September 23, 2013 By Amanda Abella

This post may contain affiliate links.

How to Manage a Full Time Job and Starting a Business

It’s time for some real talk: I’m all about side hustles. I think they are empowering, give us financial peace of mind, and allows us to create jobs we love. But there comes a time in some people’s lives when they want to turn that side hustle into a full-fledged business.

You see some income coming in here and there.

You’re starting to get clients.

You have big ideas of where you want this to go.

And for the first time it’s starting to look more like a business instead of a hobby.

All REALLY exciting stuff! There’s only one problem: you still have a regular full-time job that is most likely sucking a lot of energy from you.

Here’s how you deal with managing both a full-time job and building what you want to turn into a full-time business:

July 29, 2013 By Amanda Abella

This post may contain affiliate links.

How I Made the Financial Leap from Office Dweller to Blogging Bad Ass

Ever since announcing that I officially quit my job (yeah, that part-time thing didn’t last too long) to be a full-time blogger, speaker, and career coach I’ve gotten a ton of questions about how I actually did it. Not in terms of motivational mumbo jumbo, but in terms of money.

So here it is: the dollars and cents behind how I finally took the damn leap. Full disclosure, it’s not like I’m rolling in dough or anything, and that’s totally okay! Because my point is that you don’t need a ton of money to start creating the career and life you desire. Money is great and all, I love money, who doesn’t? But it’s not the end all be all of anything in this life. If you truly get that then decisions like taking the leap become a hell of a lot easier.

Cut Your Costs

I have incredibly low costs to run my business. I basically run the entire thing from my Macbook. I also have very low living costs. No car (therefore no insurance or gas), no debt, and minimal household expenses (since many of us in Miami live with family we mostly help out instead of having to pay the astronomical rent of living in this magical city).

The point is I was willing and able to make financial sacrifices so that I could make this thing happen. I cut spending, my beloved yoga classes were replaced by online classes while I found a sweet deal at a local MMA studio, I got rid of any subscriptions I didn’t use (bye bye Hulu Plus and Yoga Journal), I started learning how to cook, I have a shitty phone that covers basic needs, and I cut back on going out for a while.

This allowed me to a) realize I didn’t need so much stuff and b) cut my costs to the point where I could cover them just with whatever money I bring in on my own.

Do you always need to do this? No. Some people do just fine working their way up to their current living expenses without having to cut anything – however it might take them a hell of a lot longer. I found it easier to bring my expenses down, cover them, and then start expanding from there.

Ask for Help (And Possibly Even Pay for It)

If I had to pick my one biggest mistake throughout this entire process it would be this: I didn’t ask for help soon enough. I kept thinking I had to do everything on my own.

Once I did start asking for help, and in some cases even paying for it, things started coming together very quickly – from a business model to a complete rebranding.

I have a fierce business coach, a stellar VA, and I brought on Kelly Gurnett to help with the content of this site. I also have the best web designer in the world – she’s so awesome she’s currently in Kenya helping out with Girls Shift Africa. This team has allowed me to expand my business in ways I couldn’t even imagine!

I also asked for help in other ways – like referrals, emails, friends, family, fellow students at ICA – you name it! It’s like I’ve mentioned before, when you start showing up for yourself watch how others start showing up for you. And then let them!

It can be scary to ask for help, I know because I’m a control freak and I think that if anything is going to get done right I have to do it. We also meet resistance to paying for help when we really shouldn’t. If you need an extra push Carrie Smith breaks down how to outsource to help you build your business.

Learn How to Sock Away A Lot of Money

Although I worked for someone else for almost 3 years, it did give me the necessary time I needed to learn something very important: how to sock away a shit ton of money! As in, I managed to learn how to save half of whatever I made – from wherever the income came from.

If you are planning on leaping make sure you have a hefty savings as a back-up plan. There will be rocky roads, emergencies, who knows! The point is you need to have an emergency stash of cash just in case (note: this is still important even if you have a regular job!)

I haven’t had to use any of my savings to make this leap, but it’s nice to know the money is there should I ever need it.

