My Story: How I Created A Life & Business I'm Obsessed Through Vivid Visioning
Around 2018-2019, I was years into a corporate career and was checking all the boxes of what I was raised to understand as a “successful career.” I lived with my best friend in the heart of Chicago, renting a beautiful apartment overlooking the lake. I had a great marketing job, was diligently contributing to a matched 401K, and, overall, my life looked squeaky clean and exactly “on track” with societal ideals.
While I genuinely enjoyed both the company and the work I was doing, a part of me began to feel restless. I realized that leading the marketing efforts for just one company limited my ability to make the broad impact I aspired to achieve. At the same time, I had a growing desire for the freedom to work entirely remotely, enabling me to travel and explore whenever the opportunity arose. My creativity and ambition kept whispering questions that I couldn’t ignore: “What if I could run my own business?” “What if I could control my time?” “What if I could decide how much money I make?” These thoughts sparked a fire within me, pushing me to consider the possibilities beyond the comfort of my corporate job.
These thoughts lingered in the background as I went about my day-to-day life… until the pandemic hit in 2020. Suddenly, everything changed. I found myself forced to work remotely, and at the time of the lockdown, I happened to be traveling with my boyfriend and one of his friends in the South. With airports shut down, we began what we thought would be a one-week road trip… that ended up stretching into a 2.5-month journey around the South, all the way back to Chicago!
It was the most unexpected yet transformative trip of my life. Amidst weekly road trips to (clean and safe) Airbnbs, I balanced my corporate job via laptop and discovered a newfound love for independence and freedom. Simply put: I was hooked, and I wanted to find a way to make this level of autonomy and freedom my every day reality.
Creating a Successful Side Hustle
As the trip finally came to an end and the call came to return to office, my entrepreneurial spirit was in full force. I knew I desperately wanted a life beyond the 9-to-5 grind, and felt a calling to attempt to become my own boss. With years of marketing and branding expertise under my belt, I believed I could build something of my own—something meaningful, impactful, and aligned with my vision for life.
The journey from that realization to running my own thriving business wasn’t instant, but it was definitely intentional. To begin a business, the most important step you can take is to start. None of us will ever feel ready—which is okay and totally expected! Taking that first step, even if it feels uncertain, is what sets everything in motion.
I knew I was good at branding, so I chose to start small and began taking on freelance projects during evenings and weekends. I diligently began to build a small portfolio of branding clients, each happy with my work and eager to refer me to the next person.
Shifting From Side Hustle to a Full Blown Business
As the months went by, I made sure to review my vivid vision each day to keep me on track with my goals. One of the key steps in turning my side hustle into a full-time venture was learning to treat it as a real business well before it had replaced my corporate salary.
For instance, I knew I needed a clear plan for how I’d sustain my business. So, I first invested in my personal brand by crafting a compelling brand foundation, mission + why statement, compelling website, and then leaned into networking—online and offline—to grow my client base. I swear that once you begin speaking out loud about your idea, you can manifest that reality for yourself. Through all of this aligned action, more and more clients and prospects came to me looking for support and guidance with their brands and marketing. I also had interns and old peers popping up out of the blue asking to work together, partner together, and refer to one another. So much so, that I began filling up my evenings and weekends until I was close to a second full-time job!
Marketing My Hustle
While laying my business foundations, my number one goal was to share content that HELPED people. I focused on creating content that resonated with my ideal audience and showcased my expertise in marketing, branding, and entrepreneurship. Whenever I completed a successful brand revamp, I made sure to share it on Instagram, Pinterest, and LinkedIn, allowing new audiences to discover me and recognize my niche. Over time, these efforts paid off, and my side hustle transformed into a thriving, sustainable branding business.
I still vividly remember that first day of full-blown entrepreneurship. It was summertime in Chicago, a perfect blue sky day, and it dawned on me that I didn’t need to rush into an office. I brought my laptop down to my apartment’s pool, coldbrew in hand, and realized I was living out my vivid vision in less than 6 months. It really worked, so much so that I got to work building my next vivid vision as a business owner :)
Designing the Dream Life
Looking back, I’m grateful for the years I spent in the corporate world because they provided me with the skills, connections, and experience I needed to succeed as an entrepreneur. But I’m even more grateful for the moment I decided to bet on myself, take the leap, and design a life on my own terms.
If you’re considering starting your own side hustle or turning your passion project into a business, my advice is simple: start small but think big. Use the skills you already have, invest in yourself, and don’t be afraid to take risks. The journey isn’t always easy, but the freedom, fulfillment, and joy of building something that’s truly yours are worth every step.
