What it's really like to be self-employed after 12 years in corporate
The truth is:
It’s not about me.
It’s about you.
I set out on a path towards self employment when I experienced the transformational power of coaching. Although I had doubted the role of a coach for a while, it changed the course of my career significantly.
Not only did it give me the opportunity to renew how I felt about my work (in corporate), it also helped me to explore a different, and better, way of living, of being. It found me at a time when I desired a career change, but wasn’t sure what direction to go in… because I hadn’t discovered that there was another path, another possibility other than continuing the climb in corporate.
“Growth requires movement. And often, the only way forward is through an exit door.” ~ Alicia Keys
Fast forward to today and I have burned the ships: I have stepped away from corporate to step fully into building my own business. And after my first month on the job, this is what I’ve learned:
Anything is possible.
Sounds lofty, unachievable, impossible maybe, but stay with me.
While the first few weeks found me wandering, floating almost through my days with no stress, anxiety, and pressure from the expectations of others to ground me, I have started to find my footing. Turns out, not every job requires you to be at your desk from 9 to 5.
Not that it’s all rainbows and butterflies - hard work, commitment, and determination is required. But when there is no one there to demand it of you, your work day starts to shift. You become aware of what works for you, what doesn’t, when you’re in flow, and what you need in your day to be productive. In short, I’m in the process of unlearning how I’ve been working for the last dozen years and re-learning how to work in a way that aligns with my values, my well-being, and my clients.
I’ve learned that this is what is required of me in this new role. Because without a foundation, I cannot be present and in service of my clients. Morning meditation, daily activity, sleeping, and nourishing my body does, in fact, contribute to my bottom line. The better I feel in my body, the more connected I am to who I am being, and the better I can be present, aware, and serve my clients. Whether helping people with productivity, sales, leadership, or life, I need to be at my best if I expect my client to meet me at theirs.
But it’s been the space in between the work that has surprised me the most. I wasn’t sure how I would feel as I experience this new job for the first time, but I can honestly say I have found myself in a place that had never crossed my mind. Never before in my life have I felt like the options are endless, opportunities are abundance, and anything is possible.
My life’s experience to date spans a diverse spectrum:
My first venture into entrepreneurship was teaching swimming in our family’s backyard pool when I was 16. I went on to open a dance studio when I was 21 (while majoring in Biochemistry). By 25, I had entered the tech industry in sales, but it wasn’t long before I found something to satisfy my passion to build a business and partnered with my mom on her jewelry brand. It should come as no surprise that all roads were leading me here - to a place where I can bring my creativity, business acumen, technical aptitude, and entrepreneurial spirit together to serve those looking to up level their businesses, their work, their teams, and their lives.
Sure, coaching helped me to see more, to understand that the path infront of me wasn’t the only option - that I could look right or left, or turn all the way around to see something new. But this is different - this is what expansion really feels like: There are no limits. The world is my oyster. I’m ready to have Impact and create change in the world. Because,
I’m in the business of possibility.
Not only the possibility of exploring, discovering, and seeing the different ways I can support and serve my clients, but helping you to see the possibilities for yourself - guiding you to open the door a crack, to look around the corner, to ask a different question.
When we feel we are repeating the same effort with the same outcome every day, we are avoiding possibility - we are unwilling to expand, to step into what’s next, to see what’s possible.
Possibility is where the fun is, where the magic happens - where you find yourself living instead of doing.
Join me, won’t you?
Kirsten Schmidtke is a professional coach, creator, and lover of lake life. She works with leaders, creators, and entrepreneurs to help them up-level their careers, businesses, and lives. Are you ready to explore what’s possible for you? Contact Kirsten to start the conversation!
