How Simplified Savvy Came to Be – Quitting My 9-5 to Start My Own Business
It may sound crazy, but a version of what my current business is today was floating around in different forms in my head for nearly 10 years before I actually started it. My motivations may have been different years ago, but the idea of having my own business just wouldn’t go away and continued to pop back up every few years. But it was never the right time, and I truly believe that timing is everything.
The reason I did finally take the leap and launch my business is likely not an uncommon one. I found myself in the middle of maternity leave with my second child and I just couldn’t bear the thought of trying to do the Monday to Friday, 9-5 daily grind with two kids. I felt rushed and crazed doing it with one and I was absolutely dreading the thought of having to manage it with two. The motivation and the timing were both finally in alignment so I knew it was time to seriously explore my idea further.
While I enjoyed my job in communications, doing the work for one organization didn’t provide the creative freedom I was looking for. I am someone who gets bored at work easily. *Fun fact, I’ve never worked anywhere for longer than 4 years, and in that job, I had a 13 month mat leave to break it up. Generally my average lifespan at a job is 2 years.
So while I was pregnant and all during my maternity leave I was plagued with what to do. Should I go back? Should I go back and start my business as a side-hustle? Or should I give up the comfort and security of my day job and just go for it? I know myself well enough to know that this idea of mine wasn’t going to go away until I gave it a try in some capacity. But I also knew that if I just started it on the side that I would get too busy with day-to-day life and would never be able to give it the true time and attention it deserved to really give me a clear picture about whether it could be successful or not. So while it took my very conservative, accountant husband some convincing, ultimately, I decided to just take the leap and thank goodness it has paid off :) (Special thanks to my very supportive husband for continuing to be my biggest cheerleader and for believing in me even when I doubt myself).
My business now gives me exactly what I’ve always been searching for. It allows me the creative outlet I was craving and keeps things fresh and interesting because I get to work for such a wide variety of clients. Because I’m building something that’s all my own, I really feel fueled by it and care about it so much more than I ever could have cared about a job working for someone else. I’m also learning something new every day, which is really important to me and I’ve made connections with other amazing women in business that has been so incredible! AND, because my work is all online, I can work in the comfort of my own home in my pjs all day if I want to (and let’s face it, most days I do).
And as an incredible bonus and other huge motivator, I now have the flexibility to work the hours that fit in with my kid’s schedule. My kids, they are my true “why” and I am lucky enough to be able to be home with them before and after school. It’s not always easy but when things get crazy and I feel like I haven’t had any downtime, every day I am reminded why I chose this and it makes it all worth it.
So my advice to any of you out there in the same boat as I was, thinking of starting your own business, GO FOR IT!! Success or failure, you will never regret trying but you will regret letting a dream die. And if you ever want to talk or need advice, I’m always here.
