Stuck with a corporate job for 8 years, switched to freelancing and wish I'd done it sooner

I was at this marketing firm in Austin for almost a decade. Same office, same desk, same coffee machine that always smelled kinda burnt. Everyone kept saying "stick it out, the economy is rough." But I'd been feeling dead inside for like 3 years. Finally left last April with just $2k in savings and started taking on freelance projects. First month I made $600, barely paid rent. But by month 4 I was pulling in $3,500 and actually liking my work again. The difference was I got to pick projects I cared about instead of just doing whatever the boss wanted. My old gig paid steady but I was just clocking hours. Now I barely make more but I don't hate waking up. Has anyone else made a similar jump and felt like a weight lifted off?

2 comments

2 Comments

christopher3851mo agoMost Upvoted

The office coffee smell thing hit home for me but I see it the opposite way. You traded a stable paycheck for a gamble that happened to work out, and that's not something most people can afford to try.

the_vera1mo ago

The safety net is what most people can't afford to lose.