Like many women who stopped work to raise a family, the route back to paid employment hasn’t been easy.
I updated my resume. Applied for jobs. Heard nothing.
My confidence plummeted.
Writing is a great outlet for me, but I know from experience that it’s a tough market.
I want a flexible career, using my considerable experience, but I’m not sure I want to go back to a traditional office set up. I couldn’t see where I was heading at all.
Now, you all know how much I love twitter but at times like this I am always amazed at the supportive community and its generosity.
People made suggestions, posted links to jobs and offered morale boosting tips. It was great.
Then Rose Wintergreen, stepped forward and offered me a coaching session which I jumped at.
I relished the chance to focus, gain clarity and find a purpose.
At the end of the meeting, she leant forward and said:
“You can do this you know.”
My mouth formed its usual BUT shape.
I stopped myself . She was right.
That was a week ago.
I signed my first client on Monday.
My little business (CC Marketing & Communications) has taken its first breath.
I’m as nervous and as shaky as Bambi taking his first steps. But I’m up.
Once again I bow to the power of social media and how it has changed my life.
There will be a follow-up post in the next week or so with “how to” tips for those of you in the same situation as me. If you would like to leave a question, or a comment, I’ll endeavour to cover it in the updated post.
You go for it girl! I wish you all the best of luck and no doubt will be calling on your services as I become lost further and further into the social media forest.
So understandable! But you are much more skilled and experienced than you give yourself credit for.
So excited for you that you’re kicking goals so quickly. Go you!
Had a great teacher xxx
Tha:)
Thankyou
Congratulations hun – that is HUGE news xx
Thanks, lovely. I’m pretty excited x
Good on you. Back yourself all the way. I think I need someone like Rose!
Thanks Laney. And Rose is fantastic. I’m going to see her again in the new year
Would love to help you if you’re interested
Feel free to send me an email rosewintergreen(at)gmail(dot)com
Congratulations lovely lady!
x
Thanks love, baby steps xx
Congrats to you on your new venture! I have been following you on the twitter feed-goodluck with it all. The hardest bit is the first step.
Thank you so much Lisa xx
Superb, C! Congratulations. I remember when, in a foggy haze of grief, I got my ABN (business registration no.) in the post barely two months after my daughter died and I wondered just who the hell I was, that I could dare dream to make a living doing something I loved and was good at??? Work had been such a struggle (although jobs had come easily, they were tedious at best for my 10 years of fulltime working life) and then I felt like an imposter. Coming up nine years later and I have never been short of new clients or work in my own business (like you, I am a vewy vewy qwiet, wascally wabbit about my strengths, esp. in a tough business market! D’oh…) I empathise with you strongly about the mouth-forming “But…” But you can. I can. I did! And you have.
Celebrate and get comfy in this new life and all your different new hats. You’re going to be amazed at how good you are xxxx Let it in. Yes?
Oh you are so lovely for sharing this you amazing woman. So glad to have met you and THANK YOU xx
What an incredible story Kirrily. Truly inspirational. Great website too. Will be looking into your books!
Oh I hear you sister. I’m going back to work in the New Year for 2 days a week but I won’t bore you with all the reasons I’m desperate for something else to come up and I’ve tried applying to no avail. Urgh. No idea what to do any more. Why aren’t I famous yet? Come on blog GET FAMOUS!
Such a familiar feeling. Look out for the next post, it might help!
Do you *really* want fame? I don’t. I mean, if it came along, I’d work with it and it would help me to help more people. But, what I really want is real connections with people, and from that perspective, small is good!
Also – re the work – you’ve already demonstrated you’re entrepreneurial in your establishment of quite a spic looking blog. I don’t know you, but it suggests you might have the skills to be able to work for yourself, freelance, and make the hours fit around your family. If you wanted to. Of course, it involves a bit of a journey in figuring out what value you can offer to people, and how to set up and run a business, but many people find it exciting and very rewarding. If it’s something that interests you, you might enjoy reading “The $100 Startup” by Chris Guillebeau.
Rose yes I was just being a silly thing about the fame, but yeah I’d love to work out how to freelance and make it work! Fame has no real interest at all!!
Actually all I want is to not commute 1.5 hours each way to work!!
You CAN do it and you WILL do it. You are a clever girl and have great skill. Now you just have to BELIEVE in yourself! xxx
Thanks love, you are such a lovely friend xx
Congratulations on this! I’ve been off work now for 2.5 years (have a 2.5 year old and 13 month old). I’m not sure what my future holds. It’s hard when I don’t have work to secure day care and vice versa! Look forward to hearing how it goes and wish you all the best.
Thank you! It’s definitely hard trying to juggle kids and work!
Brilliant news! We are always the first to doubt ourselves, our abilities and just how great/good we actually are. Rose just opened your eyes to what you already knew but was in doubt of – you’re better than you think and can do *anything* you put your mind too!
Good luck with the new business venture
x
Ah, thanks Rach.xx
In the wise words of my dad…’kick arse kid’. Xxx
Ah, that’s lovely x Thanks x
Great job C! xo
Thanks J xx
Well done you! It is always very tricky getting that confidence up when you have been out of the ‘paid workforce’ for a while. I am sure you will do great xx
Thanks Martine. That’s a lovely thing to say x
I’m in a very similar spot to you CC. You’ve given me a little bit of inspiration to step outside the box a little bit. Kx
Ah, that’s great. Can highly recommend a session with Rose. She’s doing a special offer at the moment if you book before Christmas Eve x
Congratulations! Thats wonderful news and so exciting. Wishing you every success, but Rose said it best – “You can do this!”.
Now … So much to catch up on
Thanks Carly xx
The best of everything to you – as you get up and away with your new venture.
Thanks Trish xx
Oh I can relate to you on this. Making my way back to the corporate ladder hasn’t been easy and I do too want to have flexible hours job which pays me as good as my previous one. Apparently that is impossible and then I finally saw the light. Writing is indeed a great outlet and I truly love it. I love my blog and for the first time in my years of blogging I am strongly determined that I want to do this for a living. I know it’s a tough one but you can never know where the boat will take you if you never try right? So yesterday I just finished compiling (and a bit rewriting) my first ebook. Along the journey I did have client here and there related to blogging or designing labels. And I think I am in a good place now. Still far from the dream though but I am moving forward.
That sounds great Rina, well done x
That’s fantastic! Congratulations! I’ve lead a fairly transient life style but now as I’m trying to find a teaching job. I’m finding it increasingly harder! Good on you for putting in the hard yards!
Thanks Clare x