I quit my last ever full-time job 16 years ago today. I knew I could have far more impact working independently than I could inside a company in a pre-defined role being told what to do and how to do it with a boss and a culture I had to adhere to. I knew I needed choice.
Making all my own decisions and being entirely responsible for myself has been liberating—but it’s also terrifying. There are no safety nets, no backfills, no templates, no guarantees. There is no paid time off. There are no promotions and no cost of living raises and no RSUs.
Being a solopreneur requires an iron stomach, an indomitable will, an unwavering vision, an unusual amount of self-confidence and self-love, and maybe a bit of delusion that everything will be alright. You have to be willing to weather the storm, to bet on yourself day after day after day, to create your own systems, to manage your own moods, to devise your own supports.
Most challenging of all: you have to go it alone without ever actually allowing yourself to go it alone. You have to surround yourself with people who love you and believe in you, with people who have strengths you don’t possess, with people you trust and who bring out the best in you, with people who will drag you out of the dark times, with people you belong with, alone together.
It’s a life of dichotomies and detours and risk and burden and responsibility. It’s a life of possibility and adventure and expansion and abundance and love.
I wouldn’t trade it for the world. I am endlessly proud of myself and proud of my purpose and the meaning I have created. I am indebted to the people who have chosen to join me on this journey, my clients and friends and family who trust me to do good work and encourage me to live bigly. I am in awe of it all. Thank you, past Whitney who was willing to take the leap. Thank you, present Whitney who is willing to keep fighting every day to do the right thing. Thank you, future Whitney for showing me the way. I love all of me and I love all of you.
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