no longer 9-5
Life update: 6/23/2021
I’ve had the song “We Made It” by HER on repeat for a couple weeks.
Because a few weeks ago I did what I thought would be the unthinkable: I left my 9-5 at Amazon, in aspiration for not exactly bigger, but better things.
“The job a million girls would kill for.”
And that almost killed me…
I speak about burnout often, the relentless reality of it, the rollercoaster that most of us seem to be riding. We spoke about it often in the office, as many companies have tried to adopt changes and encourage PTO days often to combat the work-monster. And even after years of ER visits, deep discussions with myself, my family, my friends, plenty of days off, environment readjustments, and even schedule restructuring, I relapsed.
I’m now on a plane, going from Chicago to Seattle, nonstop. Which is exactly how my life has gone since I left. I ignored the cautionary signs once again to take an actual break... and instead I rerouted.
My destination: a career defined all on my own.
What would seem to be a life-alteration at 45, I’m trying to do at 23. All the talk I use to talk, I’m trying to walk it too.
The title in bio is about to gain some legitimacy and validation if I can do this right. Being genuinely myself has become the driving force in this whole thing.
I have to be me, and do it my way.
By the end of this year, I will plan to be a fully registered business owner, with a focus on branding and marketing entrepreneurs across the West Coast.
And to balance out the work, I will be hiring on a small team to join me for the ride, 2022.
The pandemic pointed out something to me that was crucial to our economy getting through, and that was the power in community. Small businesses being the heart of the city, not the large corporations. The people that I have met in these smaller spaces are the driving force of much bigger things than money; and that being passion, creativity, ambition, generosity, love, care, and quality - all of which are core foundations to any company, if not country’s success.
There will always be a new idea, another entrepreneur on the block, and I want to tell their story.
My google calendar is full every single day, with absolutely no days off. I wake up by 6am and will still be working in bed at 11pm. I forget to eat sometimes. I have to book my friends for dinner at least a month and a half in advance. I get migraines almost daily due to the increased screen time. Definitely not drinking enough water, definitely drinking too much wine. I need to book a massage the second I touch down in Seattle. And probably a therapy session too.
But that’s still just the start, with room to improve. I’ve never been one to choose the easier route, I’d rather be seasoned with a skillset and a story that only comes from taking the road less traveled. And yet, I’ve never loved something so much, or had so much passion for a project than this one: because this one is mine.
The stories are theirs. The strategy is simple. The success is shared.
Thank you to all my friends, my former colleagues, my family, my mentors, and my clients for believing in me as I trek through this next journey. Thank you to Mikayla and Kathy for giving me the initial idea in the first place, seeing the potential in me before I even could.
And so, if you needed a sign to start that thing you’ve been thinking of doing:
This is it.