There are moments in my life where even as early as Saturday night, I’ve been like, “ugh, there's only one day left in the weekend." Sound painfully familiar? Well, I'm here to tell you there's a better way: working for yourself.
Nearly ten years ago, I was a professional dancer/choreographer with a dream and a blog. Today, I produce stories and programs to help others live their dreams, too. The journey from there to here taught me that you don't have to choose between financial stability and work you love.
Why Working for Yourself Changes Everything
"I think there's a lot of people who are just tolerating their jobs or hate their work," I explained during my recent appearance on the Taking Back Monday podcast. "And they do it for a lot of different reasons. We've got responsibilities. You’ve got to take care of a family or caregiving for parents or loved ones."
But here's what most people don't realize: entrepreneurship isn't just about freedom—it's about taking control of your Mondays (and every other day) on your own terms.
Breaking Through the "Broke or Beyoncé" Myth
One of the biggest obstacles I see holding people back is the limited narrative around creative careers. As I pointed out in our conversation, "You tell someone that you want to have a creative career and the only thing they know is either you're trying to be famous or you're going to end up homeless. There's no real practical model of what it looks like to be creative and make a living doing that."
Let me be crystal clear. There are multiple paths to working for yourself successfully. My own journey from professional dancer to entrepreneur proves it's possible to pivot while staying true to your creative spirit.
Real Ways to Take Back Your Mondays
Drawing from my experience helping countless creatives build sustainable bodies of work, here are a few proven paths to working for yourself:
- Package Your Expertise: Instead of charging by the hour, create clear, compelling bundles that solve specific problems. As I learned with my own business, packaging your services isn't just about income. It's about ensuring your clients get real transformation.
- Land Corporate Contracts: Your diverse background is your secret weapon. The production skills I picked up in my dance career? I leveraged those to secure corporate contracts that ultimately helped me leave the 9-to-5 world for good.
- Build Community Revenue: Whether through memberships, teaching, or group programs, create spaces where your expertise provides ongoing value. As I shared in the podcast, "It's not something that I can tell you. It's a combination of really reflecting on yourself and your background, doing some of those assessments, and then putting the pieces together."
(Click here to discover 10+ game-changing ways to monetize your creative work.)
The Permission You've Been Waiting For
During the episode, I shared that for many people, it's about giving themselves permission to do the thing that they actually already know that they want to do. For some clients, I see them struggling with workplace trauma that's bruised their confidence.
Either way, here's the truth: you don't need to keep enduring Sunday night anxiety. You can build a thriving business doing work you love without sacrificing stability. So, consider this your permission slip.
Your Path to Monday Freedom
The journey to working for yourself isn't about following someone else's blueprint—it's about creating your own. The key is finding alignment with your strengths and values. Whether you're planning to exit your corporate role, newly transitioned, or just starting to make your side-hustle your main gig, there's a path forward that's right for you.
Wherever you are your journey to freedom and fulfillment, it's time to stop dreading Mondays and start creating them on your own terms.
Ready to take your Mondays back? Subscribe below to The Purpose Post for weekly stories to help you redefine success on your own terms, plus actionable resources to build your own path, too. You'll join a community of 1000+ creatives building businesses with purpose and leaving their mark on the world.
