Blog Post One
I’ve had many challenging jobs over the years. I used to be the person to persevere through even the hardest challenges. For example, I worked as a street canvasser in NYC for a year in 2009. What is a street canvasser, you ask? Have you ever been stopped by someone on the sidewalk in a big city? Did this person ask you to hand over your credit card and commit to a monthly donation to some sort of charity? (Note: This was before the age of iPads. I was literally using a crayon to take a rubbing of their credit card.) I’m sure you can imagine it was the worst job ever. Street Canvassers stand on their feet all day long, try to talk to strangers, and hear the word “No” at least 100 times for every yes. The job was so challenging that only an estimated 50% of new hires made it past their first three days. Only 10% passed their third week. In the NYC office, only 1% made it past their first 3 months. Yet, I persevered to become the fourth top fundraiser in the country, despite my hatred of the job. I was a recent college graduate in the midst of the great recession. I didn’t have a lot of options. Despite all my determination and grit (or perhaps because of it), I’ve experienced depression and anxiety throughout my life. It’s become clear over the last few years as I’ve learned to manage it more effectively. When I look back on my younger years, I can now see all the signs and symptoms. 3 years ago (over the course of 2018), I was struggling with severe burnout and depression. One day in July, things got extremely stressful at work. I woke up at 3 AM with a severe panic attack that lasted for 3 hours. Afterward, I knew that I physically and emotionally could not go back to work. I found myself in a very challenging position. My identity was wrapped up in my career and being the feminist who could climb the corporate ladder. And, I had always been the person who “pushed through” challenges. Yet, my body was literally shutting down my ability to do something as simple as think about work or open my work computer. I now realize that because I didn’t consciously choose to get out of the bad situation, my body chose for me. While this experience was very challenging, it taught me some important lessons about putting myself first. A key financial concept known as F-You Money gave me the confidence to move forward in a way that prioritized my health and happiness. I’ve also had more recent realizations about F-You money. I originally thought that the sole purpose of F-You Money was to be able to get yourself out of a bad situation. After becoming an entrepreneur, I see that it can also allow you to take advantage of an opportunity. F-You Money provides the financial and emotional safety net needed.