Omg this hits hard! 🥺 I had a similar awakening about my job last year. I’m remote so it helps that I don’t have to see any of my fake/annoying coworkers in person. But ever since I realized they literally don’t care about us outside of what we can do for the company, something in me just switched off. Now I just do my job and log off and enjoy my life 😂And it truly is so freeing 🤍
I SO relate to this. Being remote makes such a difference — especially when you’ve mentally made the flip that you’re working to live and not the other way around. Notes to keep in mind when I figure out how to make money in a way that doesn’t suck again 🙃
Wow I loved this!!! Your words really hit me. I quit my job last year after my partner and I lost our home and all belongings to a fire, and I couldn’t believe how freeing that decision was. (And of course, to allow myself to write about it on here 🙌🏻.) I’m now entering the world of freelance/contract/part-time work and it’s incredibly exciting to be building work AROUND my life instead of letting it consume me. Congrats on taking this leap and good luck with whatever comes next!! You’ll definitely be entering it with a positive perspective shift ✨
Wowowow! What a beautiful note to wake up to this morning! 🌞
First off, I’m so sorry to hear about your home. How absolutely incredible and inspiring that you were able to take such a leap and bet on yourself — especially when I’m sure it felt like the ground beneath you wasn’t even stable. That is a bet I will always take and I think everyone should get to experience that feeling of self belief once in their life!
I’m SO glad the decision is paying off and you’re feeling the freedom you needed. My fiance is ALSO a freelance copywriter — he left agency side to go on his own and has never looked back 🗺️ (Well…he’s looked back a few times to think about better stability but that’s because I came into the mix and quit my job 😂)
Thank you sooo much for reading — I’m rooting for you over here!!
Ah thank you so much Allison! It's so surreal (in the best way!) to take a leap when everything else feels like it's going wrong. We say that we very much 'made lemonade out of lemons' after the fire in trying to turn an extremely negative time into a positive.
It's so reassuring to hear that your fiance has never looked back from his decision to dive into freelance copywriting! Although I'm loving the leap, I still very much welcome the encouragement of knowing that other people are also brave enough to do it and succeed in it 😅 And you quitting your job is just another exciting leap in your joint journey haha!! Very happy to have stumbled upon you on Substack ✨
This was incredible to read, Allison – it takes a lot of bravery to get honest with yourself with something is no longer working *and* to take decisive action on that at the same time. I, too, experienced so many of these inner shifts for the first time when I stepped away from a corporate marketing career to open my design studio, and more recently for the second time while on maternity leave with my daughter. Burnout manifests in so many subtle, little ways until it can entirely encapsulate your life and suck your energy dry. I can't wait to read more from you 😌
Wow, thank you SO much to take the time to read my story 🥹
You are so right, it is an act of bravery to walk away from something bad and I am actually proud of myself for that. A good lesson to teach ourselves (and the little ones!
Cheers to our next chapter of forging new paths that lead to our highest versions 🦋
oh wow, this is so relatable. this was me about a year and a half ago. thank God for supportive, understanding partners, honestly. i’m really glad you did what you needed to do, and i’m so sorry they made you cry. i would’ve hugged you so tight in that moment. x
Thank you so much holy 🥹 Honestly, even though that moment was mortifying as it was happening, I’m glad it did because it gave me some fortitude — also reminded me that work is not “family” and in some situations you have to emotionally protect yourself. Idk why people aren’t kinder but then there are the you’s of the world 🥰🥹😭
"It’s been really confusing because I thought I hated work. Turns out, I don’t hate work, I actually love feeling productive, contributing, solving problems, helping! I hate everything that (often) surrounds work – non-flexible hours, florescent overhead lighting, (occasionally) toxic or incompetent people, unclear expectations, sabotage, manipulation, excessive workload."
--> this!!! I think one of the biggest misconceptions when people want to get out of toxic environments or the corporate world as a whole is that they are lazy and don't want to work. I LOVE to work. So much so that right now on mat leave (baby is due in 4 weeks) I am keeping busy with personal projects, building something on the side. I just want to do work on my own terms. For myself and not on someone else's terms. I am even willing to work more if that's what it takes. As long as I know why I am doing it.
I loved reading your perspective on what's changed since you left. I just subscribed to you so I can keep following your journey. All the best!
Wow, a million x thank you! Your words means SO much to me. Admittedly, I was on the fence about writing this (especially with the job market so uncertain for so many) and I'm so glad to hear it resonated with you.
To quote you back "I just want to do work on my own terms." - THIS!!!! I think that's really at the core of what it comes down to for me. I want autonomy and freedom.
Thank you so much for following along and I hope my journey doesn't disappoint! xx
Ahh, I’m so glad you did decide to write it—it landed so deeply. It takes courage to share so honestly, especially when so many of us are navigating uncertainty and doubt. Your words really do reflect what so many are feeling right now, and I’m grateful you gave voice to it.
Yes to autonomy, yes to freedom, yes to doing work on your own terms! I’ll be cheering you on every step of the way and soaking up all the inspiration you put out. Keep going—your journey already resonates so much. xx
This is so GOOD! I relate so much and I quit my corporate design job at the end of 2024. So proud of you for advocating for your wellbeing & rediscovering the joy of slow mornings! Cheers to this new season. ❣️
Omg. Thank you SO much 🥹😭 It is a big leap and reclaiming yourself in the process is cheers worthy isn’t it?! Right back at you for doing the same! (Corporate design should really be an oxymoron 🙄) GO US 👏🏼
Omg this hits hard! 🥺 I had a similar awakening about my job last year. I’m remote so it helps that I don’t have to see any of my fake/annoying coworkers in person. But ever since I realized they literally don’t care about us outside of what we can do for the company, something in me just switched off. Now I just do my job and log off and enjoy my life 😂And it truly is so freeing 🤍
I SO relate to this. Being remote makes such a difference — especially when you’ve mentally made the flip that you’re working to live and not the other way around. Notes to keep in mind when I figure out how to make money in a way that doesn’t suck again 🙃
I love this!
