Why I’m Not Going Back to a 9-to-5
A picture I took from my outdoor office at my house in Washington.
I’m not a fan of LA in the summer.
There’s no real A/C in my apartment. It gets stuffy, claustrophobic, and overstimulating fast. So I left.
I packed my bags and flew home to Olympia, Washington, for 10 days of focus, fresh air, and, most importantly, a reset.
And the truth is, this trip is a testament to exactly why I started my own company in the first place.
I wanted to be able to do things like this….
To leave the city when I needed clarity.
To go home when I missed my family and my cats.
To work from the most beautiful outdoor office.
To spend my days walking among the most beautiful trees, working out, and reconnecting with myself.
This wasn’t just a vacation.
It was a turning point.
I Didn’t Want Another Job
About a month ago, I was deep in interviews for jobs I knew I didn’t want. I was applying because I thought I should, not because I was excited about it.
I felt stuck in the same loop:
“What should I do next?”
And then it hit me (again):
I don’t want a job!!!
At least, not the 9-to-5 W-2 kind.
Not something that would keep me feeling boxed in or disconnected from my creativity.
At the same time, I was having tons of conversations with female founders in my network. Over and over, I heard the same thing:
“I know I need to build a personal brand… but I don’t know where to start.”
And I thought—wait.
I do know how to do that.
This is the work I love most:
Understanding people deeply
Helping them position themselves clearly
Crafting stories that build trust, visibility, and credibility
I had the relationships.
I saw the gap.
And I had the strategy to solve it.
So I did the first thing I always do with big ideas: I pitched it to my dad.
He didn’t think I was crazy. In fact, he told me to go for it.
That’s when I knew: I’m really going to do this.
I Went Home and Built My Roadmap
I left LA, went back to Washington, and locked in (that’s what the teens say).
Here’s what I built in just one week:
✅ Finalized my service structure
✅ Designed my full client journey and backend documents
✅ Strategized for my first beta client (🎉)
✅ Took discovery calls and validated my offering
✅ Sent out my first newsletter and blog
✅ Built and launched my entire website (yes, in one day—shoutout to ADHD hyperfocus mode)
I was more productive in a week at home than I had been in a month in LA.
And between work blocks, I ran through the woods to clear my mind.
I lifted weights in the Kero Gym.
I watched Stranger Things.
I laughed with my family.
I reconnected with myself.
Here’s What I Want You to Ask Yourself:
Are you giving yourself the space to hear your own thoughts and desires?
Are you surrounded by people who challenge and support you to take bold action?
Or are you still playing it safe because it feels familiar?
Let me be clear:
9-to-5s aren’t bad.
My brother has one and absolutely thrives.
Sometimes a job is the bridge to your dream.
But sometimes, the only thing holding you back is the belief that you're not ready yet.
I’ve been there. I’m kind of still there. But I’m choosing to take action in another direction.
The Reminder That Changed Me
At an InnerFifth event, a speaker said something I’ll never forget:
“When you pray for clarity, also pray for the courage to act on it.”
That’s the season I’m in. I’ve been praying for clarity for over a year. Now that I’ve found it, I’m choosing to act on it, with courage… even though that courage may be a little bit of “fake it ‘til you make it”.
Want to Build Something of Your Own?
I write weekly about the journey of building a business, branding with soul, and showing up as yourself, who is someone with a unique story and unique experiences. PLUS, I add personal reflections, some of my favorite things (I can’t help but share), and lessons learned from life.
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