“Hey Amy, when are you going to get a REAL job?”
That question hit me like a ton of bricks.
I was 25 years old, and determined to get my virtual admin business off the ground.
Although I wasn’t setting an alarm every morning to get up and work a 9-5, I was at my laptop for hours…working days, nights, weekends, even holidays.
My life went into my start-up, but nobody saw that.
People saw a lazy millennial who probably sleeps until 10am instead of getting up at 6:30am like the rest of the corporate world.
“All right guys, I’ve got to go. SOME of us have to get up in the morning.”
People saw a kid who most likely sits around all day watching YouTube videos.
“Hey Amy, can you babysit for me tomorrow since you’re not doing anything?”
And to be honest, people saw a fleeting moment of passion. A young woman with dreams of being her own boss and setting her own hours, but who probably would give up when it got hard, and get a “real job” in six month’s time.
I had two choices.
I could go back to the corporate world, and stop the comments and judgements in their tracks (at the cost of proving the naysayers right.)
Or I could silently persevere.
I could let those comments ignite my determination even further, block out the negativity, and work hard and sacrifice to get that life I wanted.
Of course, I chose the latter.
I am celebrating my TEN YEAR company anniversary soon, and now those comments are way fewer and further between. Am I where I want to be yet? Of course not! My plateau did not hit at 34 years old, and I’m glad I still have room to grow!
But I AM a self-sufficient, self-employed woman. Sure, I still get blank stares while explaining to someone what I do, but as I go on and the other person starts to see that I work 40+ hours and manage a team of 3 full-time employees, I usually hear something like, “oh, so this is like a real thing then?”
So now, instead of “when are you going to get a real job?” I hear:
“Can we meet so that I can just pick your brain for a bit?”
“Oh Amy, I have a new client for you.”
And my personal favorite, “Hey Amy, are you hiring?” 😏
The moral of my story is that there is ALWAYS going to be a negative voice in your head telling you that you can’t do what you have been created to do. If you are ready to start a client-based business, then you NEED a POSITIVE voice in your ear telling you that you CAN do this.
Join my coaching program, The Plans He Has For You, and I will help you get amazing clients, make sure you’re taking care of yourself in the process, and be that voice of encouragement to motivate you to keep going and hit those goals.
"I am convinced that about half of what separates the successful entrepreneurs from the non-successful ones is pure perseverance." -Steve Jobs