The Secret To Working a Full-Time Corporate Job and Starting a Blog on the Side

Okay, okay, okay… I’ve been thinking about doing this post for quite some time now. It’s what I get asked about almost every week. Not necessarily for a full blog post, but to understand ‘how’ I can have a full-time job and a side hustle. I figured its finally time to let you in what a typical day looks like for me. Here we go!

SO – yes.  I do have a full, 40-hour, corporate sales support job.

I work in a highly technical, health sciences consulting division in a global technology company. I support all sales activities; including marketing, supporting proposal writing, creating legally binding contracts, and managing a team of 6 sales reps – two of which live in the US (other areas include Japan, Australia, and Austria).

Needless to say… I NEEDED a creative outlet. Anyone else in this boat?

Anyways. With this job, I am lucky to say that I have flexibility in the hours that I work. As long as I’m working the full 40 hours and am available for calls and am timely on my tasks, I can pretty much work when I want. I mean at some point in the world someone on my team is wake and working, right?

But what I will tell you is that this job’s flexibility simply gave me the confidence to start something new and is not the main reason I am finally making progress on my passion. I strongly believe that this isn’t rocket science. If you have a will, you’ll find a way.

I do not shoot every day of the work week, like some full-time bloggers (maybe one day!). I shoot usually two times during the week and have recently been bringing two looks each shoot; which cuts down on overall time. I am very selective with my time, especially during the week. I schedule out everything and have even set timers to keep me on track.

Here’s what a typical “shoot day” looks like during a week day:

6:00 am (5:30 am is ideal and a must if I have a lot going on at work): Workout

7:00 am: Shower and get ready for my shoot

7:45 am: Complete any timely tasks at work

8:30 am: Travel time – Yes, Atlanta’s traffic is REAL

9:00 am: Shoot

10:00 am: Travel Time

10:30 am: Finish out my 8 hours at work for the day

5:45 pm: End working for the day

I don’t usually track time after I end work for the day, but I try to get at least 1 hour in blogging, setting up my posts for the week, editing, engaging, etc. I am working on pushing this to 2 hours of blogging in the evening, but it is a balance as I also want to spend time with my husband and my Frenchie, Hobbs.

Important side note: I only step away from my corporate job for no more that 2 hours each day. It’s only fair. At this point in my life, my job is my livelihood. I have not and will never take advantage of my boss or the set up that I am able to enjoy. In my opinion, don’t sacrifice your livelihood to “make it.” It’s not worth it. Find the balance and work in that space until you have the luxury of other opportunities. (read: this may mean working late hours and on weekends).

Here are few short tips that I believe have helped me grow to this point (and can help you too!):

1. Do something creative every Saturday morning or, if you have time to spare, all weekend. But have a balance or you’ll go crazy.
2. Relationships are everything. Meet as many people as you can via social media and in real life.
3. Learn Photography and Composition. Best. Advice. I’ve. Ever. Taken. Seriously, learn photography and the composition of a photo. Oh, and editing basics. It will change the way your brand looks.
4. Consistency is key. Curate your brand and be consistent.

I hope peeking into what a typical weekday shoot for me helps you see how you can work the same process into your work week. Most companies are pretty relaxed with your work break (i.e. they aren’t timing you to the minute you leave and return). Even if they are, you just have to learn to plan and get creative while still honoring your commitment to your work. And if all else fails – Saturday mornings, before anyone starts making plans for the day, is the perfect time. In other words – FIND THE TIME. It’s worth it. Promise.

While I prefer to write mostly about fashion and upcoming trends, I do want to make sure I have a mix of lifestyle pieces on here. This is my first post stepping out of my fashion comfort zone, so please leave some feedback in the comments below or through any of my social channels. If you want to see more lifestyle posts or have any suggestions on what you’d like to hear more about, please let me know!

YOU DA BEST

xo

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