AFTER 4 1/2 YEARS, I’VE FINALLY MADE THE DECISION TO GO FULL-TIME WITH TO BE BRIGHT. 

Yesterday was my last day at my 9-5 job, and today is the first official day I’ve been dreaming of for the last 3 years. I can’t believe I’ve accomplished my dream to go full-time with my blog, becoming my own boss at the age of 26. The feeling is more than surreal – it’s a complex mix of emotions that will navigate me in this new and exciting chapter of my life I always strived towards. I CAN’T BELIEVE I DID IT!

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It’s a dream come true to be able to call my passion my full-time job, let alone be self-sufficient with my own business at such a young age. But to say it wasn’t a journey full of struggle, as well as emotional and mental hardship would be a complete lie. In fact, this dream almost became too difficult to accomplish and I really didn’t see it happening for quite some time…

THE JOURNEY

When I first moved into the city, I knew I had to take on the two-job balance for a period of time before I was able to stand on my own with TBB. This meant I had to be willing and able to take on the demands of what both positions would require of me, if I wanted to see my blog become the full-time business I dreamt of.

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For 3 years, I managed to stay committed to both my positions as a Research Associate at an executive search consultancy as well as an influencer for my blog & brand. For 3 years, I sacrificed weekends and social engagements to get a head start on the week coming up, photographing and drafting content; I pulled more all-nighters than I ever did in college, staying up to get all my posts edited & scheduled for the upcoming days so I didn’t have to worry about it while in the office.

For a while, it was do-able. I was successful enough to grow in both my jobs, receiving a promotion and more opportunities to grow my blog simultaneously. But with this success came a dramatic increase in responsibility for both jobs, and slowly but surely my ability to keep up with these late nights became very difficult.

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I started to lose the drive I once had because I was so overwhelmed and exhausted from the demands of both jobs. It took both an emotional and mental toll on my health, and had me questioning which path I would ultimately take career wise. I knew I couldn’t do both jobs anymore and if I wanted to get back the happiness and excitement I once felt, I had to pick one to pursue. So I asked myself…

“Which job will give you the most satisfaction: The one with the guaranteed salary or the one that will require risk for your passion?”

THE NEW NORMAL

This new found chapter in my life means I will be working HARDER than ever before, but I’m ready for it. I respect the hustle and crave to learn more about the influencer industry I’m in. Now I’ll finally have the time to do that and expose myself to more opportunities I used to have to take a back seat on due to lack of availability.

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Along with my blog projects and other freelance work I take on, my most exciting venture will be working for Brooklyn Blonde as her part-time assistant! This is an opportunity I came across when she posted to her Insta-Story a month ago looking for someone to help her out 2-3x a week – as we all know, an Insta Story lasts 24 hours, so I’m so thrilled to have been able to come across it that during that limited time frame.

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I’m so excited to start this journey working for her and learning the in’s and out’s of what an elite blogger such as herself does on a daily basis. Most importantly, I’m very grateful to have received the opportunity to work for her, having a blog of my own and having her approval knowing that I do. It really is a dream situation and I can’t wait to get started!

I don’t know where this journey will ultimately take me, but I know this is the time for me to pursue it.

“20 years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.”
– Mark Twain