132. I quit my job

I've had a day job for as long as I've been doing balloons, but as of now... I'm officially self-employed! After 10 years at my former employer I realized it was time to resign. It was never even something that was a goal of mine, but as things got busier with balloons and this podcast, my day job quickly became the thing that I enjoyed the least.

Some of the things that helped me decide it was time to leave were:

the book club books
the realization that the benefits weren't as good as it seemed
practicing some thoughts about what full-time entrepreneurship is actually like

Through the books and many conversations, I realized that what I had been holding onto as the "safer" choice (my day job) was actually just the lazy choice. It became clear that I was “quiet quitting” for some time and it didn't feel good or fair to not show up as my best self every day.

After some encouragement from my husband, once the idea of leaving was out there I couldn't stop thinking about it. Puzzle pieces started to come together for me and within a week of putting an end date on the calendar, I moved that end date up by three months!

This is not to say that it didn't involve some hurdles. I had to get myself past the overwhelm of looking for private insurance. But thanks to the interview with Hayley (of Pop! Balloon Bar & Party) I knew I could start with a consultant to help me through the process.

Once I had a quote it seems like everything just magically got into place for me. And I knew that if I let myself think about it for too long I would find a reason to stay, so I put in my resignation that same afternoon.

Some other more practical things I had done that helped me make this huge life change possible were:

Saving a year of income in the bank
Using nearly all my balloon sales of the past several years to eliminate our debt
Getting the details about what departure from my day job would actually look like
Having conversations with financial professionals about what it means for taxes, retirement, etc.

In the month between having given my notice and actually leaving, I was expecting to feel some panic and regret… and while some nervousness did sink in, never have I felt regret.

Here are some of the things I've reminded myself of in order to avoid those feelings:

My earning potential is far greater with balloons than at my job
It's OK to finally splurge on a few business expenses I've always wanted, rather than suddenly hoard money
Working for a company doesn’t actually mean more security; I could be laid off at any moment
If I run out of money, I can always go get another job
Life is short!

I've also taken some time to write down a ton of thoughts I've had since I put in my resignation, and share them (unedited) in this episode!

From the pressure that came, to vacations, to time with my daughter... I share a ton of what I’ve been feeling since my notice. I hope my experience helps motivate or comfort anyone who is going through similar things!

RESOURCES MENTIONED:

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Balloon Suite

Balloon Boss Summit & BalloonCoach.com

Ep. 74. Self-Employment | Hayley from Pop! Balloon Bar & Party

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