Learn Some Financial Lifehacks

Traveling has become a part of my business. I just went to Portland for WDS and now I will be speaking at the Financial Blogger Conference in St. Louis. Here’s a little secret: I haven’t paid for any of the flights.

I started learning about airline miles a few of years ago when I read Chris Guillebeau’s ANOC. I also have a friend who knows the ins and outs of how to make airline miles work so I’ve been trying to learn everything I can. If I’m going to be traveling and already know I can handle money, I might as well make it work for me!

(P.S. A word of caution, don’t try this if you aren’t great at managing your money yet. You need to have good credit just to qualify and above all else you need to MAINTAIN good credit. If you need some help in this department Extra Pack of Peanuts has a nifty guide for that!)

(P.S.S. I’m trying my best to get my friend to write about travel hacking for you guys! Hang tight!)

Travel rewards programs aren’t the only financial life hacks out there. You can also try online banking to avoid ridiculous fees, learn about what benefits come with your cards, learn about what to look out for on your bills, where you’ll find quality goods for awesome prices, and much much more.

Ramit Sethi actually talks about a ton of ways you can make your money work for you in I Will Teach You to Be Rich. Lifehacker also always has a ton of great stuff to help you get the most bang for your buck!

So why do you want it so bad?

In reality I simply made one little shift so that I could do all of this. I changed my conversation around money. I realized it was something I didn’t have to be enslaved by, but rather it’s just energy. It’s not something that is meant to cause stress, but something that allows us to do stuff.

Above all I got really clear on what I wanted the money for and why I wanted to be my own boss so badly. For me it was all about freedom. If I wanted freedom within my career, why couldn’t I see money with more freedom as well? Why did the entire conversation have to be so rigid and scary? After all, there is nothing worse than being chained to a desk solely because of a paycheck.

So I simply decided not be chained.

July 11, 2013 By Amanda Abella

This post may contain affiliate links.

On Quitting My Job + World Domination Summit Part 2

Grab a cup of coffee guys, this is a long one…

I just flew back home from beautiful Portland all abuzz with what can only be described as a WDS hangover. For me it was a week of non-stop movement, meet-ups with incredible people doing big things in the world, epiphany inducing lectures and workshops, Bollywood dancing in the streets, and of course, copious amounts of Portland brewed beer.

I’ve been trying to write this post for a few days. Tried to start writing it at a coffee shop called Public Domain while my friend and I enjoyed what can only be described as Portland Weird. Tried to formulate coherent thoughts about WDS at breweries and distilleries to no avail. And then I tried again on the red-eye I took back home to South Florida only to succumb to major sleep deprivation.

The truth is that WDS is a very hard thing to put into words. It’s quite an experience to be in the same room as so many major thought leaders, entrepreneurs, friends you just met in person for the first time, and people who are all doing their part to make the world a better place.

I know that sounds totally cheesy, but it’s true, every single person I met was in their own way trying to make the world better. And you know what? It’s a constant high to be around people like that. It really lights a fire under your own ass and helps you realize that you’re all in it together.

For me, having just quit my own job to pursue my business full-time, it was exactly what I needed to affirm that I really am on to something. That I’m making the right decision for myself and my life. And above all, that there is a massive community of people out there willing to support each other along the way. I always knew this intellectually, but it’s a whole other thing to experience it on the massive scale WDS provides.

With that being said here are some of my personal takeaways from this incredible experience…

Surround Yourself With Your People

The idea of surrounding yourself with like-minded people is something I mentioned in Part 1 of this series, and it’s something I have to drive home again. When you are in the middle of a big project, a business, a dream, or a goal it’s like you adopt this new mindset a lot of people aren’t accustomed to – a mindset of possibility.

That’s why it’s paramount to keep that around you as much as possible while you pursue your endeavors and design your life the way you actually want it. Otherwise it’s very easy to fall into the doldrums of mediocre living and forget that you have more power than you think.

