this month i celebrate one year of quitting my comfy day job & entering the world of full time self-employment. 

deep breaths, y’all. it’s been a journey. 

today i want to shed some light on self-employment & the big lessons i’ve learned in just one short year. grab a cup of coffee & join me for some deep talk.

1. DO SCARY THINGS: many have asked how i took that big giant leap from day job to all-day-every-day job & i’m not quite sure that’s the right question. taking the leap was fun; taking the next step remains the scary part. 

it just felt right to jump into the self-employment world. my business was becoming too much for the late night hours & i knew i needed to fully commit. once the newness of the move wore off, that’s when the scary part took hold. 

“will people continue with me on this journey?” 

“how do i keep growing, keep changing, keep creating?” 

and if we’re all being honest…“how do i pay the bills?”

in those real moments, we quickly learn that’s the scary part. 

the good news is we’re equipped with our people & we’re the expert at our own businesses.

2. BE YOU, NOT SOMEBODY ELSE: you’re the expert at you, stick with that. sure, experimenting & trying new things is good, but always check back with you, not the copy of somebody else. 

3. MAKE THE MOVE WHEN YOU ARE MAKING MONEY: my business is so much more than the modest income i make at the end of the year, but like most people, i carry financial responsibilities. one of my top pieces of advice is to only move when you are making money. i’ve found that so many people believe that once they’re in it full-time, that’s when they’ll finally be able to support themselves. sure, more hours often means more money, but those late night hours before taking the jump into self-employment are really important. set a financial goal each month & once you’ve reached that goal consistently, put in your notice & join the world of self-employment. trust me, you’ll be much more equipped to succeed.

4. BE YOUR OWN CHEERLEADER: i cannot stress enough the importance of being your own cheerleader. doubt is normal, but doubt should never linger. never be afraid to share what you do, who you are & why you matter. so often i hear people talk about their fear of being too “sales-y” on their social media platforms. friends, this is your job. use the tools you’ve got! we’ll all be on the sidelines cheering with you. 

5. YOU ARE WORTH IT: the first month i joined the world of self-employment, a huge company reached out to me with an amazing offer. the thing was, they didn’t have a budget to pay me for my work. i thanked them for the opportunity but declined their offer. friends, you are worth it. just like any other job, you deserve a paycheck. take your work seriously & others will take you seriously. just a heads up – a couple of months later, the same company approached me again but with a budget.

6. SAY NO: does this new opportunity make your heart beat faster? do you feel passionate about this offer & are you ready to get to work? if not, say no. too often i have said yes to things because saying no felt too hard & i have immediately regretted it. saying no means you’ve got more time for those amazing opportunities that really excite you! be choosy, there are only so many hours in the day.

7. ASK FOR HELP: you can’t do it all so ask for help. in the beginning, i hand-cut, sewed, packaged & shipped every single product i sold in my online shop. i could only maintain that level of crazy for so long before i felt burnt-out & exhausted. i now pay contract seamstresses & assistants to help me & it’s been a total game changer. what i miss in extra income, i make up in fully living. 

8. MISTAKES ARE OK: friends, you will mess up & that’s ok. you won’t always get it right, you won’t always sell out & you won’t always do your best. in all honesty, this was a hard one for me to learn, but learning to protect my self-confidence against my business confidence was key. friends, don’t let those business mistakes become part of your own personal mistakes. mistakes are ok & you are more than ok.

my self-employed friends, what are your top lessons learned? please share!

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just as a reminder, my etsy shop opens tomorrow (thursday, 7/23) at 8 am cst! photos above are sneak peeks of what will be available for purchase, including our new kiddo bow bands! i can’t wait to see you there! 

love,

natalie

i got this simple dress from old navy & i wear it every week. i love pairing it with my tan saltwater sandals or my turquoise sandals (as shown) for a pop of color.  

the beaded statement bracelet from noonday collection is also a staple in my wardrobe. it matches everything, it’s easy to wear & noonday holds a dear place in my heart.

i also recently discovered a deep love for better life bags. just like noonday collection, better life bags gives back. they equip women struggling from various employment barriers with a career at better life bags sewing each unique piece. it’s absolutely amazing & every bag is so well made. i just want to hug these women! 

i have also found my way back to my first true love, the stud earring. don’t get me wrong, sisters. i love a good pair of big earrings. but truly, the stud earring is so versatile. 

i just recently discovered kurandza & fell head over heels. kurandza is a purpose-driven fashion company that empowers women in mozambique through education and employment opportunities. i love wearing their stud earrings with a simple chambray dress or a pair of jeans & a tee! plus, they’re only $20! win, win!

the friendly folks at kurandza want to love on natalie creates readers with a generous discount of 20% all week long in their shop. simply enter “nataliecreates” at checkout for the discount!

also, there’s a fun giveaway over at my instagram for a $50 kurandza shop credit! just head on over to @nataliecreates for the details, y’all! it’s simple & fun!

clearly, i am no fashion blogger (i have some serious respect for those out there that are!), but i do love feeling good in my clothing. my biggest hope is to inspire you to take a bit more time to cultivate a wardrobe that makes you feel great. 

for the love of summer style, what are some of your favorite accessories currently in rotation?

love,

natalie

1. preheat the oven to 500 F. in a medium sized bowl, combine the tomatoes, vinegar garlic, 3 tablespoons of olive oil & a generous sprinkle of salt & pepper. mix well. transfer the mixture to a baking sheet, making sure to pour juices evenly on the tomatoes. bake for about 30 minutes until the tomatoes are lightly charred on the edges.

2. in a large saucepan, heat the remaining olive oil & sauté the onions. add the basil & cook until the onions are soft. stir in the roasted tomatoes & add 3 cups of chicken broth. bring to a boil, lower the heat & allow to simmer for about ten minutes. 

3. once the flavors are nicely combined, using your immersion blender or food processor, blend the soup to your liking. sprinkle salt & pepper to taste & serve. we added a handful of parmesan cheese to ours, which was nice.