Leaving The 9-5, Starting My Own Business, And Pushing Through Self-Doubt

I want you to imagine for a second that we’re on a little coffee date (or a tea date, whatever floats your boat), and we’re sharing life updates with each other as good friends do. After all, I thought it was about time I let you know all of the news and big changes that have been going on in my life and the world of The Blissful Mind over the past month.

I’ve shared these things on social media and with my newsletter peeps, but I haven’t taken the time to sit down and actually write a blog post about everything that has been happening. It’s exciting, it’s scary, and totally crazy how much can happen in a single month. Here’s what’s been going on over the past month and how I’m handling some big changes:

A Few Little (Okay, huge) Life Updates

I left my 9-5 job

Yup, this is the big one. I left my job of four years on June 30th *gasp*. I was working as the Operations Manager for a non-profit, and it was my first job out of college. I didn’t really intend to be there for so long, but I found myself stuck there. I decided about two years ago into it that I was ready to leave, so I tried applying for other jobs in the admin/marketing side of things, but I never got anywhere with it (maybe I just truly suck at writing cover letters, who knows). So I stayed put.

Life Update: Leaving My 9-5, Starting My Own Business, And Pushing Through Self-Doubt | The Blissful Mind

I felt like I might be able to make something more out of The Blissful Mind than just a hobby. My plan was to try and get my coaching services up and running by September, and that’s when I’d take the leap into this new venture. Turns out, I had to leave my job a lot sooner than I had anticipated due to budget logistics. Basically, I jumped headfirst into this whole business thing quicker than planned. But you know what? I’m taking a tip from Marie Forleo and believing that “everything is figureoutable.”

I’ll be done with my Master’s degree next week

As you may know, I’ve been studying Health & Wellness Coaching through the Maryland University of Integrative Health for the past two years. Coaching was never my intended career path (although to be honest, I never knew what my career path was) or something that had crossed my mind until I found this program, and now I feel like it’s changed my whole world. I’ve learned so much about what it means to coach someone and help them through the many stages and hurdles of achieving goals, specifically around topics like mindfulness and self-care. My last assignments are due on August 5th, and although I’ve thoroughly enjoyed all of my classes, I’m so ready to be done with homework!

I’m officially offering coaching services

Need a mindset coach? Lets work together! I’ve officially launched my one-on-one coaching services, and I’ll be adding more information to my site soon. If you’re someone who has a million thoughts and ideas racing around your head, coaching is a great option for helping to manage the overwhelm and get more clarity around your goals. Interested? Learn more here.

I launched my eBook

I wrote my first eBook! The Mind, Body, Soul Balance Guide launched on July 15, and it’s been so amazing to see the positive response from those who have purchased it. I wrote this guide because I wanted to share the goal-setting method that’s helped me to find more balance in my own life (especially when things are hectic). It’s all about figuring out what balance means to you and how setting goals for your mind, body, and soul can help you achieve more balance. Grab your copy here!

I’m finally making videos

Finally! I’ve been obsessed with YouTube since like 2009, so I thought it was about time I get behind the camera. I shared my first video last week, and my plan is to upload every other Monday until I get into the swing of filming more. Let me know if you have any ideas for videos you’d like me to film!

I’m not living the dream…yet.

For anyone who’s thinking that all of this sounds like the absolute dream (and in all reality, I do have to be proud of what I’ve accomplished so far), it comes with it’s setbacks. I never really thought it would be THIS. MUCH. WORK to have no one telling you what to do. I really, really like structure, and now it’s completely up to me to make my own structure (and actually follow it).

The elephant in the room is that I’m not making a sustainable income right now. I’ve been making money from eBook sales and the occasional sponsored blog post, but I’m pretty much relying on my savings account right now. The plan is to make my business (I officially have a business license, yo) sustainable through my coaching packages and digital products (eBooks, courses, etc), but of course, these things take time to get up and running.

I’m dealing with the ups and downs

There are days when I start to think that maybe it isn’t worth it and life would be easier if I just went back to a typical 9-5 admin job. It would be less involved and the money would be consistent. But the next day, I’m totally in the zone and I don’t doubt my decision whatsoever. My thoughts are on a roller coaster most of the time.

I feel like I’ve put in the bare minimum for most of my life. I’ve never been the overachiever or person who goes above and beyond with anything. I get by, that’s all. I’ve also never felt like I’ve made any real impact in this world before I started sharing my writing and ideas on the internet. And if I’m about to let all of that go so I can go back to doing the bare minimum, I’m doing everyone a disservice.

I’m going to keep pushing through because I do believe in myself. If I never try, I’ll always wonder what it might have been like. Plus, I need to remember that I’m only 26 and there’s a lot more of this life I have to explore. I’ll figure it out :)

P.S. One last quickie update is that I’m a featured guest on the Nourish + Flourish Podcast! If you want to hear me talk about all of these life updates, as well as all things self-care, morning routines, mindfulness, and intentional living, click here to listen to the podcast episode!


Do you have any big life updates?

Thanks for always supporting me and for making my dream a reality. I hope you enjoyed this little life update, and I’d love to know one change that’s going on in your life! Leave a comment down below.

About the Author
Catherine Beard
Hi, I'm Catherine! As the creator of The Blissful Mind, I love exploring ways to make life more fulfilling, especially when it comes to our daily routines, habits, and well-being.

24 Responses

  1. Congrats on just going for it and trying something new. Big fan of your site, and while it’s scary to leave behind the security of a job you’ve had for 4 years, I think it’ll be for the best. ;-)

  2. Congratulations Catherine! This sounds so exciting – and scary! I cannot wait to see what the future will hold for you x

  3. Congratulations on all of this! I remember people telling me how brave I was when I made the leap, which had never occurred to me before, but it’s true. You’re really brave for making all this happen, and the courage and hard work that it took to get here will also carry you through the next stage, to actually living the dream.

    Wishing you all the best going forward!

  4. I’m so excited for you and so thankful that you’re being REAL and sharing the scary parts, too. We’re all here for you to support you and encourage you! You already are an amazing coach. I really needed the reminder to take action before everything is perfect. Things really are figureoutable lol

  5. Yay! Congratulations! That is HUGE. I recently quit my job as well and it is very intimidating, but SO worth it.

  6. Wow, Catherine! This is truly amazing. So happy for you and very proud of you for being brave enough to take the leap. Your content is so valuable, and the world needs to hear it. I’m currently in the transition of moving out and getting married (in March of 2018) – so there is a LOT of transition… and on top of that, my fiancé and I are both in the process of building online businesses in the aim to leave our 9-5 within the next year. Thanks for sharing the complete story – the excitement but also the scary feelings.

  7. Congrats Catherine!! I’m so glad I am able to catch up with you and your blog (and now business, videos and more!). You are doing wonderful things. I still remember us chatting about both being in the nonprofit world. I’m glad that you are able to switch things up for yourself and really discover what you are capable of. I’m sure it’s quite a journey, but you are strong and so very creative that this will definitely be an exciting chapter in your life!

  8. I am so happy to have read this! Congratulations! I have no doubt that you’ll do well with these new adventures! I’ll be done with my 9-5 at the end of this week, and then I’ll enter the “figuring things out” stage :) It’s so encouraging to see people doing what they’re passionate about and sharing their life and knowledge with others,

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