In the 9-5 world, your career trajectory is largely out of your control. It hinges on your manager’s bias, corporate reorganization, and higher-ups' opinions of how well you fit. You can do everything right, and still push against the invisible walls of politics, quotas, personality conflicts, and decisions you have no say in. When you work for yourself, those walls disappear. There are still challenges, of course. Clients cancel, plans shift, and the work isn’t always glamorous. But the...
16 days ago • 1 min read
Hey everyone, I want to share something a little personal this week. Partly because I think it can help some of you, and partly because it’s something that took me longer to figure out than I'd care to admit. Most of you know I’m a writer, editor, and coach. What you might not know is that I’m absolutely terrible at self-promotion. I have about 250 Instagram followers, no TikTok account, no podcast, and no YouTube channel. Almost no social media presence whatsoever. And yet, somehow, I turned...
23 days ago • 2 min read
Here’s the real difference between an amateur and a professional: Amateurs work when they feel inspired. Professionals work because they said they would. Escaping the 9-to-5 doesn’t mean escaping professionalism. If anything, it means doubling down on it. When I was still in my banking job, I built my writing business the same way I handled my day job: I showed up Even when I was tired. Even when I didn’t feel creative. Even when it would’ve been easier to shut the laptop and watch Netflix or...
about 1 month ago • 1 min read
When I was still working at my 9-5, building my side hustle, I used to say things like, “If I can ever leave the bank,” or “If my side hustle income ever reaches my banking income, I’ll quit my job.” That word “if” was everywhere. It sounded harmless, but looking back, it revealed what I really believed at the time, that maybe this wouldn’t happen. That perhaps I wasn’t the kind of person who could actually leave the security of a long career and go out on my own. One day, my wife, Laura,...
about 1 month ago • 2 min read
Hey everyone! Whether it’s my coaching clients or people I interact with every day on LinkedIn, Reddit, or my online community, one of the biggest struggles people face when trying to start a side hustle or business is fear. People are deathly afraid of stepping out of their comfort zone. They'll plan, research, think about, and even talk about what they're going to do, because that's safe. Unfortunately, the comfort zone is where dreams go to die. You can't build a successful side hustle or...
about 2 months ago • 2 min read
I left my 9–5 three years ago. And while I’m grateful every day for the opportunity to work for myself, to choose my projects, my hours, and where I work, I'm amazed by how easily I still fall into the trap of getting caught up in my business instead of building it. For me, that usually looks like this: constantly feeling the pressure to prioritize the freelance client who pays the bills today, instead of doing the work that will help me grow and ensure the bills are paid tomorrow. It’s...
about 2 months ago • 2 min read
Hey everyone, I recently read an article that jumped out at me. It said that most of us don’t become more positive by adding positive thoughts. We become more positive by removing negative ones. That hit me. We’re flooded with negative thoughts every day: doubt, fear, comparison, guilt - not to mention what we see on our social media feed or the 24-hour news cycle. Trying to outnumber those with a few extra positive affirmations is like trying to bail water from a sinking boat with a coffee...
2 months ago • 1 min read
Here’s some good news about your side hustle. The best time to start was a year ago. The second-best time? Today. If you’ve been meaning to start but haven’t, don’t beat yourself up. That’s water under the bridge. Here’s the thing… Each day gives you 24 brand-new hours. An 8-hour workday, plus a half-hour lunch and a half-hour commute to and from work each way, eats up about 9.5 hours. Sleep takes another 8 hours. That leaves roughly 6.5 hours. This is your opportunity zone. And since you’re...
2 months ago • 1 min read
Hey everyone, If there’s one thing I learned from spending over 20 years in the corporate world, it’s this: If you don’t design your life, someone else will. And their plan won’t prioritize your family, your time, or your freedom. Here’s a hard truth: in most workplaces, decisions are driven by the bottom line. Your boss's messaging might prioritize people, but their focus is usually on their own goals. Their career path. Their job security. Their opportunities. Their workload. Any passing...
3 months ago • 2 min read