Today I’m sharing with you why I decided to quit my part-time (well paying) gig to go full-time in my food business, Coconut Whisk. I’ll also be sharing with you 3 things you’ll want to do before you dive into this head on.

Here’s the thing, I don’t think entrepreneurship is for everybody. Let’s take my boyfriend, Myles for example. He thrives off of working in team environments and having someone hold him accountable. Myles also is one who doesn’t love being in the spotlight. And I applaud him for that because it shows that he’s a team player and here to be a genuine support for the visionary. You don’t have to be the face of a brand or a company to be valuable. I honestly believe it’s a way of living that certain people are more prone to.

Me? Well, let’s just say that I’ve never really been the best employee and I also had trouble staying at my jobs. And I must say, I’ve had a lot of them. I started working since the age of 14. From fast food joints to cashier registers to daycare worker. I’ve done it all. And to be compeltely truthful, there hasn’t been one job that I felt true belonging and satisfaction in. It wasn’t until I started Coconut Whisk that I felt true excitement, love, joy and pure fulfillment. If you aren’t familiar with Coconut Whisk. It’s my vegan & gluten-free baking mix company that I founded in my last semester of college in 2018.

So let’s break down what happened post-graduation. When I walked across that stage to get my diploma, I already knew that I wasn’t going to be job searching for a public health position any time soon. I was ready to put my brain power into building my food business. But in order to pay for my student loans, I knew that I had to take up at least a part time positon. So I grabbed the first nanny position that hired me. From August until Early May 2019, I worked about 20 hours for a local family. It wasn’t awful but it was still dreadful because every hour that I’m there, I’m not working on Coconut Whisk. I knew that I needed to put in my notice when I started to really get anxious at work. I felt like I wasn’t putting my best into my side job and we were working on exciting projects in Coconut Whisk that needed my attention.

The decision was easy but it did come with some preparation.

Today, I share 3 things you need to do if you DO plan on jumping all into full-time biz owner!

1. Create a plan and set goals: Learn how to set goals and implement milestones. If you don’t make a plan, you’re planning to fail. Take a course on business 101 or organization. I recommend Start Up Camp, B-School, Start & Scale and even some courses on Udemy! Pick something that’s in your price range and get started before committing to going full time. Be prepared for the jump!
2. Get your finances straight. Even though I’m not 100% where I want to be in my finances. I still have around $2k left to pay for my student laons (which I’m quite proud of actually) and my reoccurring income is going to change drastically. But I saved and implemented a budget to keep me on track. I recommend talking to a financial advisor to make sure that you’re not shooting yourself in the foot once paychecks from your job stops. Lastly, my number one way that I’m able to bet on my dream business is by saving money on rent by living at home with my parents. It’s not ideal but it’s exactly what we need in order to invest our all.
3. Create a schedule for yourself. Being my own boss means that I don’t have anyone to hold my hand or hold me accountable. Therefore, I need to be the one who is disciplined enough to set the tone for my days. I have a strict workday schedule that includes, office time part 1, lunch & email, office time part 2 etc. Make a plan and stick to it! But of course, let things be flexible when needed and take breaks every 50 minutes!

Lastly, if there’s anything you could take away from this post, it’s that you should know your strengths first and play off of them. Don’t’ force yourself into full-time entrepreneurship when you know dang well that it’s not for you or that your financial situation really can’t handle the change. There is nothing wrong with having a part-time job as you build your business. Elizabeth Gilbert and Marie Forleo speaks highly of holding onto your safety job until you know your business needs you full time. I just recommend getting a no-brainer job instead of a career if that’s the case!

conclusion

So there it is! I’m now on week 3 as a full-time biz owner and even though I’m adjusting, I can feel in my heart that THIS is exactly where I need to be. In life, I believe that there is no such thing as the perfect situation or circumstance. With every level or goal that you meet, there will always be a different set of problems and issues. That’s a given. But we need to struggle for what matters. We need to know which “shit sandwich” is worth eating. For me, the shit sandwich that came with my part-time gig wasn’t worth it any more. And even though I’ve had a few melt downs since going full time into Coconut Whisk and even though I’m working 10x harder than I have ever before, it is SO worth it. At the end of the day, I feel honored to be able to do what I love and share it with the everyone.

So that’s my reason to wake up and smile every day now. I’m still figuring out my schedules and flows, yes. But I get to be in full ownership of my day and that’s powerful. Even though it can be daunting, it’s a challenge that I’m excited to continue mastering.

On that note, I hope you know about capable you are of your dreams. With a sprinkle of courage, vulnerablity, tenacity and a heart of service. You can achieve anything!

with love,

Bella

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