In 2024, I quit my fairly stable job to follow my passion.
I dreamt of leaving my 8-5 before I even stepped into the corporate world.
I had a pretty little plan of staying in formal employment for two or three years and then venture out on my own.
But three years turned into eight, because I wasn’t sure what kind of business I wanted to pursue to give me the freedom to quit.
So I stayed…until I couldn’t keep it together anymore.
I needed to take action before I lost myself in the monotony of an unfulfilling routine.
This is the story of how I quit my job to write full-time.
The Day I Knew I Needed a Change
I hit my lowest point mentally in 2024. I felt trapped in a cycle that left no room for creativity or personal growth.
The daily commute, the noise in the open-plan office (I’m an introvert), and the lack of energy to do anything else but cook, eat, pray, and sleep at the end of the workday left me drained and so unhappy.
My creative side was STARVING!
And when I looked at my finances, I kept asking myself if all this was worth it when I couldn’t even afford to travel back home to visit my family as often as I wanted.
I realized I was not where I wanted to be, and the future didn’t look very promising either.
So I said you know what, it’s time to pursue a different path.
It was time to rewrite my story.
Turning My Love for Writing Into a Career
I’ve always loved writing.
I even started a personal blog on Blogger back in 2013 after graduating from college to share my ideas just for fun.
When I started researching “how to make money as a writer,” I came across copywriting and it caught my attention.
At the time, I was only familiar with copyright law so seeing this term spelt with a “w” intrigued me.
Then I learned that copywriting is the very bedrock of digital marketing. The reason online businesses exist in the first place and this got me super excited!
My corporate job was in the finance department and I’ve always wanted to get into marketing.
So discovering that I could combine my love for words with marketing (writing words that sell), almost made it a no brainer for me.
I bought a copywriting course on Udemy and gave myself 14 days to complete it and get my certification- which I managed to do and was proud of myself I might add 🙂
From there, it was just a matter of putting myself in front of clients to achieve my dream of writing full-time.
How I Transitioned From My 8-5 to Freelance Writing
After getting my copywriting certificate from Udemy, I invested in an Upwork coaching program to learn how to secure freelance writing jobs on the platform.
Prior to this, I had invested in a personal branding training where I learnt how to leverage LinkedIn to attract opportunities.
So I focused on building a strong personal brand on LinkedIn by sharing posts and writing articles to demonstrate my expertise and interests.
One of those articles, a how-to guide targeting my ideal client in a niche I was curious about, became my winning portfolio piece.
I included it in my Upwork proposal and landed my very first freelance writing client. Woohoo!
That first client felt like validation that I could actually make this work!
Building relationships on LinkedIn has played such a huge role in my growth as a writer.
It’s a platform I highly recommend for anyone starting out.
The Challenges I Faced and Lessons Learned
One of the biggest challenges I faced was dealing with self doubt.
I’d ask myself, Am I really good enough to put myself in front of clients? Will anyone really hire me at this point or do I need to learn more about copywriting, content writing, and freelancing??
The early days were rough.
I was nervous about letting my client down.
Overcoming this wasn’t easy, but taking action helped.
I had to be reminded that everyone starts somewhere.
So I took it one day at a time, and with each completed task I gained confidence and started overcoming those doubts.
Another challenge was juggling multiple projects while maintaining consistency for my personal brand.
But with time, I learned to prioritize and create a workable routine.
The biggest lesson I’ve learned is, focus on building your online presence as a writer. Become your first client and treat your writing as a business from the very start.
It’ll open doors to exciting opportunities for you.
What’s Next in My Writing Journey
I’m still at the beginning of my freelance writing career, but I’m really excited about the future.
Right now I’m focused on growing my client base in the entrepreneurship and digital marketing space.
I’m also committed to helping beginner freelance writers find their footing by creating resources to share everything I’ve learned so far.
I’m building in public.
I don’t have it all figured out and I may never have it all figured out.
But if there’s one thing I hope you take away from my story, it’s that you don’t have to stay stuck in a job or lifestyle that doesn’t fulfill you.
If you have a passion, do some research and see if you can turn it into something profitable and meaningful.
Your dreams are valid.
Start small, believe in yourself, and don’t be afraid to take that first step.
If you’re ready to start your freelance writing journey even with no experience, my FREE guide will help you structure your learning so you know what to do next to become a paid writer in only 3 months.
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