Last week, I shared the real numbers behind my first 3 months of business. If you haven’t seen that post, you can check it out here. This week, I’m sharing my lessons from Q1 and how they’re influencing what I do in Q2.

1. Predictable income brings peace of mind

I quit my job without anything lined up and for a few months, I made very little money. I would work onsite at weddings or dog sit my friends’ dogs. I knew this wouldn’t sustain me forever and while I had some opportunities in the pipeline, I wasn’t sure when those were going to come into fruition.

Luckily, I spotted a message in a Slack community: someone was looking for a Fractional PMM for 10–15 hours a week.

Even though I came from a Consulting background, I wasn’t super familiar with a retainer model, but it’s been a valuable source of predictable revenue. You agree on a set number of hours or a monthly scope, and get paid a consistent amount. For example: 10-15 hours a month = $6K/month.

It’s basically like a paycheck—but with more freedom. Since it's not full-time, you can explore other passions on the side, without your boss peeking over your shoulder.

2. Visibility creates opportunity

I had a whopping 0 clients when I left my job 😬.

Luckily, I shared the types of opportunities I was looking for on LinkedIn, and the algorithm delivered. The post got over 65K impressions, and one of the introductions was my first client, the co-founder of Camp Chateau, a women’s summer camp in the heart of Southern France.

Putting yourself out there is scary—but it works.

If you’re thinking about pivoting careers, try sharing specific roles, companies, or client profiles you're targeting. It makes it easier for your network to connect the dots and help. Vague posts are easy to scroll past, even when people want to help.

3. Burnout is still a thing: Rest is part of the work

They say, “Do what you love and you’ll never work a day in your life.” To that, I say… not me!

I found myself working weekends, evenings, and every spare minute. The hustle from my full-time job followed me into entrepreneurship.

The truth is—I’m OK working more as I build this. But I’ve learned the hard way: sleep, exercise, and eating healthy need to come first.

4. Start habit-building now

While things are very much experimental and new these first few months, it’s never too early to set up habits and systems to make things more efficient. Here are some of mine:

Weekly Habits:

• Add important tasks I need to complete to my calendar, block off time for working out, social activities, etc.

• Send my newsletter every Monday

• Post on LinkedIn 1-3x per week

• Double check my client hours for the week

Monthly Habits:

• Pull cross-platform analytics (e.g. LinkedIn, newsletter, etc) to gauge growth and engagement and put it in an Asana task

• Itemize my personal and business finances using Rocket Money then put everything in a spreadsheet

• Double check expenses and receipts using Kick to automate bookkeeping

5. Growth doesn’t happen alone

This quarter, I invested in:

• A session with a business coach

• A community-building workshop

• A NYC-based CPA for small businesses

• Countless networking and community-building events

It’s tempting to not spend money on yourself—especially when the ROI isn’t instant. But I’ve found investing in learning is never a waste and surrounding yourself with either experts or people who’ve been there before is powerful.

Applying my learnings to Q2

These first few months of working for myself have been full of lessons, and here’s what I’m taking with me into Q2:

1. Predictable income brings peace of mind: Have at least one client on retainer making at least $8K / month to help cover rent, expenses, and life 🙃 

2. Visibility creates opportunity: Re-post on LinkedIn about the types of opportunities I want (e.g. I’m no longer open to full-time W2 or contract roles)

3. Rest is part of the work: Have 1 day per week where I completely unplug from all work

4. Habits keep me grounded: I’ll keep showing up consistently with my weekly and monthly systems—especially content, time-blocking, and financial tracking.

5. Growth doesn’t happen alone: Possibly work with a business coach to help accelerate my learnings and growth.

💬 Your turn

What did you learn this Q1 and how are you applying these learnings for Q2? Reply back to this email or lmk in the comments ❤️ 

✨ Weekly Feels ✨

Last week was a pretty busy week for me! I drove to the Catskills on Sunday to get a few dead trees removed from the property and came back on Wednesday for a happy hour I organized with Her Workplace. This week, I’m headed to CA to spend time with family, and I’m excited to be back in the warmth! ☀️ 

🌟 Upcoming Events 🌟

• Tuesday, April 15 | Why generalists are built for portfolio careers | A talk by Anna Mackenzie and Generalist World 🌀 about common misconceptions of portfolio careers + Q&A.

• Wednesday, April 29 | Women in Innovation Dinner Series at Cafe China | A multi-course dinner to meet new women in innovation.

📖 Keep Reading

• What I earned and learned as a first-time solopreneur (Part 1)

• What if you didn’t have to choose one thing?

• At least I’m flying free

💼 Ways to Work With Me

• 1:1 Private Coaching: I’m offering free coaching strategy calls to those looking to build a more fulfilling life. Feel free to book some time with me!