3 Tips for Planning Your Escape

Today’s “3 Tips” post is an interview with Krystal of Krystal’s Kitsch. She lives in Florida where she enjoys sunshine, palm trees, and a good sangria…and blogging! She recently took the leap into freelancing full time and has some tips to share with Campfire Chic readers.

Krystal, tell readers a little about yourself and what you share on your site.

I’m Krystal, and I’m officially a full time blogger. It wasn’t always that way though. I worked in radio, marketing, public relations, and even retail while working on my Master’s degree in Instructional Technology. I thought that there had to be a way to blend blogging and education together, so that degree made the most sense. When I graduated, I wasn’t met with very many opportunities so I worked for a university. I did the typical 9-5 grind for way too long advising students, creating newsletters, and goofing off too much on Facebook. When I had to move unexpectedly when my husband got a new job, I sort of hit the “reset” button. I was in a new area with new people and opportunities. I didn’t find steady work, and I was left pooling my pennies together to make a living. It didn’t seem to be something that I could do forever. When I did finally find a professional job in my industry, I hated it. I felt bored, uninspired, and just plain uninterested. This wasn’t for me.

How you did you decide it was a good time to make your escape from your 9-5?

When blogging began filling up my weekends with money-making opportunities and I started writing more on the side, I knew it was time to make a change. I waited until I received a few high payments for my work, and I fled. I couldn’t have done it without REALLY working double duty for a few months. I needed that cushion of extra cash when it became time to take the big leap.

What 3 tips do you have for somebody who is planning her escape?

1. You might have to work 80 hours a week at first. I juggled a full time job, a full time blog, a family, and a toddler for many, many months. I can’t say that it was easy. I had to let certain things slide sometimes (dishes are optional) or come up with creative ways to publish a blog post while at work (I do not condone that!). But, hey, sometimes you have to do what you have to do.
2. Don’t take no for an answer. My husband didn’t think it would work if I left a stable job with benefits for the freelancing world. And, you know, it might not. But, at least I am trying. I have more work now than I know what to do with, and I am grateful for the opportunities.
3. Wait for the right moment. There were many days I wanted to quit hastily without a good excuse. I knew that wouldn’t work though. I still needed a paycheck. I put in long hours and did a lot of assignments in one big burst. When I received that payment, I knew I could do it. I took the leap and didn’t look back. Give yourself a date (mine was actually June 13th but I left two weeks before then!) and work toward that.

What are some online resources that you use everyday and think potential-escapees should be using, too?

Learn Photoshop* if you think it will be helpful. It has certainly elevated my photography which has helped me secure more writing and photography gigs. I have a plan where I pay by the month for a subscription to Photoshop, Lightroom, and Bridge. Also, TinyScan helps me with scanning in photos as PDFs (contracts, etc.), and Pocket helps me remember to read things later. I’m a big fan of Buffer, Dropbox, Workflowy, and Google Docs.

What tips do YOU have for cubicle-dwellers looking to escape?

*Photoshop Elements 12 is currently 40% off on Amazon. This is an affiliate link. If you make purchases through the links in this post, I may receive a small commission. To find out more about Krystal, you can find her on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest.

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