Self-Employment Update
Hello from the other side!
I’ve been self-employed for about a week and figured I’d circle back with an update. The corporate jargon won’t leave me, I fear! I’ve retired from checking Slack compulsively and calling into Teams meetings. I do not miss Teams. I do not miss watching my forced smile in a tiny box as we review "deliverables" and "next steps."
Work is still work, but my deliverables have changed. One of them is to continue improving as a writer. I signed up for another writing class, this time with Rax King (the author of Tacky: Love Letters to the Worst Culture We Have to Offer). The first class took place in a mirrored room at a community center in Park Slope (which definitely hosts tiny ballet dancers during the day). I felt nervous, similar to how I feel whenever I return to my old hobbies like I’m reintroducing myself to myself. As a kid, I attended journalism camp and took writing classes outside school. I also joined a writing group when I worked at Meta. But, I stopped prioritizing writing when my tech job became the main focus. Don’t you love capitalism?
Anyway, the class was great. We introduced ourselves, shared our writing goals, and workshopped two essays, dissecting everything from pacing to character development. I already know I’m going to learn a lot from this cohort. Oh, and in a couple of weeks, I’ll be workshopping the first chapters of my book (!!!).
Outside of writing, I have been cooking, socializing, and playing tennis. On Monday, I played at 11:00 a.m. because I could. Then, I took a gorgeous walk home from Downtown Brooklyn in 60-degree sunshine, my AirPods blasting the latest Soulection Radio episode.
Of course, it hasn’t all been sunshine and midday tennis. I am currently navigating the joys of self-employment logistics. Regarding health insurance, I'm figuring it out (thanks to a hot tip from a friend who quit last year to start her own business). After all of those jokes about LLC Twitter, I’m forming one. But first, I need to name my company. I sent my lawyer three unavailable options, so I’m going back to the drawing board.
On top of that, I’m dealing with a trademark search that will likely lead to a complete rebrand. Well, yes, I am currently running a nameless trademarkless company. But it will get sorted. A friend (and former colleague) is helping me with branding and positioning.
This uncertainty would have sent me into a spiral a few months ago. I shockingly feel calm and excited. This feels like a new era, and a new era deserves a new name and a new energy—both for this newsletter and my podcast. Once it is ready, I will tell you everything.
Self-employment feels good so far. I'm writing more, structuring my business, and spending time with people a few steps ahead of me on this path. Last year, over coffee,
shared that entrepreneur life would be a lot more physical than my work-from-home tech job, and she couldn’t have been more right. I have been out and about.The energy is encouraging, and the vibes are, dare I say, immaculate. Let me enjoy this moment! I’m sure I’ll write about how hard entrepreneurship is soon.
I also took on a freelance event production project because (1) it pays and (2) I am good at it.
That's the update! I've loved talking to you all about this IRL and on Substack. It's been reassuring to hear that I'm not the only one navigating a career transformation. More soon—once I name this thing.
As always, thank you for reading Define Normal. Please feel free to send me a message to continue the conversation. Otherwise, you can find me on IG, TikTok, or the Define Normal podcast.