employees to give me more freedom. I have a business partner who takes the reigns when I'm overwhelmed. I'm fucking blessed. And even though we never really "stop working," I'm able to keep striving for more while comfortably making money.
Here's the situation. It's perfectly OK to not stick to your original plans! It's OK to want more. It's OK to change your mind! Whether you're a college student debating on changing your major, a corporate worker who is feeling sick of the 9-to-5, or a fellow boss babe who's ready to tackle a new industry: follow your heart (I know it sounds horribly cliche, but it's true), take some risks and ensure your happiness. We've all got one life to live - make the best of it. For real.
With love,
your friendly neighborhood business-owning, lifestyle-blogging, future-school-going, PCOS-battling boss bitch,
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