I quit and hired myself.
/On Dec. 31, 2018 — nervous, terrified, and unsure of how the future would unfold — I grabbed my things and walked out of Corporate America for the last time.
As scary as it was, it was also one the most liberating moments of my life.
I’d been praying for this day to come, hoping to land a great position with a top agency or a B.O.O. brand…so imagine my surprise when I heard “it's time,” after I was finally at peace and had relinquished any hope for an exit. But God gave made it clear that I was supposed to turn in my notice on Dec. 7…and when that directive came in October of 2018, I was R E A D Y!!
Or so I thought. Lol!
Dec. 7, arrived and I legit uttered “I’m good.” After all, I had a whole mortgage now, bills don’t care if you’re being obedient, and things had finally calmed down at work.
Well, for the next 7 days, I had absolutely no peace anywhere else.
Every message I saw or heard, every conversation I had, my cousin even popped into town (for the first time ever) and witnessed so much of it that he kept reaffirming what was already known: I have to leave my cushion. My safety net. My stability. My job.
It finally sunk in…”I have to leave my job.”
So on Dec. 14, I walked in and turned in the 2-weeks notice that I typed in October.
I hit send on that email like a boss, but the truth is my palms were sweaty, knees were weak, arms were heavy. On the surface I looked calm and ready to drop bombs, but…y’all get it.
The email was met with more shock than I could explain because no one saw it coming. I couldn’t even tell my work husband in advance because I knew as happy as he would be for me, it would be hard to think of our dynamic duo becoming a solo act.
And my parents. Whoa! I wasn’t telling them anytime soon (and I didn’t).
So Dec. 31st, came and I left.
I took all of January off to just enjoy life without an alarm clock, rigid scheduling, or countless emails and reports to create + send.
I traveled, slept in, spent time with loved ones, and asked God to show me how He was going to make it all make sense.
Then Feb. 1, I began my walk as a full-time entrepreneur and when I tell you, I am so grateful and amazed at how God moved (and continues to move) — it’s the greatest understatement of all time.
Clients have come and gone; while others have doubled, even tripled, their services.
Contracts came in at the perfect time.
Others left right on time to make way for larger ones.
Not one bill was missed.
I was still able to travel (thanks to divine connections).
And the craziest part was, I didn’t have to stress or strain for it to happen.
God made a way, over and over again.
When things got tight I would literally say “welp! You told me to leave the job, so I can’t wait to see how You do it,” because deep down I knew…it was out of my hands. I was told to be obedient and obedient I was.
Thinking back on my business ventures before now, on my first true social media clients, and even the work ethic and weekly cadence that I mastered during my time in Corporate — I was being groomed for this leg of the journey long before 2018.
So when that divine directive was given in October, to leave in December, it was met with what Pastor Mike Todd calls #CrazyFaith. And that leap has become the back story to one of the biggest blessings of my life-time, to date.
Today, I celebrate my official one year anniversary as a full-time entrepreneur…the day I hired myself.
With a steady flow of phenomenal clients, a dope intern who is making me prouder with each passing day, and a heart of gratitude for how God used my gifts to make room for me, like never before, all I can say is “thank You, Lord!” I never knew exactly how it would all turn out, but believe me when I say I couldn’t have mapped it this well if I tried.
Oh and that cousin, I mentioned. You know, the one who witnessed the signs and confirmed that it was time to go? Well, he just took a leap of his own by moving to LA and is now in training for his dream job — to join the LAPD!
With that being said, I don’t know who needs to hear this but take the leap.
It may not be to quit our job or move across the country, but whatever it is that God is telling you to do, trust Him and do it.
I promise it’s going to work out better than you could’ve ever planned it!
Ask me how I know. ;)
XO,
Ces