Wow I loved this!!! Your words really hit me. I quit my job last year after my partner and I lost our home and all belongings to a fire, and I couldn’t believe how freeing that decision was. (And of course, to allow myself to write about it on here 🙌🏻.) I’m now entering the world of freelance/contract/part-time work and it’s incredibly exciting to be building work AROUND my life instead of letting it consume me. Congrats on taking this leap and good luck with whatever comes next!! You’ll definitely be entering it with a positive perspective shift ✨
Wowowow! What a beautiful note to wake up to this morning! 🌞
First off, I’m so sorry to hear about your home. How absolutely incredible and inspiring that you were able to take such a leap and bet on yourself — especially when I’m sure it felt like the ground beneath you wasn’t even stable. That is a bet I will always take and I think everyone should get to experience that feeling of self belief once in their life!
I’m SO glad the decision is paying off and you’re feeling the freedom you needed. My fiance is ALSO a freelance copywriter — he left agency side to go on his own and has never looked back 🗺️ (Well…he’s looked back a few times to think about better stability but that’s because I came into the mix and quit my job 😂)
Thank you sooo much for reading — I’m rooting for you over here!!
Ah thank you so much Allison! It's so surreal (in the best way!) to take a leap when everything else feels like it's going wrong. We say that we very much 'made lemonade out of lemons' after the fire in trying to turn an extremely negative time into a positive.
It's so reassuring to hear that your fiance has never looked back from his decision to dive into freelance copywriting! Although I'm loving the leap, I still very much welcome the encouragement of knowing that other people are also brave enough to do it and succeed in it 😅 And you quitting your job is just another exciting leap in your joint journey haha!! Very happy to have stumbled upon you on Substack ✨
This was incredible to read, Allison – it takes a lot of bravery to get honest with yourself with something is no longer working *and* to take decisive action on that at the same time. I, too, experienced so many of these inner shifts for the first time when I stepped away from a corporate marketing career to open my design studio, and more recently for the second time while on maternity leave with my daughter. Burnout manifests in so many subtle, little ways until it can entirely encapsulate your life and suck your energy dry. I can't wait to read more from you 😌
Wow, thank you SO much to take the time to read my story 🥹
You are so right, it is an act of bravery to walk away from something bad and I am actually proud of myself for that. A good lesson to teach ourselves (and the little ones!
Cheers to our next chapter of forging new paths that lead to our highest versions 🦋
So happy to be connected!
oh wow, this is so relatable. this was me about a year and a half ago. thank God for supportive, understanding partners, honestly. i’m really glad you did what you needed to do, and i’m so sorry they made you cry. i would’ve hugged you so tight in that moment. x
Thank you so much holy 🥹 Honestly, even though that moment was mortifying as it was happening, I’m glad it did because it gave me some fortitude — also reminded me that work is not “family” and in some situations you have to emotionally protect yourself. Idk why people aren’t kinder but then there are the you’s of the world 🥰🥹😭
"It’s been really confusing because I thought I hated work. Turns out, I don’t hate work, I actually love feeling productive, contributing, solving problems, helping! I hate everything that (often) surrounds work – non-flexible hours, florescent overhead lighting, (occasionally) toxic or incompetent people, unclear expectations, sabotage, manipulation, excessive workload."
--> this!!! I think one of the biggest misconceptions when people want to get out of toxic environments or the corporate world as a whole is that they are lazy and don't want to work. I LOVE to work. So much so that right now on mat leave (baby is due in 4 weeks) I am keeping busy with personal projects, building something on the side. I just want to do work on my own terms. For myself and not on someone else's terms. I am even willing to work more if that's what it takes. As long as I know why I am doing it.
I loved reading your perspective on what's changed since you left. I just subscribed to you so I can keep following your journey. All the best!
Wow, a million x thank you! Your words means SO much to me. Admittedly, I was on the fence about writing this (especially with the job market so uncertain for so many) and I'm so glad to hear it resonated with you.
To quote you back "I just want to do work on my own terms." - THIS!!!! I think that's really at the core of what it comes down to for me. I want autonomy and freedom.
Thank you so much for following along and I hope my journey doesn't disappoint! xx
Ahh, I’m so glad you did decide to write it—it landed so deeply. It takes courage to share so honestly, especially when so many of us are navigating uncertainty and doubt. Your words really do reflect what so many are feeling right now, and I’m grateful you gave voice to it.
Yes to autonomy, yes to freedom, yes to doing work on your own terms! I’ll be cheering you on every step of the way and soaking up all the inspiration you put out. Keep going—your journey already resonates so much. xx
You are amazing — I feel seen, inspired and motivated! Thank you Katharina!!!! 💖💖💖
This is so GOOD! I relate so much and I quit my corporate design job at the end of 2024. So proud of you for advocating for your wellbeing & rediscovering the joy of slow mornings! Cheers to this new season. ❣️
Omg. Thank you SO much 🥹😭 It is a big leap and reclaiming yourself in the process is cheers worthy isn’t it?! Right back at you for doing the same! (Corporate design should really be an oxymoron 🙄) GO US 👏🏼