It was absolutely amazing to meet so many of the people that have become my friends along this journey. People that up until recently I’d only interacted with on Twitter, Skype, Google Hangouts, or through their blogs. And it was awesome to share this with my friend who lit a fire under my ass some time ago when he handed me Chris Guillebeau’s ANOC.

Nothing like talking big projects, world domination, life, dreams, and passions over brewskies (and in my case lots of gin).

Left to Right:Jasmine Patten, Carrie Smith, Annie Passanisi, Luz Donahue, Jose Regalado, Matt Cheuvront, Carrie Smith, Dave Ursillo, Paul Angone, Jenny Blake, Shannyn Allan, Matt Wilson

Other incredibly awesome people who I just met: Heidi Fuhrman, Ashley Josephine, Taylor Jacobson, Genevieve Santos, Thursday Bram, Erin McNaughton, Melissa Anzman, Kate Marolt, Caren Baginski, Jia Jiang, Phillip Taylor, Mark Powers, Brian Seth Perler , Jeffrey Trull & Elizabeth Seda

How can you not have a life changing time with so many awesome people in one place?

It’s Okay to Be Vulnerable & Negative Emotions Happen

I met Pamela Slim from Escape to Cubicle Nation. And upon meeting her I told her I’d just quit my job to finally pursue my own business. This woman, who had never met me and for all she knew I was some crazy blog fan girl, then proceeded to not only congratulate me, but give me the biggest hug ever! Made me feel a lot better about my decision that’s for sure.

Meeting Pamela Slim! Right after I told her I quit my job! Lol.

Danielle LaPorte also talked about vulnerability and negative emotions when it came to pursuing your passions and living the best life possible. One thing in particular really struck a chord with me. She was asked “How do you know when it’s time to take the leap from your regular job to your business?” (common theme at WDS) and she said “When you start resenting your regular job. Get that off your plate immediately because it will only get ugly from there.”

She also talked about guilt and how we’re never really going to get rid of it so just go with the flow. You feel guilty at your regular job for not pursuing what you love. And then you feel guilty for leaving your job because you feel like you are leaving people behind. Just flow with it, don’t let it totally constrict you.

Bingo! Needed to hear that. I can now die happy because I saw Danielle LaPorte rock the mic in person. And everything she said was as if it was tailored right for me.

Another genius talk was given by Tess Vigeland. In it she talked about the roller coaster involved in leaving her big time job to pursue what she felt in her heart was right. From extreme self-confidence to wondering what the hell we’re doing, we’ve all been there, and her definitely resonated with all 3,000 attendees.

And the amazing Gretchen Ruben from The Happiness Project gave a spectacular talk about different personality types, how truly knowing ourselves will help us make decisions that make us happy, and so much more! It was an interesting talk that can easily turn into a separate blog post (or five).

It’s Okay to Let Loose & Have a Good Time – We Deserve It!

This may have been a conference full of non-conformists, but it’s also a conference full of varying ranges of Type A’s. As such, many of us work really hard. Probably way harder than we should. This was the first trip I’d taken in 3 years that a) was longer than 3 days and b) didn’t involve a wedding.

It was awesome to see what the fruits of my labor have come to – quitting my job, doing something I absolutely love, working on my terms, and now actually giving myself permission to have a good time.

But here’s the thing – we really shouldn’t have to wait for permission to do what we love or have some fun. We have the opportunity to do this everyday. We just need to make the right decisions for us and commit to them.

With that being said, in case you are waiting for permission, here it is:

I grant thee permission to do something you love and have a hell of a good time doing it. Really. It’s okay. No one is going to get mad. You deserve it. Now go for it!

A Few Notes on The City of Portland (Oregon, not Maine)

My friend and I padded WDS with a couple of extra days so we could actually enjoy the city. Who am I kidding? It was so we could recover from jet lag and hangovers. I believe this is one of the signs Paul Angone mentions as having entered adulthood in his book 101 Secrets for Your Twenties. You know, needing extra time in between vacation and work. I will readily admit I’m getting old lol.

