Redundancy to Freelancer to Founder Pipeline: Are You an Accidental Entrepreneur?
Founder diaries Vol.1
My friend has just sent me a link on WhatsApp, no message, just the underlined blue text. I click and I’m automatically transported to that place where everyone is always “excited to announce” aka LinkedIn.
As millennials, we were sold the dream. Work hard, climb the ladder and one day you will be able to sign off your emails, “approved, sent from iPhone.”
The role looks ok, I suppose, but before I click apply I notice 1,436 people have already applied for this job. I silently close the tab, send a thumbs up emoji to said friend and get on with my day of following-up and circling back with potential clients.
This is my life now. But it wasn’t always like this.
The redundancy
It's 2020 and I'm leading the ethical trade and social sustainability team for a major high street brand. Then, like so many of us, I found myself at home, stuck in the house, made redundant, laid off from a job I thought was secure, along with 90% of the company.
Looking back, this was definitely the most pivotal moment in my career to date. For the first time since I was 15, with my first paper-round, I didn’t have a job. I’d never had a career break, a sabbatical (though in 2019 I was toying with the idea), not even more than two weeks off for an extended holiday. Like a serial dater, I always had the next role lined up before I jumped ship.
So as muscle memory kicked in, I went on the job hunt. But as I dusted off my very tired CV and filled in my first application, I took a pause. For the first time in my adult career, I considered a break. As a firstborn daughter in an immigrant household, taking breaks felt a bit foreign to me. My brain had been trained that I must always be doing something productive, so sitting around didn’t feel like an option. So instead, I took a short course in sustainable fashion whilst I worked out my next steps.
The accidental pivot
A friend of a friend reached out asking me to review some copy for her ethical brand website. I was so flattered that someone was calling on my expertise that I didn’t even think to charge her.
“Don’t get me wrong, my freelance career hasn’t been without the odd side quest back into the corporate world, including working with some major brands. “
Then a former senior leader got in touch to ask if I freelanced. They needed someone to oversee their sustainability programme across over 100 stores. It was a great opportunity, but why was I hesitating?
As Miranda Priestly once said, “a thousand girls would kill for this job.”
And there was me, literally googling “can I be a freelance sustainability consultant?” and after a few searches, some podcasts and a call with HMRC, I was officially self-employed.
The snowball
Things moved quickly after that, and honestly, that was a good thing because it didn’t give me time to overthink or procrastinate. The contract was extended, I was collaborating with other consultants, and when I was pretty much at capacity, I had the bright idea to create a space and community (The Green Canvas) all about sustainability. Which felt so far from where I’d started. Previously I was reviewing audit reports, now I was building a social media strategy for my own brand and company.
“It was Boho skirt versus tailored power suit. Yet I never saw Lynn depicted chasing invoices or figuring out a marketing strategy, she looked so free.”
I had to sit with why I’d been so hesitant in the first place. The truth is, I never wanted to be a business owner. I always saw myself climbing the career ladder, knowing that at 5pm I could log off (well, in theory). The reality was often late nights and early mornings. But now I was the IT team, the invoicing department and the client liaison all at once. I recently had to troubleshoot an issue with my email provider, there’s no IT helpdesk to flag my issue, because guess what? I am the helpdesk.
As millennials, we were sold the dream. Work hard, climb the ladder and one day you will be able to sign off your emails, “approved, sent from iPhone.” Growing up, my reference point for what creative freelance life looked like was Lynn, the forever student and creative, juxtaposed against Joan, the career lawyer, in the TV show Girlfriends. It was Boho skirt versus tailored power suit. Yet I never saw Lynn depicted chasing invoices or figuring out a marketing strategy, she looked so free.
The reality is somewhere in between. Corporate comes with stability and restrictions. Being self employed gives you freedom, but the added responsibility can feel just as restricting in a different way. There are still days I wonder whether to swipe my old company issued ID and walk back into the building with the shiny floors. Because like any relationship, you can’t help leaving the door open… just in case.
Don't get me wrong, my freelance career hasn't been without the odd side quest back into the corporate world, including working with some major brands. But what self-employment has taught me is not to be afraid to try. The only regrets I have are the things I didn't try or didn't start sooner, even if they didn't work out.
Things I wish I'd known before starting
If you’re thinking about making the leap, here are a few things I wish someone had told me upfront:
Open a separate bank account for all business expenses from day one
Secure your business domain name and social media handles early, even before you’re ready to launch
Set up a business email before your website. It sounds old fashioned but emailing from a Yahoo or Hotmail address may not come across as professional
For solopreneurs, your personal brand is just as important as your company brand
Talk to other consultants and peers in your industry. You don’t have to figure it out alone
Get professional legal advice to review your contracts
Do let me know if you are on your founder or freelancer journey, or have you made a career pivot in a new direction?
…. because we are rewearing, reorganising and reimagining the life we want.
until next time … Mofẹ́
I’m going into year 8 of freelancing and still struggle with the idea that the corporate world is more glamorous, more ‘important’ work. You really need to learn to back yourself and be confident, something I struggle with on the daily :/