I Quit

Happy Monday! We’re in San Antonio staying on the River Walk and I’m looking forward to exploring with the fam- I’ve never been here before.

On a more personal note…you may have noticed the title of this post and last Thursday was my last day at my full-time job!

I know I mentioned how much I loved working at the office in my Career Talk post, but I was definitely being stretched thin as my blog continued to grow and more opportunities became available. I struggled for a while with the decision because I worked at a really great firm (voted one of the Best Places to Work in LA), there were opportunities for growth and it was definitely a place I could picture myself being long-term. Naturally, I felt like I was leaving my second family but I was also consistently running on 3-4 hours of sleep per night to make sure I fit everything in and even though I knew I could do it- I realized something had to give. I also had so many more ideas/areas for my blog that I couldn’t do until I had more time to really do them well.

I started my blog a year and a half ago and I’ve been able to monetize it strategically. To be honest, if I wasn’t able to monetize it, it would just be an expensive hobby and something I wouldn’t have pursued as consistently. Seeing positive growth in this area, I knew it was time to go for it and make it full-time in order to work at my full potential (and get a few more hours of sleep). My hubs played a huge part in my decision- he gave me the idea to start the blog, shoots the photos, helps out with back-end web support and challenged me to make it my full-time job. Without his huge support I wouldn’t be where I am today and I’m so thankful for him!

Being there more for Jadyn was also a huge factor in my decision to quit because she’s at an age (8) where she truly appreciates me being around. I always used to think I would want to work from home when she was little then go to a full-time position when she started school and didn’t seem to need me as much, but I don’t think like that anymore. She actually needs me more and wants me more involved in her activities than when she was tiny and really didn’t know any better. She knows what it’s like for me to work full-time and she’s expressed how happy she was on the last day of school that it was also my last day of work…it really hit me how much she gets it. She also gave me a list of ideas to do together this summer 🙂 I only have 10 more summers with her before she’s 18… and I want to make the most of them!

I recently heard a great quote on one of my favorite podcasts, “The greatest enemy to great is good.” I realized I could make two jobs work, I could up the caffeine intake and just keep up my momentum- I’m not afraid of hard work, I’ve never been. However, I realized trying to do everything wasn’t allowing me to have the time really excel in the areas I’m most passionate about. I knew that I needed to take the leap and get out of my comfort zone.

I’ve never worked for myself before my blog. I love working and I always pictured working a flexible job even when I had kids. What I love about blogging as a career is that it’s beyond flexible and completely up to me how much effort I want to put into it. It makes it possible for anyone to really be their own boss. Blogging is also an industry that’s not going away as our dependence on the internet and online communities continues to grow within our society. With this in mind, I became more confident blogging full-time would be the best decision for my family and myself.

What does this mean for my readers? With now more free time, my goal is to be more of a resource for you guys. I’ve started my newsletter (make sure to sign up below) you can expect more frequent blog posts and I’m going to be creating digital resources for those of you who are looking to start (or grow) your own blog as well- all announcements/updates in this area will be first available to my newsletter subscribers:

Starting out my blog I didn’t know the potential of what it could become or all the hard work it entailed, but there’s nothing like the freedom of working for yourself and I hope to inspire you guys to do the same (whatever your industry). If you’re passionate about something, don’t be afraid to go against the grain or against what others think you should be doing. Don’t listen to naysayers, surround yourself with others who think outside the box (read entrepreneurial books, listen to podcasts, etc.) If I can do it, literally anyone can and I’m excited for this next chapter and to help my readers also follow their dreams if blogging is one of them!

xx Brittany