Lots of freakin’ local beer! And lots of coffee!
Very eco-friendly. Even the trash cans are organized by types of recyclables.
The strangest donuts ever. I’m talking bacon donuts.
4th of July Fireworks and annual Waterfront Blues Festival which were uber fun even with jet lag.
Powell’s: a four story book store that takes up an entire city block and requires a map to easily get around it. Lit major heaven if there ever was one.
Sometimes you can’t tell whether people are homeless or hipsters.
You can’t ship alcohol out of the state of Oregon, but apparently it’s okay if everything smells like weed. With that being said, I had to check a lot of booze on the plane.
Incredibly walk-able and very pretty.
I hung out with one of my fellow lit major college friends! So awesome to have hung out with my friend Rose after not having seen her since I graduated!
Bollywood dancing! Lots of it!

I’ll end this with a video of WDS’ers dancing in the streets of Portland…

Also, enjoy this Bollywood mash-up by DJ Prashant. Pretty much sums up what we were all jamming to.

July 8, 2013 By Amanda Abella

This post may contain affiliate links.

On Quitting My Job + World Domination Summit Part 1

I quit my job last week.

Right before getting on a plane to Portland, Oregon for Chris Guillebeau’s World Domination Summit. In fact I’m writing this from my hotel room right before heading out to some meetups before the start of the official kick-off event at the Oregon Zoo.

Rather appropriate, don’t you think?

Anyone who has been following my online adventures for a while knows that this has been a long time in the making. Three years ago, while in the pits of post-grad unemployment and a quarter life crisis, my friend handed me The Art of Non-Conformity. The book challenged a lot of my beliefs at the time and by the end of it I started to see life in a whole new way. That was the moment I realized that I was the creator of my own life, that I made decisions each and every day, and that my decisions greatly affected my quality of life. The seed to build my own business had officially been planted.

Now, after working my ass off, learning as much as I could on a constant basis, never quitting on my own business, and having to make some difficult decisions along the way I am proud to say that I have joined many of my friends and colleagues by officially jumping into entrepreneurship full time.

Lessons Learned Along the Way

1. Surround yourself with people who have what you want.

Unfortunately when you’ve got an unconventional dream that takes some serious gusto some of your old acquaintances will naturally start to fall away. And it’s not a bad thing! They just aren’t meant to be a part of this process in your life.

Instead if worrying about them surround yourself with people who have what you want and are doing what you want to be doing. Learn from them and have them around as a support system because it will make a difference in how and when you succeed.

Ive gotten to a point where most of my friends are either online entrepreneurs, have some cool projects going on, or are kicking some major ass in their careers. In fact, Ill be hanging out with many of them during the summit in Portland.

2. Risk is okay when you have one life to live.

We have one shot in this life. If doing what makes you feel fulfilled involves some risk then fucking go for it. Don’t sit on the side lines. It’s go time. Fortune favors the bold for a reason.

3. We are way more resilient, intelligent, resourceful, and able than we ever give ourselves credit for.

Whatever it is you’re scared of, you’ve got this! You have everything you need at your finger tips to make shit happen! Now you just need to practice trusting yourself. It takes time but once you make it a habit it gets way easier. Suddenly seemingly risky decisions don’t seem so difficult anymore.

4. Not everything is going to be rainbows and sparkles, but the tough times are few and far between.

We’re kind of programmed within society to think that everything sucks. In fact, on the plane ride over hear my friend mentioned a petition he read about where a psychologist was trying to get happiness seen as a psychotic disorder. The premise? Most people aren’t happy, so if you are you clearly are not normal.

I call bullshit. Everyone has their stuff, their baggage, their shit, but the true power lies in what you take away from it. Perception is key. Besides, there are plenty of incredible people who have made major positive impacts on the world despite the crappy hand they were dealt in life. No need to use a disorder as a cop out.

That’s all for now! Stay tuned next week as I dish out on a WDS recap + takeaways. I’m actually writing this before the conference starts so I can enjoy Portland. By the way, Portland is pretty fucking awesome. The constant supply of good coffee and local beer may be enough to make me want to stay.