Well, for starters, I got a new tattoo. And, I have red hair now. But, funnily enough, those are maybe the least dramatic changes that have happened to me in the past few months.
See, I got laid off. Let me explain.
When I moved to Spain, I was working remotely for the American company that I worked for when I lived in Nashville. I so badly wanted to leave that I was about to move to a country I had never set foot in, and I knew they were just desperate enough to meet my demands for keeping me. One thing led to another, and voila! I started remote working before it was cool.
But, that all changed when I got a job offer from a company here in Barcelona. An impossible feat! That was two and a half-ish years ago, but to this day, it’s something that makes me immensely proud of myself. My new, Spanish workplace was a tech startup that focused on women’s health and nutrition, to state it broadly. But broad is the best I can do here, because if you’ve ever worked for a startup, then you know that your company elevator pitch tends to change every time there’s a full moon.
My time there can be summed up by ups, downs, parties, losses, learning, and friendship. But, when my company decided to make some big changes and the tech world happened to fully implode, just like many others, I had to lay people off for the first time in my professional career. My own layoff would be just a couple months later.
But, behind the scenes, I had been looking for jobs since November. I think I had applied to about 80 (yes, 80!) with varying degrees of success. Everything from full ghost to oh sorry we just realized that this position is no longer in the budget. I almost worked for a toilet company at one point?? Desperate times.
If you remember my mental breakdown newsletter, much of that distress can be attributed to the dehumanizing process that is applying for jobs and facing daily rejections. It was the emotional equivalent to running into a brick wall over and over again, but continuing to do so, because if I didn’t, then I wouldn’t have an income. Fun!
So now, let’s talk about the layoff. I’m going to make an understatement: there are a lot of emotions that come with a layoff. But, my situation was slightly unique in that shock and surprise didn’t make the list of the ones I personally experienced. I actually had a bit of a heads up about when my layoff would happen, so it gave me a bit of time to get my ducks in a row. Incidentally, around the same time, I also had the biggest lightbulb moment I’ve had in ages.
Due to a bureaucratic dumpster fire of red tape, freelancing has never been an option for me while living in Spain. But, I always said that if I moved back to the States, that’s what I’d do. Well, it turns out that those particular, logistical barriers actually don’t exist for me anymore. I started shifting my mindset toward freelancing, and if the full-time job route had been a brick wall, the freelance route was warm, sparkly, flowing water. Things started falling into place, and the once-murky path for my future started clearing up, right before my eyes.
So for two months, I was both full-time freelance and full-time employed with my old company.
I got up early before work and stayed up late after work nearly every day to make it happen. I kissed my social life, dating life, and sleep quality goodbye in pursuit of my next season. And now….I’m here!
The past few months were some of the most challenging I’ve had in a long, long time. But they also reinforced a couple things to me:
I’m a bad b**** who can get it done
Closed doors are a blessing
Sometimes you need a little push (or more like a strong shove) to move you in the right direction
Liking your day job matters quite a lot
The power of a mindset shift should not be underestimated
Now, I’m a freelance girly, and I couldn’t be more thrilled about it. I think it’s such a good fit for me, and it’s always been something I’ve wanted for myself. I can’t wait to see how this all unfolds.
Now that I’m freelance-and-fancy-free, hit me up! I’m taking on new copywriting, content strategy, and brand strategy clients. Most of my experience lies in fashion, wellness, and hospitality, but you can have a look for yourself here. I also love this Q&A I did with ilovecreatives where I talk more about my working style, my messy closet, and the types of brands I love working with.