This blog started back in fall of 2013 when I unexpectedly got laid off of work. I was let go just after returning from vacation and Labor Day weekend with nothing. Literally nothing. Just SURPRISE! Sorry but we don’t have enough work for you. I saw the writing on the wall because I’m not stupid and they are bad liars, but it sucked nonetheless. Nothing like going on vacation and coming back to….more vacation, just the unpaid type.

 

 

But hey, up until that point, it was income, right? Wrong. I mean right it was income, but was it really worth it? Was it worth the stress, the long hours, the constant running?

 

And that’s when I realized within hours of losing winning my way out of this relationship, I was all sorts of busy from former clients, friends, coworkers, and people across my vast digital network. There’s a reason I’ve stayed connected with nearly every client I’ve ever worked with in the 15+ years I’ve been in this industry.

 

That, my friends is called business integrity, and it most certainly does not require a paddle. It does, however, require a conscience, a sense of humility, and a desire to work better/do more rather than be better/own more. There’s a difference there. It’s the difference between loving what you do, and loving the money you make. I far prefer to be in the former category, even if it seems I’ve misjudged some people over the years. If you have to preach to me about your business ethics, chances are you have none. For yo see, ethics and integrity are some of the things that just speak for themselves. 😉

Happy #FreedomFriday! Sometimes to find freedom, you’ve got to stop and get off at the next exit, even when it feels like it may be the wrong one, or you may be lost, or you really have no idea whatsoever where you’re going. And sometimes the only way to freedom is being able to say goodbye to those toxic things in your life and move on. Because it’s really not about how much money you have, it’s about how much you love your life, and my stress level in the past 2 years has dropped so much, it’s amazing.

 

I no longer work on Fridays, because I said so. I tend to run errands during the day, hike or ride my horses in the mornings, and then work the normal night-owl hours that come naturally to me. I don’t miss deadlines, I have a roster of happy clients, and a team of amazing people I work with every day. I choose who I work with and for, because I learned life’s too short to work with assholes, or waste time in a career or job or company or situation you hate. So change that shit, now! Really. I’m telling you, it’s totally worth it.

 

What’s your road to freedom? You know, I really have to thank that former employer (and ALL my former employers) for showing me the exit ramp I’ve been looking for all along – you know, the one that led to working for myself. And for that, I thank you!

 

So what’s your next move? Ready? GO!

happy