I QUIT MY FULL-TIME JOB TO BECOME A FULL-TIME BLOGGER)

Yep…I QUIT!

Ever since I started But What Should I Wear I’ve been juggling working as a full-time marketing director and running my “side-hustle.”

Well, today I am so excited to call my “side-hustle” my full-time job – it’s officially my first week working for myself! I cannot believe that I’m actually sitting down and writing this post.

Two years ago I set out to start a fashion blog and ever since then I focused on turning my passion into my business. This time has consisted of a lot of long nights, early morning, and skipped brunches. It has been a year filled with some of my highest highs, and lowest lows, and every day has been a new learning experience.

It was such an incredibly hard decision to leave my full-time job. I was lucking enough to have a full-time job that I loved and worked for a company that drove my passion. I was constantly learning new strategies + best practices. I was always being challenged with new tasks and forces to think outside the box. I was fortunate to have a boss that supported me and my career choices and quitting my job was one of the hardest good-byes.

But…

When one door closes another one opens.

And I am swinging this new door wide open!

I am extremely excited and equally terrified! It is a whole new world and a booming industry that I am excited to be apart of.

Keep reading for answers to all my frequently asked questions. 🙂

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How did you know it was time to leave?

Let me start by saying, when I first started my blog I had absolutely no idea just how much time, effort, and hard work goes into building a brand and creating content. The past few years have been filled with a lot of sleepless nights and 7-day weeks. A year ago I was lucky enough take my position remote and begin working from home full-time. I am forever thankful to be given this opportunity because it seriously helped me prioritize and manage my time.

It wasn’t until about 3 months ago that I really started to feel myself get stretched thin. I felt like I was being pulled in two directions and my work (both professionally and personally) was starting to suffer. I knew something needed to give.

So, I spent the next few months seriously evaluating everything. I met with finical advisors, friends in the industry, and gathered expert opinions. I want to make sure all my ducks were in a row. If you know me then you know I am not one to jump in head first, I prefer soft landings.

The right after the holidays, at the start of the new year. I knew it was time to say goodbye to my full-time job and give my brand the best shot I could!

Two weeks ago I quit my full-time job and today I started working as my own boss.

How long did it take?

I started my blog a little over two years ago. It started out as a passion project for me until I quickly realized I could scale it to a business and support myself. I put in about a year of literal blood, sweat, tears, time, and money. I invest so much of myself financially and personally into my brand, blog and business.

It wasn’t until about a year into it that I started making extra spending cash and getting paid to create content. I literally made $75 for my first sponsored post! But, I was not where near being able to support myself or even offset my expenses.

It wasn’t until I really started seeing the worth in the content I was creating and decided I would never settle, that I began to make income-worthy money.

A year and half into it, all of my hard FINALLY decided to pay off and I was beginning to supplement my income. I was overly cautious though, call me risk-adverse, and gave myself 6-months to ensure I was consistently making enough money to support my current expenses before I even thought about quitting.

It is important to understand that this timeline looks different for everyone. Everyone has different goals, financial obligations, and definitions of success. You have to take your time to find what works best for you and you’ll know when you are ready. But know, this industry is not a get-rich-quick kind of career. It takes time, hustle, and perseverance.

Did you always plan on becoming a full-time blogger?

In the short, YES. I knew the potential blogging had as a full-time career and I knew I wanted to work for myself and get out of the 9-5 corporate structure. Although I had no idea what my path to becoming a full-time blogger would look like. I thought I needed to get hundred of thousands of followers before I could even consider quitting my full-time job but that couldn’t be farther from the trough.

While your follower count is important and an integral part of your business, it is QUALITY that set you apart from the crowd and gets you hired. The industry has made a huge shift in what they value in content creators and influencers. Everyone can hop online and buy 100k followers or follow and un-follow their way to the top, but not everyone can create high-quality, engaging content that reaches a REAL, targeted audience.

When you put in the time to grow an authentic audience and focus on a high percentage of engagement, brands will notice and hire you!

How did you balance working full-time and blogging full-time?

Put simply, you never find balance. Whoever said there was balance in working full-time and starting a business is a liar. The running joke in this industry is you have a 9-5 and a 5-9. You wake-up earlier and stay up later, you skip lunches with your friends and miss out opportunities. But, if you’re driven my passion and focus on your goals, you can persist through the extra hours and lack of sleep.

But that isn’t to say you can find happiness and satisfaction as you’re building your career.

It is important to schedule your down time and give yourself a day off. As silly as it sounds, you have to prioritize me-time.

Here are a few simple tips to ensure you’re making time for yourself and staying sane:

• Eliminate distractions
• Schedule as much as you can – put your posting on auto-pilot
• Create an editorial calendar to keep yourself on track
• Practice batch-working
• Set boundaries and time limits
• Find a schedule that works for you
• Make the most of your weekends
• Avoid burnout

But, can you support yourself?

I was caught off guard by how many people asked me this questions when I told them I was quitting my full-time job. I get it, people are so curious about the industry and many are surprised by the fact that it can actually support

First off, just like when someone gets a new job in the corporate world, it is none of your damn business how much they make or if they will be able to support themselves. Many people switch jobs or change industries and take pay cuts in a effort to transition into a career they love.

But, YES. If you’re curious I can support myself and all of my expenses that go into working as a freelancer. It is a scary transition but a transition I am excited and prepared for! I am incredibly thankful for the support system I have behind me and I am excited to see what the future holds. I know it wouldn’t be easy but it will be worth it.

What can you expect to see from me?

I am so excited to be able to dive right in and devote all of my time directly into But What Should I Wear and creating new content for YOU!

I have always loved creating new content and coming up with new and creative ideas to share with each of you. So, I am excited to be able to devote ALL my time and energy into doing JUST that!

I want to increase the quantity and QUALITY of the work I produce for you. I plan on providing more blogging recourses. Everything from worksheet, blog posts, videos, and more! I want to be a resource to as many of you as possible!

VIDEO! I am so excited to create so much more video content for you guys on YouTube and Instagram! I plan on creating everything from styling videos, try-on hauls, travel vlogs, beauty tutorials, Q&As, and so much more! Drop a comment below if there are any specific videos you want to see.

More Travel! Yay for no more requesting days off for vacation! So expect to see a lot more travel this year, wether it is quick staycations in Southern California, another trip to NYFW, or flying half way across the world – more travel is definitely in the future.

Thank YOU

Lastly, I want to give a HUGE thank you to each and every one of you! To all of you who have chosen to read my blog, flow me on Instagram, or simply just be a friend, THANK YOU! I honestly couldn’t have done it without you and I really mean that. I know blogging isn’t all about the numbers and the following, but it is because of people like you following my journey that gives me the ability to support myself.

Every time you click, like, comment, or subscribe I do a little happy dance. When you take the time to connect and engage with your favorite bloggers you helping them generate income and build their business.

I owe you all everything!

Thank you.

From the bottom of my heart, thank you.

NEXT (jk, I couldn’t resist ???? )

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