We talk everything, and I mean everything, entrepreneurship around here, and I’ve shared bits and pieces of my own journey to entrepreneurship. But today I wanna share the full story of how I went from Big Law to six-figure side hustler to full-time entrepreneur. I’m not an anomaly. If you want to create your own business and be successful, you can do it, my friend!
I was unhappy working in law pretty much from the start.
There was so much toxic positivity, and there was nobody to tell me that this stress and this completely unsustainable lifestyle wasn’t the norm. I really thought that this was adulting. That I had somehow made it as an adult because my work seemed to be my only personality trait. And I started to believe it too.
But I always knew there was more to me than just my work. I convinced myself that it was just the job that was making me feel that way.
So, I pivoted.
I got a new job at a different firm, I moved, I tried working someplace where I could work at 40% instead of 100%, but nope.
It still didn’t feel right.
So, I started an interior design business on the side.
And let me tell you, I had so much fun doing it. I had set a goal of being able to quit in 3 years. And I absolutely CRUSHED that 3 year plan for a few reasons, including having a savings safety net, investing in a coach, and letting people know I was building this business with the intention of quitting my job to be a full-time entrepreneur.
And by the summer of 2020, I was able to quit my job to go full time with my interior design business.
But something still didn’t feel quite right.
I had built this six-figure business, but it still didn’t feel like something that aligned with me or fulfilled me. I was still stuck meeting other people’s deadlines, and there was so much stress from so much of the business being out of my control. But people had seen me build this business from an idea to something incredibly successful, and they wanted to do the same.
It felt like more people were asking me how I actually did it instead of asking for my services.
So I started helping friends and acquaintances from my network to do what I had done: leave their jobs to bring these amazing, wonderful business ideas to life.
That’s how SideBiz SMART was created.
What started out as just helping friends leave jobs they were miserable in has turned into this awesome 12-month program with a team psychologist, one-on-one sessions, and a growing list of entrepreneurs who have created something they are passionate about through our program.
If I could give 2 pieces of advice, it would be this:
Your first business idea might not work out, and you know what? That’s okay. It’s just another step on the journey to creating a thriving business you’re passionate about.
And second? Just start! You need to take the first step, and that can be so scary, but if my story tells you anything, it’s that you can pivot, adjust, or even completely change almost anything on the journey to entrepreneurship. It’s going to be tough, but dealing with tough now can be the difference between feeling unhappy or fulfilled in one year.
And if you’re feeling confused on where to start on the journey to entrepreneurship, well, we have some great news!
We’ll be hosting our Lost to Launched virtual retreat on September 17th, covering everything you need to get your business off the ground and launched before the end of the year. If getting the blueprint to a six-figure side hustle sounds AMAZING to you, then grab your ticket HERE.
Wanna listen to the full episode? Grab it on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.
Looking for entrepreneurial tips and biz advice? Follow us @sidebizsmart.
Want to follow the host? Find Janelle here: @heyjnicole on Tik Tok or Instagram
Interested in programs and pivot advice, take a look at our website https://sidebizsmart.com/.
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