Goodbye Corporate World

Hello hello my dear friends, it has been way too long… but I am finally at a point where I can sit down and start blogging again. Woohoo!

Obviously, there is a huge gap full of life updates between now and when you last heard from me. As much as I’d love to fill you all in on all that’s been happening over in my world, I’ll be saving the more intimate and personal updates for those in-person coffee dates and catch-up sessions. With that being said, I’d like to jump right into one of the biggest updates and changes my life has experienced since moving back closer to the coast— I left the 9-5 corporate world and officially became an entrepreneur! It still feels like a dream to say those words out loud (and believe me, I did just say them out loud as I typed them.) This risky and amazing adventure officially began in November of 2022. I’d like to share the ‘why’ and ‘how’ behind my decision to say farewell to a comfort zone and society's standards, and as always, I hope my story and experience can help motivate and encourage you in your own pursuit of living a more conscious and meaningful life.

It was November in 2022 and Thanksgiving was right around the corner. I was doing my best to get settled in my role as a marketing manager for a vacation rental and real estate company over on the Island. It didn’t take me too long to realize that this was not the environment for a “think outside the box” kind of girl like me. What I am most thankful for from that experience, was that this was the job that opened my eyes to the reality that there had to be more out there for me; the reality that whatever I chose to do for work was going to be the thing that occupied most of my energy & time. The thought of spending my time doing work that wasn’t creative and purposeful made me sad and to be completely honest, miserable and a bit sick to my stomach. I wanted to do things on my own schedule, at my own pace, and defy the limits of society’s standards to do the 9-5 thing with or without a degree. It truly is a “stuck” mentality, and I didn’t want to be stuck anymore. They want us stuck in a job we don’t like, because we’re stuck in debt, stuck in the material world— and I desperately wanted to break free, so I decided to get unstuck! After a lot of patience, discernment, and planning, I was finally in a better position for a plot twist in my career. That Thanksgiving, I handed in my two weeks and embraced the cost it would take to be free. All of that is my ‘why’ and now let me tell you about my ‘how’.

I took advantage of the work I had put in to remain debt-free and I prepared my budget for what the upcoming six months would look like as if I would be pulling from the savings until I could get my feet grounded. It was almost Christmas and I had custom art orders lined up that could at least get me through until the end of January, but for a penny-saving woman who has had a steady job since she was 15, I was worried about what was to come. February rolled around, and an incredible opportunity opened up for me to paint on some rocks and sell them at the River Street Marketplace in Savannah, GA. Now, at this point, I was thinking that I might have hit a new low where I was selling rocks to try and make a living, haha! But let me tell you, when that first rock sold, something happened inside of me. Call it a spark, or a flame, or maybe it was just all in my head, but I felt a belief that I actually could do this thing. So I painted more rocks, and then I introduced some other small pieces like magnets, postcards, and other small souvenir-type artwork. After all, I was in a heavily touristed location, so why limit myself? I remember all of those first sales like they were just the other day; every rock and magnet and small piece was celebrated. Before I knew it, March and April rolled around and I was painting every day to keep up in the marketplace and send out custom orders. When that first $100 day happened, I cried. When that first $500 week happened, I cried some more. When that first week of no sales happened, I cried. When people shared their love for my artwork, the tears would come, and when the critics stopped by to give their non-helpful negative opinions, more tears (and some self-doubt) came. And when one of my customers sent a huge gift of support in the mail with a note saying how impactful my art is, I sobbed. Needless to say, it was a complete roller coaster of emotions from the very start, and I can understand the amount of crying that took place might be overwhelming or seem a tad dramatic to just anyone. But for those who understand taking that risk and stepping out of your comfort zone into entrepreneurship, especially in a field where you are making the product/service with your own heart, mind, and hands, you understand that there is a lot of emotion behind it all. This was more than just selling art, because your art is in essence, you. There’s a part of me in each piece that I create, and when you encounter people who might not see the beauty of your work or value it, it can feel like an attack on your own value. It has been one of the most humbling and fruitful decisions I have made, to become a full-time artist.

So where am I now? It’s been well over a year since I started this adventure and the amount of connections I’ve built is such a blessing. I meet people from all over the world when they travel to or through Savannah, and my art has now traveled and made its way to at least four other countries, that I’m aware of, and over 37 states in the US. Since January 2023, there has not been a single month where I haven’t had at least three or more custom requests to ship out. I had the most successful holiday season this past Christmas, as I completed 51 custom ornaments. All of this is just a blessing on top of the art that sells daily in the market. I don’t share these numbers to brag, I share these very real numbers so that you know it is possible!

I’m not sure where you are in your own story. You might be reading this and are feeling incredibly inspired to write up your two weeks’ notice this very minute. Or maybe you’re feeling motivated to get out that sketchbook, or that camera, or those recipes, or that paint set that’s been sitting there collecting dust and just start making magic happen. Or maybe you’re logging in to your bank account and pulling numbers to see what it would take. Or maybe you’re feeling sad because this all seems like a far-off dream and much less a reality that you could get to. Whatever you are feeling, know this: the very first step can tend to be the hardest of all, and that is to believe. Believe that you can do it. The second step I would encourage of you is to read my blog on “Minimalism, why I made the decision to own less.” This was a huge turning point for me that prepared me and set me up to be able to seek the career freedom I was looking for.

It is good to be back doing something else that I love, and I have missed sharing encouragement with you all. It’s my goal to incorporate more and more of my blog updates again as this year continues. As always, please don’t hesitate to reach out and connect!

Sincerely,

Adrienne