Back when I worked as a staff accountant, I liked what I did, but I always knew it wasn’t going to be a forever job. I wanted to have freedom once I had kids. One day, I picked up a book called Grit by Angela Duckworth – a gift from dad that sat on a shelf forever before I picked it up.
That serendipitous read talks a lot about passion and perseverance and how that plays out in your daily life. One section was on creating a life philosophy which is JUST what I needed to read at that moment because my philosophy wasn’t lining up.
I had this lightbulb moment, went home, and told my husband I was going to quit…3 months later I did exactly that.
Now, since the summer of 2020, I’ve been running 1428 Financial and I love what I do. I get to build a business the way I want to and serve who I want to. I got to create this business from nothing and I get to do the creative and fun parts too (although numbers are pretty fun to me;) )
You see, when you cut things that drain you, you have more creative inspiration. This is where I found myself when starting my business. When you’re working a desk job, for someone else, you are heads-down and in the trenches all day long. It’s exhausting, to say the least. You have no time to think, dream, or scheme. You are literally surviving and working.
I wanted to be the master of my schedule. I wanted to live the life I wanted.
How did I make that transition?
I found BOB, Booked Out Bookkeeper. This has since retired and been replaced with Libby (Life By The Books) and is by Katie Ferro.
When I quit, I’d replaced about 25% of my corporate income, and less than a year later, I was 90% there and surpassed that in the years that followed.
One of the key pieces of this story is my husband. He supported me FULLY as I voiced my desire to quit and go off on my own business venture. I didn’t need that external validation, but boy was it nice and gave me quite a boost as I jumped into my own business.
Something I learned was when you remove selling from your motivation and replace it with service, your sales will skyrocket. It’s also the best way to get referrals. I love to take care of and help people so bookkeeping was perfect for me. I love serving through free content on social media as well as my clients. It’s such a blessing to see clients go after their dreams and help them along the way.
Let’s talk about a few things:
Resistance and investing: I know my worth and have had clients who need to talk with their spouses about working with me. I get it! It’s an investment and I want everyone on board. I don’t want to have a disconnected client and you don’t want to invest in something when you’re not fully committed. Sometimes there are other fears though like self-doubt and a general lack of support from their community. That’s super hard to overcome. You need someone who can see the benefit of what we do and have lightbulb moments.
My life perspective: I want to work to live, not live to work. I don’t want work to be my life. Family time is incredibly important to me. I want to make time for people in my life I care about. What does your life perspective or vision look like?
What I’d tell someone in feeling “stuck” in corporate right now: I’m a very risk-averse person and I get the fear. If I can do it, you can too. You can’t afford not to. There isn’t a better time than now. You can’t afford to keep working for a job that would just replace you if you left.
I used to feel a lot of pressure to be my own boss because I don’t feel like a born leader and many of you might feel the same way. But I’ve been growing so much by stepping into my own and being that boss. You can too.
What about you? Have you taken the leap yet? If not, what’s holding you back?
For more on this topic, check out: Profits + Prosecco: The Podcast
The content in this blog post is provided for general informational purposes only and should not be considered professional tax or legal advice. The author is not a Certified Public Accountant, and no assurances can be made regarding the outcomes or consequences of tax returns, IRS actions, or any financial decisions based on this information. Readers are strongly advised to consult with a qualified tax professional or legal advisor for personalized guidance specific to their individual circumstances. The author expressly disclaims any liability for decisions made based on the information presented in this blog post.
