So I already quit my job…. But it’s not what you think.
I quit my job around two weeks ago at a company I was at for 4 years because I was miserable. I was having anxiety attacks because of the job so I decided to quit as I’m not a person who has ever suffered from mental illness. Since I left I’ve felt great.
I’ve found a job in the same industry they offered me similar pay but the company is much different and the things that would cause my panic attacks are non existent in this new work environment.
Since I’ve been off work though I’ve been looking into ways of starting my own business. My background is B2B sales and I’ve been very successful at it so with the right concept in a business I know I can succeed with the selling piece. Somewhere i can start is by doing photography professionally as I already do this on the side and if I dedicated my time 100% to this I feel like I’ll be able to meet my salary.
My dilemma is whether or not I should just take the leap and dive into my photography business or if I should take this other job in the same industry with less hours and work on my photography until I’m 100% sure I can do this.
I have five months of expenses saved up which leaves me with a little wiggle room at least.
I hate corporate life and my dream has always been to own my own business but at this stage I feel like there’s a lot of research I still need to do and setting up before getting going.
So what would you do in my shoes?
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Do it on the side. After work hours, weekends or sometimes during work hours.
Once you have a good flow of income with photography then you reduce your hours.
So, I suggest to do both in parallel. If you are getting a lot of clients and projects with photography then still do it 3days of regular work and 4 days for photography.Success!
My advice. Take the other job. Continue photography as a side hustle on the weekends, and quit when you have a enough business and savings to feel comfortable for 6-12 months.
I would never encourage someone suffering from anxiety to start a business. It’s unbelievably stressful, lonely and life is unfair as an entrepreneur. People can sue you, make up false narratives, publicly review their opinions of you (anonymously).
Take another job and do you passion as a side job for now. If the anxiety goes away and can be set to one particular situation, then maybe go for it later. But it’s a head space that’s dangerous for those with mental health or dependency issues.
I agree with you but I am not a person who suffers from anxiety. The job I was at had a toxic work culture, poor leadership, public humiliation, unattainable goals, and extreme micro-management which I was able to handle fairly better than most people at the company. Before then i’ve never experienced anxiety and as soon as i left that work environment it all went away.
I also think it’s different when you’re working for yourself than working for someone else and a lot of the frustration I felt was that I was sitting at a desk 12 hours a day 7 days a week in a company that sees me at a number and I’m wasting my life away where as i can spend that time energy and effort on my own projects.
Fair answer, then in that case go for it. Nothing worse than a bad situation.
Realise that the entrepreneurial journey in itself has a lot of anxiety, and then decide to embrace it by choice anyway!
Ha, I’m quite anxious and couldn’t stand cubicle life. I have to be out there in the world, driving around, and seeing the results of my work!
This
5 months is going to be no where near enough. With a business like this, you are going to be far better off doing it on weekends while keeping day job. Spend your evenings during the week creating content that will build your reputation and your weekends shooting.
If you quit your job now, you are far more likely to make decisions about your work that will damage your brand because you are desperate.
My Vote: take this other job in the same industry with less hours and work on my photography until I’m 100% sure I can do this.
Build up enough savings reserve for at least a year and THEN quit and see if you can handle the stress of solopreneurship, good luck!
Photography can be really contract-based and freelance. I feel like it’d be a good call to go with maybe a part-time photography position or something not super intensive so you can work on your personal photography business on the side. This way there’s a stream of income to tide you over if the business has a slow start and so you’re able to build a solid foundation instead of needing to be profitable asap.
I’d try it until you run out of savings.
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If you have to ask, nope
Do it, it will be a good experience
You just go do it.
The people who read books first never do anything. You’ve got the sales skill and know what it takes to hunt business.
I was a top new label enterprise rep selling data to hedge funds and banks back in 2008-2015, became an SVP running a large business unit, then CRO then CEO in tech at a smaller company. I should have just gone out younger.
Now I have a revenue augmentation company for b2b tech, having a blast, hanging with fam and I own the company, debt free. Scales fast. If you actually know how to build, it’s a travesty seeing people as employees.
Thank you for the advice! This is exactly my fear will I have enough time to work on what I need to be doing to be truly successful?
I recommend listening to Arnold.
Believe him on the concept of the “safety net”, it is poison.
Keep the job. Grow your business on the side and maybe figure out a way to market yourself and an course online to supplement your income. I’m assuming it will take more brainstorming and writing of a few other ideas that will make this feeling of entrepreneurship more realistic. How in demand is your new passion? How many clients would you need a month to replace your income? All this should be written down and mapped out before you even think of quitting. Good luck 🤞
I think part time and getting things started sound great.
personally, I want to do photo/video work professionally, and have been doing so, its tough. competitive and right now is kind of an economic downturn. doesnt mean it isnt possible. we should both try, however, I have two jobs, one in video that is contract work, and I work anywhere from 0-4 days a week, and then I also have an amazon job thats flexible. I can pick up anywhere from 12 to 30 hours a week. so I have two part time semi flexible jobs to allow me to build on the side…
food for thought. however I live in my parents basement, so I do have a safety net
You’re going to need more than five months of expenses saved if you want to go out on your own. How much will you need to spend on advertising, equipment, healthcare, etc.? You need to do more planning.