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Feb 21, 2025    |       4 comments

3 years later…

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We all remember when I lost my dream job back in the summer of 2022. The contract job that became a full time W2 role essentially shutting down my consultant business. It truly was my dream job. Working with a dream team. It was everything I could have asked for and I planned to stay there…

Then the woman who hounded me to come work for her full time…left. With almost no notice. And I was put in a very uncomfortable position. New management was brought in. And I was pushed out.

(By the way, that new management didn’t last a year.)

Do You Have Time to Talk?

Here we are three years later, and guess who comes calling? Yes, her. Well, she sent text messages.

We scheduled and rescheduled and rescheduled a call. And then it finally happened. Here’s how it went…

phone call with old boss cartoon image

“Hey Hope, can you do this? I have a client that needs XYZ.”

Yep, looks like my freelance, contract work is going to continue to grow through not only my past clients and work sites, but also through my old corporate jobs connections. Grateful doesn’t begin to explain how I’m feeling.

On the Right Path

Many of you will remember how tumultuous my work life has been the last 8ish years. For the first 10 years I was in business as a freelancer/contractor, it grew slowly and steadily. It had two clients that were with me all those first years. Any fluctuations didn’t really rock the boat.

But when both of those clients left for different reasons over two short years, it rocked my core. I wasn’t prepared for it at all. (Since that time, owners of each business have passed on.) And I’ve flailed around and never seemed to recover the equilibrium.

Since this job loss, mentioned above, and my 5 year relationship ending, and the kids growing up and moving, I have flailed about even more.

But for the first time, I confidently believe I’m on the right path. Selling the house. Freeing myself to go. And slowly rebuilding my consulting practice. It feels right. I’m not lost. I’m not confused. And I’m not questioning the decisions I am making for the first time in almost a decade.

 

Feb 18, 2025    |       58 comments

Really Tight Month

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I need to make $6,000 in the next 5 weeks to be able to cover February and March bills. While I’ve got the work under contract, they are slow to get started and up and running. So I’ve only brought in a couple of hundred dollars each week this month thus far. (I received $195 last week from contract work.)

Thankfully, again, it’s just me. So I just need to keep my head down and work all the hours and projects I can. That’s the plan.

I still have plenty of food. All bills are current as of today. Filled up my gas tank today. And have no plans for any significant driving until I leave for Texas. Although I do have to drive two hours round trip in a couple of weeks to get my car serviced.

Now I sit tight and pray that the house sells. And I get even more work.

Work Plan

I am continuing to grow my contract business again. Without launching my new website (remember that debacle from earlier this month,) word of mouth is starting up again and I’m getting referral projects along with continued contracts from site like Upwork.

The corporate role that I had two interviews for seems to have petered out. No official word, but the silence has been deafening.

If the House doesn’t Sell

I am definitely leaving for another weeks long Texas trip in a few weeks. And a realtor will take over the house. I am negotiating that rate and terms later next week. Any guidance? I’m thinking 4% to be split between buyer/seller agent and a term of 3 months. I don’t think I want to live in limbo longer than that.

I realize that standard is 6% to split, but when I asked what they actually do for that amount of money, it seemed crazy to pay upwards of $9,000 from the proceeds of the sale for that. Especially if it sells really quickly. Which everyone believes that it will. I figured with the lower %, I would feel more comfortable “gifting” a monetary gratitude for a job well done versus feeling obligated and uncomfortable with the amount it was costing me. Does that make sense? Am I completely off?

And yes, I now the agent has to agree to my terms…so there’s that.

Clearing the House

The only furniture left in the house is my recliner, my bed, a plastic table that I’m using as a desk, and a dining room chair. (I’ll put the plastic table and chair in storage before I leave.) When the house sells and I know I will no longer be coming back, my recliner will go to storage and my bed will be disposed of.

packed storage unit

My 10’x10′ storage unit is packed to the brim with furniture, items of sentimental value, and household goods.

My plan is to return from Texas in a few weeks, and live in the house until it sells. If it doesn’t sell by the term set, which I highly doubt, but it’s certainly a possibility, I will take that as a sign that I am not to sell it. And figure out what staying stuck here looks like.

I’m sure you can tell that I have my heart now set on being free of the responsibility. But this truly is a step out in faith. So if it doesn’t sell, I will take that as a very clear message that I am to sit down and stay still, here, and figure something else out.

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