A year ago, I was working a 9-5 with a position in sales and advertising that I honestly felt was sucking the life out of me. I would sit at my desk all day hunting for businesses to potentially advertise with the company I worked for and there was no fun in it for me. But, I needed the money. I was paying rent on an apartment, needed to buy groceries, pay bills, you know…#adult. As much as I couldn’t stand my job, I needed it in order to survive.
For a little while, I found ways to make it a little more manageable. For my lunch break I would leave the office and go to a park down the street where I’d eat and read a chapter of a book. Or I’d stop by Starbucks before work so that I had an extra dose of joy to start my day (it’s the little things). But, those were just Band-Aids on a broken bone. They were temporary fixes that helped a little but didn’t solve anything for me.
Another downside for me was that I began to fall behind in my photography business. My initial intentions after finishing college was to transition into running my photography business full-time, but when this job opportunity had presented itself, it seemed too good to pass up. So I changed my plans and began working my 9-5 while running my photography business on the side. But, when I began liking my job less and less, I just wanted to relax in the evenings – not work more (even if it was more enjoyable, I was so drained from the day’s events and emotions).
I began to wake up every morning with a heavy feeling in my chest, stepping into the shower and feeling like I couldn’t breathe. Evenings were a mix of relief from being able to wind down, and dread of having to go back the next day. Weekends were a gift from God.
One morning, I was having a talk with God about how I just couldn’t keep going like this and how I desperately needed Him to do something about it. I felt prompted to open up my calendar and tally up how much I would be making from my photography gigs in the next month. Shockingly, it was comparable to what I would be making at my 9-5! After that discovery I felt so much peace in my heart that God would take care of me.
Within a couple of weeks, I turned in my two-week notice and completely trusted God with the direction life would go. Of course I was scared, it’s a scary thing when you’re leaving a reliable source of income! But I did have a couple of side-gigs that I was able to take advantage of while I transitioned.
One of those gigs was offering editing services for other photographers. I’m one of those odd balls who enjoys editing and realized that I could use that to my advantage. Since I was in the beginning stages of being full-time in my photography business, I had more time to edit for others. And I got work from it!
The other gig was signing up to be a dog-sitter through Rover. You have to take a test and pay $10 in order to become qualified, but I was able to pay that off in no time. This is an especially good job during the summer when everyone is taking vacations. If you love dogs and need extra income, you should definitely look into this!
All in all, I was only at my 9-5 for four months total. I know that’s not a long time, and it makes for an even scarier transition. But, I can honestly say that it’s one of the best decisions I ever made. A lot of good game from it.
Now that’s not to say that everything about the job was bad. There were some positives to it! I was able to connect with other creatives in my industry since I was dealing directly with potential advertisers. We’ve been able to collaborate and work together on different photo-shoots since then, and I’m so incredibly thankful for that! I also got a new perspective from the other side of advertising. I saw what it’s like on the inside when you’re trying to sign on advertisers, rather than being the one who needs to pay for advertising. It’s a very different world!
My story is proof that anything is possible with God and that He’ll take care of you every step of the way.
If you’re in a similar situation, dying to leave your 9-5, then first I want to tell you that it’s going to be okay and I absolutely understand. It’s entirely possible to transition to something else if you really want to, but you need a plan of action before you do. Ask yourself these questions first:
– Do I have an alternative option I can transition to? (Photography, homemade soaps, coaching, etc.)
– Do I have 2-3 months of income saved up?
– Are there side gigs that I can work as I transition?
– Am I willing to work part-time somewhere if I need to later on?
If you answered yes to all of these questions, then you’re in good shape to leave your 9-5! If any of them are a “no”, then re-evaluate and make a plan for what you can do in order to make them a “yes” instead. And if you feel that God is telling you to do something else entirely, then of course don’t listen to a word I’m saying and instead do what you feel He’s telling you to do.
My story is proof that anything is possible with God and that He’ll take care of you every step of the way. It also really helps to have good friends who will support and encourage you as you transition! I couldn’t imagine going through this process without God’s leading and the support of my friends + family.
I just celebrated one year of being a full-time business owner and so much has happened. It’s kind of unbelievable to me. If you’re interested in reading about what I’ve learned and some of the highlights, you can read about that in this post on my photography blog.
If you have any questions or need someone to talk to about transitioning from your 9-5, feel free to email us! I’d be happy to help best that I can!
Cheering for you! xo!
Email: Officialpineapplesandgrace@gmail.com
Pineapples + Grace 