Since I announced that I quit my job, I’ve had a lot of people reach out and tell me they either recently did the same or are looking to do so.
Many asked if I had any advice.
Here are 6 things I think you should know (and some tips from other, smarter folks, too).
1. The primary things worrying most people are financial.
I recommend saving enough to comfortably last for several months.
If you're worried about money, it could push you to take ANY work rather than the RIGHT work.
Freelancing before you quit can help out w/ this.
2. Next up is insurance. If you’re in the US, your health insurance is likely tied to employment.
I’ll share 2 potential options.
Even if you're not married, you could be added to your partner's benefits if they work FT. Many companies recognize that not everyone is in a
traditional marriage anymore and are modifying benefits policies.
Have your partner reach out to their employer to ask how you could qualify (for ex, if you own a home together, etc.)
But there are also collectives and companies that offer benefits for the self-employed. They have flexible packages, similar to a FT employer, at reasonable costs.
(I did a quick Google search for freelancer health insurance and got ads for several companies.)
3. My next recommendation would be to lay as much of the groundwork as possible before you quit.
I was thrown by how many admin details need to be managed.
Here are some things to consider:
-Meet w/ an accountant or tax specialist to get educated.
Ask about the difference
between being a sole proprietor, S-Corp, or LLC.
-Research payment platforms, like PayPal, Stripe. You’ll need a way to send invoices/contracts, receive payments. Learn about fees for credit cards, int'l transfers, etc.
-Sign up for a project mgmt tool. These help stay
organized and communicate w/ clients.
-Look up templates for contracts, invoices, proposals. Ask others to share examples with you.
-Set up a separate business email and hone number. (Google Voice is great and free.)
4. Tally the cost of all the tools you’ll need. This includes Internet, your phone, your website.
But clients also expect you to have access to the specific tools you'll need.
If you’re an SEO, you might need @ahrefs. If you’re a creator, a premium @Canva account.
5. Grow your network.
Follow people you can learn from. Join communities where you can get support.
I'm very grateful for the people who have lent me time, advice, or sent referrals.
6. And last, be ready to make mistakes.
You'll face tough decisions you didn't prepare for.
Sometimes you’ll make a wrong call.
You’ll set rates too low. You'll struggle to find work. You’ll lose clients.
This isn't failure.
Use these moments as opportunities to grow.
Now some tweets that others have shared to offer valuable knowledge.
First, this thread by @tom_hirst changed my mindset on pricing.
I doubled their site traffic & revenue, overall CVR improved 16%. For paid social, CVR improved 28% YoY. My ad creative had an 88% higher avg CTR.
And they still walked.
Here are 3 lessons I learned.
1. Numbers mean nothing on their own. All those stats I rattled off in the first tweet are true, but they're just hot air.
Most people have a hard time conceptualizing stats unless you give them context - a way to frame their thinking.
Ex: Apple doesn't just list the technical specs for an iPhone. Many ppl feel like an iPhone carries a certain status, a certain quality. But most consumers can't tell me the specific differences between iPhone and Android hardware or OS.
In the early 1900s women were still constrained by Victorian-era, conservative beauty standards.
Dyeing your hair in particular was seen as a practice done only by “loose women” and s*x workers, not respectable society ladies.
But one marketing campaign helped change that.
👇
In the 1950s Clairol was launching a new product. A way to dye your own hair at home in just one step.
Previously women were so uncomfortable with letting it be known they were dyeing their hair, they’d book hair appts at salons under fake names or wear disguises.
So the primary challenge Clairol faced was overcoming this stigma.
The company enlisted the help of an advertising agency, which handed off the account to its only female copywriter, Shirley Polykoff.
And luckily she had personal experience to draw inspiration from.
MEGA LIST of where to stream a bunch of classic & new holiday movies 🎄
Bookmark this if you're also tired of having to look it up every time you want to watch one.
(Titles with * next to them are family movies, in my opinion, but no guarantees.)
👇
First up, Netflix.
- White Christmas
- The Holiday
- A Christmas Prince
- Dash & Lily
- Jingle Jangle
- The Princess Switch (1-3)
And Netflix's library is massive, so there's a part II.
- The Great British Baking Show: Holidays
- Ladybug & Cat Noir's holiday special
- And a bunch of Hallmark-style holiday romance titles
colorful, fun marketing mascots like Tony the Tiger.
Establishing brand loyalty through stand-out marketing & advertising was the “sunshine that made the business plant grow,” according to cereal guru C.W. Post.
And that's the challenge faced by Quaker Oats and their
I’ve grown the organic search traffic on my website by over 330% this year alone with:
▶️ SEO best practices
▶️ Content strategy
▶️ Social media marketing
Here are 5 easy tips you can copy. 👇
1/ Consistency is crucial.
Earlier this year I committed to hitting a regular quota of publication. This was more successful some months than others. But I found overall the quantity of posts was less important than the quality.
When I posted fluff pieces to stay on track, it benefited me by keeping me in a creation mindset.
But the best results came from content that was timely, well researched, well written, and thorough.
There are pieces I could delete that wouldn't affect my site's organic traffic
If you're always looking for inspiration when putting together marketing campaigns, I've got 10 great sources you can bookmark to help save you time.
👇
1/ Facebook Ad Library - a searchable database of actively running Facebook & Instagram ads facebook.com/ads/library
2/ Really Good Emails - a huge database of email marketing examples that also includes some code examples to help you try out what you like yourself reallygoodemails.com