The Year I Bet on Myself
A journey from corporate to freelance.
It’s that time of year… when The Internet is rife with lists like “Here are 22 things I learned in 2022!”
I hate long lists. And did anyone really learn twenty-two new things in one year?
I usually write some type of year-end reflection. Could I top 2020, the year I decided that I would quit a job I’d been at for 15 years? Or 2021, two new jobs later, thinking (mistakenly) that I’d found a great company to work for?
Turns out, something was stirring inside me. And this year, I made the leap from corporate to freelance. Could I have anticipated this at the beginning of the year? No. Was it the right decision? Absolutely.
I’m not going to list twenty-two learnings about the year. But here are four things that stood out to me about 2022.
I can depend on myself.
For most of my career, I worked at jobs that tried to make me feel small in some way.
I was brushed aside by a self-important CEO. Overlooked by a dysfunctional company. Micromanaged and undervalued. No way to shine in a way that I knew I could.
After repeated disappointment with employers, I was just… done. I’m sure there are wonderful employers in the world. But I didn’t have the energy to keep looking. And even the best employers have seen layoffs this year.
But I knew that I could be successful on my own. I’m confident in my skills and expertise. I’ve been freelancing for a few years on the side and knew that I could scale up to full-time without a lot of logistical headaches.
I can create the working conditions that make me happy. Pursue work that I want to do.
A niche is valuable.
There are a lot of writers in the world. I had to ask myself: what sets me apart? What writing do I like? What’s easy for me? What’s hard for me?
Turns out, the work I enjoy the most and are easiest to do are closely related: they’re well within my areas of expertise (fintech, product-led content, tools + automation).
When I was a child, I wanted to be a writer. I went into banking instead, then banking technology. Then content marketing and journalism, as the result of my career pivot. Somehow, I’ve always emphasized to my children that they should follow their dreams, but I didn’t follow that advice myself.
But now I’ve come full circle. Not many writers have the experience I have with banking, product management, and content. I can position myself as a niche writer.
A connected network pays off.
I started using LinkedIn a 𝘭𝘰𝘯𝘨 time ago, connecting with bankers I met while working in fintech. I continued this habit when I embarked on a career in marketing.
When I changed careers in early 2021, I started posting on LinkedIn once a week — mostly as a way to stay connected to people from my “prior life.” That gradually increased to daily posting.
I was able to transition to self-employment fairly smoothly in part because of my network. I know a lot of people in the industry. I was intro’d by my connections. And people found me through LinkedIn, thanks to my presence here. I’ve had to do little outreach; almost all of the interest in my work has been inbound.
Anna Burgess Yang
A community of support is the best.
Could I have made the leap on my own? Yes.
Does a support network make that leap even better? 💯
I’m not completely alone. Friends, fellow writers, random people I’ve met on the internet, my family… they’ve been cheering for me every step of the way. They want me to succeed.
And I always reciprocate that unwavering support for other people I know looking to make career transitions.
2023 is going to be great. I have plans and I’m so excited to see what comes next.
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