Often people ask me what I do and why I do it, you know the drill.
Well this is a story all about how, my life got flipped, turned upside down!
I hope you have a beverage to hand and a few minutes to spare, so get cozy and settle in.
Without boring you with too many details, I was made redundant last September (not even because of Corona) and after 6 years found myself ejected from a company I planned on staying loyal to for a lot longer. Alas, here I was, fairly devastated without a job.
The job I had been doing focused on the Quality Assurance of all tech products that came out of my team and to compliment this, earlier that year, I had taken an online course to deepen my knowledge about User Experience. I was fascinated by the topic because it brought together my love for technology, design and human behaviour.
So when I left my job I decided to take the opportunity to learn more about UX. I completed a bootcamp and designed a goal setting app and really enjoyed the process.
However, I felt I wanted to do more graphic design so I then took a couple of online courses on this topic. I had also enrolled to learn about web development, a topic I had been curious about for years!
You can tell, I really dove into my Continuous Professional Development head first. I just can't sit around moping or doing nothing. I've always been a proactive problem-solver, so here I was, soaking up everything I wanted to know.
As I went on this journey, I started to think about what I would do with all this knowledge. I have a fairly unique skill set:
Quality Assurance/Testing
Project Management
User Experience
Graphic Design
Basic Web Development
IT Support
But also
an art history degree (understanding of design evolution)
13 years in customer service
6 years in professional services
3 years in IT working in a multidisciplinary team on projects such as website redesigns
And most importantly
Belief in myself and my abilities, and a pull towards independence
So where do you take all that??
When I was working on my web development and graphic design courses, I had a routine of doing the "techy" development in the mornings and the "pretty" design in the afternoons and I loved the balance of that. I couldn't see myself working solely as a developer or solely as a designer, so one day I had a flash of inspiration when I came across the website for Miscarriage for Men. I could totally help Chris refresh his website in terms of look and feel, and I got so excited!
Completing that first project solidified my idea to try and help other small business owners in the Mental Health and Wellbeing space with their online presence. Making that connection and realising I could work in a niche I was so passionate about was a game changer for me!
In 2019 I had completed a Level 2 in Counselling Skills which part from my university degree was one of the most challenging yet rewarding things I’ve done so far. It gave me a renewed appreciation and respect for the industry, and I’ve been keen to contribute to it professionally for a long time.
So from March 2021 I was weighing up the Pros and Cons of going freelance but I couldn't take the plunge until May… It was the scariest thing I've ever considered but it was now or never, and I couldn't bear the thought of looking back at my life and thinking "What if…?"
What about all the security an office job provides? Well, it seems that everyone else is looking for a job and you won’t find your dream job in time.
What about guaranteed holiday and weekends? Set boundaries for your business if you need them.
What about guidance and leadership? Being your own boss always trumps having one.
And here is why I want to work for myself… truthfully, I've never felt comfortable working for someone else. I like the structure and the reliability but I feel extremely bound by everything else. I am an independent soul that needs time to think and breathe and be free (don’t we all). My husband is also self-employed so I know that it's never easy but he's free (to the extent that he chooses). It's that choice that I crave. To do things on my terms and in my time, and even if it means always carrying self-employment guilt, I totally think it's worth it. I get to work on what I love with whom I respect and care for. What’s better than that?
If you've read this far, I applaud you - and would like to offer you a no-obligation FREE 30-60 minute Discovery Call to see if there’s anything I could help you with freshening up your online presence!
I’d love to hear from you!
Best,
Anja