I quit my “dream” job two years ago. Here’s what I’ve learnt.
2 years ago I handed my notice to Meta after less than 6 months on the job. I was in a role I had idolised for years, the perks were good, the pay was great. But, I knew in my heart that I’d rather be elsewhere. 24 months later, I’ve turned my side-business is now my full-time role and I spend my days helping ambitious founders (like me!) elevate their businesses with brands and websites that reflect the quality of the products and services they provide. It was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made and I don’t plan on looking back (even though you’ll see in this post that *sometimes* I do).
These are a few of the lessons I’ve learnt so far.
‘What if’ thinking is fear speaking.
“What if I stayed at that role a bit longer so that it made my CV look better?”, “What if I significantly reduced my price just to make sure the client says yes?”, “What if I went back to being an employee just so I can have a steady salary”.
These are the thoughts that continue to pop-up throughout my journey as an entrepreneur. They usually arise when things aren’t necessarily going to plan or a slow period arises.
9 times out of 10 the exact thing I need to stop these questions occurs within a few days after I ask them. This has made me realise how easy it is to succumb to fear when you’re just moments away from achieving the success you’ve been seeking.
Imposter syndrome never goes away.
But it does get easier to quieten that voice.
Prior to my first Big Tech role, I had always been confident about my skills and insight, but upon entering that world, I found myself believing that I had bamboozled my way into a space I didn’t belong.
After continuously receiving positive praise from colleagues and seeing data-backed results, this eventually faded, but embarking on my entrepreneurial journey brought it all back.
Two years in, a combination of happy clients and tangible results have reduced that voice of self-doubt to a whisper, but, the biggest (but most rewarding) challenge is finding a way to maintain that level of self-confidence without external validation.
Boundaries are everything.
I’m in the business of making people’s dreams a reality.
Part of that involves uncovering their deepest motivations and unravelling ideas that they themselves struggle to unpick. Doing so often means getting to know my clients on a more personal level (which I absolutely love), but occasionally it can send mixed messages about what our relationship actually is.
Inviting clients to feel comfortable enough to share their grand vision with me, while maintaining a boundary that ensures I don’t end up performing emotional labour beyond the scope of my work as a service provider is a tight rope I’ve learnt to walk on while collecting a few bumps and bruises along the way.
You don’t have to do everything alone.
I’m an introvert by nature and throughout my life I’ve used it as an excuse to turn down invitations to social events or insist on only pursuing projects in a way that allows me to work independently.
Over the past two years, I’ve (slowly) pushed myself to work beyond that. I’ve met with fellow brand and web designers in cities from London to Hong Kong, attended networking events, and recently have began exploring a new way to build experiences for like-minded creatives alongside a (also introverted) friend.
The ‘I can do this all by myself’ mentality feels empowering, but it has it’s limits. The true magic happens when you open yourself up to community and collaboration.
If you’re ready to collaborate on taking your brand to the next level, get in touch to learn more about how we can work together.