Had to choose between a 9-5 stability and freelancing freedom two years ago. I picked the wrong one at first.

I was working at a design agency in Austin making $65k a year. Stable paycheck, good benefits, but I felt like I was dying inside doing the same branding projects over and over. So I quit to go freelance. Six months later I was broke and panicking. Turns out I'm terrible at invoicing and finding clients (like, really bad). I ended up going back to a different agency job at $58k and I actually like it better now. Less pressure, more creative freedom since it's a smaller team. Has anyone else tried the leap and then climbed back? How did you deal with the ego hit?

2 comments

2 Comments

ross.jessica3d ago

Is the ego hit really that big of a deal though? You went from six figures of stress to a job that pays less but makes you happier. That sounds like a win to me. The whole "freelancing freedom" thing gets romanticized way too much when most people end up trading one set of problems for another set that's honestly way worse. It's not like you failed, you just figured out what actually works for you a little faster than most.

ericjackson3d ago

Fair enough @ross.jessica, but the ego thing messed with my head more than I let on.