It has been over a year since I left my job in corporate healthcare to pursue the launch of my own venture. You can read all about my decision here.
Navigating the pandemic, growing the business, and learning new skills has made the last 18 months one of the most fulfilling periods of my career.
Fulfilling does not equate to easy
Sitting in my home office (pre-COVID) making the decision with my wife, we agreed to a term of 12 months. One year to get this business off the ground, one year of living on a single income, and one year to somehow define success or failure.
A year is not nearly as long as you might first imagine.
Therapeasy had many highs, but also lows. We were growing, but it was slow. Monetization was put on hold due to the pandemic, and bootstrapping the entire business was painful.
When February, 2021 rolled around I found myself run out of savings, rejected from every job I applied to, and unsure what to do next. I was still highly motivated by our mission to improve access to mental health, but I felt a bit stuck in what felt like a loop to nowhere.
I haven’t told many people this, but I started to walk dogs for Rover and sold things on eBay just to make a few dollars. I don’t say this for sympathy, but just to give a context of where I was at mentally. Internally I began to second guess my decisions and question whether or not I really had what it takes.
God had a plan for me all along
Fast forward to about 2 months ago, sitting in Corvus for my first coffee meeting in what felt like a lifetime, a casual catch up conversation turned into a surprise job proposition. A former boss and long time friend asked me to come work for him. Asked me to come back to the same company where I did donuts in the parking lot on my last day (there was 8 inches of snow, can you blame me?).
There were many reasons to feel insecure.
- Would I still have time to work on my business? Did this mean that I was giving up?
- Am I moving backwards in my career? How might this look on my resume?
- How would my friends and colleagues view me now? As a failure? Will the organization still value me?
- Am I returning right back to where I started? Or worse, behind?
I chose to re-frame.
- Working part-time and fully remote will allow me to continue to build Therapeasy. I’m not giving up. In fact, I’m going all-in.
- Career paths in a linear line are outdated and skills > resume.
- I have the opportunity to serve many more people now, which fulfills me. I am so well equipped for this job that I can provide value from day one.
- I’m not even the same person that I was 18 months ago, and I mean that in the best way possible.
So here I am, about to start orientation on Monday. Feeling more motivated and optimistic than ever. More than that, I am extremely grateful.
Grateful to my wife who continued to support me, even after my 12 months expired.
Grateful to my new/old boss who is giving me the opportunity to serve once again.
Grateful to God (most of all) who kept me from all the positions I applied to but didn’t get, and saved the perfect scenario just for me.
