| Why - I got laid off from a job I absolutely loved. I loved my team, the project, the company. I felt like I found my calling, building software with AI to provide immediate benefits in a meaningful way. I didn't mind the high pressure and intensity because I got positive feedback from users and potential partners multiple times a day. Then two weeks after everything took off (1400 users to 72K users, pilot expansion to 100 locations, a dozen potential license deals, international media coverage), I got laid off. I took it way too personally and got depressed. I decided I’d never pour my heart and soul into someone else’s project ever again. I was done with tech. Income - I knew I didn’t want to be an employee. I needed time to figure out my next steps. We sold our house fully furnished, sold our rental property, sold our cars, and sold our business. We scaled back our living to be able to live on one income. After a year I took a couple of freelance gigs. Benefits - Deeper relationships with everyone that matters. More time for spouse, kids, family and close friends. I learned how to exercise for the sake of exercise. I did a lot of therapy and meditation and learned how to manage my expectations, be kinder to myself, and stop assigning meaning to things that don’t matter. I realized all the things I wanted, I already had. Projects - I took a year and a half off. In that time I took a bunch of course and joined a solopreneur community. I wanted to figure out how to have work fit my life instead of the other way around. I did 100DaysOfNoCode and built over 15 apps and websites. I took Pencil Pirates and learned how to be a digital illustrator. I made 30 podcasts in 30 days with Espree Devora’s cohort course. I made info-products on Gumroad (e-books and an online course). I delivered a virtual workshop and set up an Etsy store. I tried drop shipping. My favourite project is Unstuck in 15. It’s a decision making framework I developed that helps people get unstuck in 15 minutes with 3 questions. I have a potential deal to license it through an educational institution. Return to old job - Nope, but found my way back to tech in a way that works for me Do anything differently - I wish I would have enjoyed the journey more. I was so focused on trying to figure out my next step that I caused myself a lot of undue stress. Bad - I didn’t expect it to take so long for me to figure out what I wanted to do next (co-founder for hire). It would have been good to have more frequent and open conversations with my husband about this journey. I’m fortunate that he believes in me and sees the potential for a better future. We’ve always been able to grow together so we were able to weather the storm. I’m happy to answer any other questions |