Alt title: How a brutally-frugal solopreneur was seduced by a 100-year-old building and took a risk on an extroverted pipe dream... It's a LONG STORY today with some new news at the end; buckle up...
I’ve been working from home for twenty years.
When I got pregnant, I left the typical office ad agency life where I had been a designer and marketing strategist. I had a photography side hustle that started to bring in more than my paycheck, so I took the leap and went for it.
For a decade, I was a fully committed wedding and family photographer. I’d pop out for shoots, then do all the editing, marketing and administration from home while raising my teeny, tiny babies.
Once everyone was in school, I needed my hours to match their school hours, so I looked to pivot my business toward a corporate audience. I dusted off my design and marketing background and began to freelance for agencies, when I got the opportunity to become the full-time creative director for The Virtual Savvy, an online course creator, Abbey Ashley.
The best part was that it was 100% remote and I could still do it from home.
The worst part was that 100% remote and I had no real reason to ever leave my home.
(I should probably mention that I am an extrovert. I really like people. )
At first it was exciting to a have a team on slack, a calendar full of meetings that would be taken on something called “zoom”? I had never zoomed before, but it involved people so I was IN.
I watched my mental health improve as I went from solopreneur to a collaborative “team member”.
For about a year, it was great. I had the flexibility to go get my kids if they were sick, but still have human contact.
Once the pandemic hit, it seemed overnight almost everyone else in the world went from office jobs to remote jobs using zoom, just like me. I even thought “this is great! I bet offices will start to close! Everyone will realize the genius of remote work! THIS IS THE WAY OF THE FUTURE!”
And the convenience! I could throw on a nice shirt for a meeting then go right back to jammies. I didn’t even have to put on a makeup, there was a filter for that!
Then somewhere around year two started to feel off.
“I feel like a zoom-zombie. I feel like a digital person. I long to be a three-dimensional person again.”
I eventually finished working there after five years back to being a solopreneur, but with a people- centered business, The Habit Lab.
But only one problem: it’s still all on zoom.
And I still long to be a three-dimensional person. In fact, I am fortunate enough to still have photoshoots a few times a month and I would notice as I left them I would feel a complete energy recharge. “WOW. REAL THREE-DIMENISONAL PEOPLE. We have had real three-dimensional problems to navigate! Like lighting, and humidity, and how we might get her in the river without me slipping in too, camera first!”
So the problem to solve was this:
How do I run digital business in a way that makes me feel like a three-dimensional person….and dear GOD! How do I get out of my home after working here for 20 years?
I could work from a coffeeshop, but not if I’m taking coaching calls. They are private. Best to just stay home.
Enter: the building. A 100-year-old, five-story piece of history that looks over our adorable town square with individual offices available to rent.
If ever I had a zoom-free day, I would go and work from our little downtown corner coffee shop. I would intentionally only go there when I knew I wanted to be distracted. “Light work” days. The reason: you will run into someone you know. It’s our own little sitcom coffee shop, our Central Perk . I’ve never not seen Jeff Houghton, my comedy-writing bestie and producer of our improv show and late-night talk show.
For five years, we would perform this exact scene:
Me: Did you just come from your cool, downtown office?”
Him: You say this every time.
Me: So you just work in an office alone overlooking downtown, and then if you need human interaction, you walk over and grab a coffee and have little, witty banter with the barista and then you go back to your office and focus.
Him: Yes. It’s perfect. Me: Can I have one?
Him: (Sighs) Yes. Anyone can have one. You just have to get one.
Me: Is it free?
Him: You ask this every time.
Me: K. I’ll take no action and ask you again next month.
Him: K Sounds good!
And I did. For five years.
But a month ago, I felt a shift. I was imagining the school year and picturing myself being in my home alone for another 9 months straight.
I got an email: “Hey, I need to take a headshot for my new employer and I heard you’re the best! Can I pop by your studio. I’m sure it won’t take more than 10 minutes.”
I replied that I don’t, but I’ll drive to our house and set up my equipment. I turned his foyer into a pop-up studio as I’ve done for twenty years.
A day later, I hear from an ongoing headshot client, after taking 200 of their 500 employees, “It’s too bad you don’t have a little studio we could send some of these remote people. It’s hard to coordinate everyone.”
An epiphany.
If I could take enough occasional headshots to cover the cost of the rent, would I let myself have an office away from home?
Jeff’s voice: “Anyone can have one. You just have to get one.”
Anyone can have one.
Except for each time, I’d add the additional sentence…
Except for me.
For me, it would be frivolous.
Extravagant. I couldn’t possibly justify it.
My home was free. This was not. Any money would be a waste of money.
My friends who work downtown absolutely should do that. I love that for them. But me? Ridiculous. Out of the question.
I happened to be reading a self-development book (LOL, because that’s what I do) when a paragraph seemed to leap off the page. It was humorous story about a guy who kept praying every Sunday “God please give me a Cadillac.” And the priest who finally said to him “You know God has made plenty of Cadillacs, you simply must convince yourself you’re allowed to have one.”
I laughed aout loud.
I don’t want a Cadillac. But what I do want is to leave my house. To be someone who gets dressed, drives to a cozy little space designed for optimal creativity and focus. Who may run into people because she is now visible and out and about in the community.
Who feels excited by tiny, mundane problems like “oh dear, the sky is gray, I may get caught in the rain as I park and walk to the door.”
I haven’t been caught in the rain in years.
I scheduled a tour, one of the spaces called to my soul. I did the math with my husband who had already said yes before he even knew the price.
“This is a good idea,” he said.
And today, September 1, my lease begins. 🥳
I have a physical office for a digital business.
It makes absolutely no sense except for that to my soul… it makes complete sense.
How we spend our days, is how we spend our lives... and for a creative entrepreneur, I'm afraid “soul-lighting up” is a job-requirement. (For better or worse)
So for at least the next year of my life, I will be spending my days downtown over looking the city, allowing inspiration to flow to me as I write my book, create my courses, and coach my clients.
I’m so freaking excited.
So my question for you today is: What would you “let” yourself do if you could could convince yourself you were allowed to? (hit reply and tell me!) xoxo- Katie Day
P.S. If you see me downtown, please say hi. I can’t even wait for our three-dimensional interaction.
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“If it scares you, it might be a good thing to try.”
— Seth Godin
A little skyline window-view tease of a dream come true. (And YOU KNOW I'll be updating you on the decor process!)
This past weekend, I took my three girls to a daytrip in Bentonville for an ART day. We did the "printing press" exhibit at The Momentary which leaves you with a GIGANTIC photobooth print. So much fun. We are all four bursting with inspiration from spending the entire day in art museums.
After hitting rock bottom, I've embarked on a radical journey. For one year, I'm taking a break from all cynicsm and trying out some crazy self-improvement experiments (so you don't have to.)