By Javacia Harris Bowser
Many avid bloggers dream of quitting their day jobs. In June of 2013, Courtney Mirenzi did just that. Mirenzi is the woman behind the feminist fashion blog Those Graces and has been named one of the 50 Most Fashionable People in Boston and one of The Boston Globe‘s Top Bloggers. Recently, Mirenzi shared with her readers that being a full-time blogger turned out not to be her dream job after all. Stunned by her honesty, I reached out to Mirenzi for a chat because I wanted to know more.
How did you decide to quit your 9-to-5 job last year?
It was something my husband and I talked about for six months before it actually happened. I was working in the tech industry and took the job mainly because at the time we were moving form South Carolina to Boston and I needed to make money to support my family. My husband was in graduate school when I started work at the company, and when he graduated, we both decided that I should make a go at working for myself.
My husband and I worked to build a three-month emergency fund before I quit my job. We compared our spendings from the previous year to see how much I would need to make in order for it to be a viable option. We settled on an amount that would basically allow us to break even every month, with the eventual goal of earning enough to save more and pay down debt. It took me about three months to get up to my goal earnings, but I’m finally there! Now I’m focused on gaining more clients and expanding my business.
I should mention that both of us are former full-time AmeriCorps volunteers and are used to living on a small budget. We track what we spend and earn very carefully, so we were both OK with me taking a huge pay cut to try my dream.
What are some of the misconceptions you had about being a full-time blogger?
I imagined the way I felt about myself and my work would change. I thought I would have this a-ha! feeling because I thought I would be doing exactly what I wanted to be doing. After a month of blogging, I realized I wanted to expand into freelancing because I missed things like, oh, interacting with people and getting out of the house. Though full-time blogging wasn’t how I imagined in my head, it’s still very much a part of long-term work strategy.
What are some of the biggest misconceptions you believe people other people have about being a full-time blogger or a full-time freelancer?
The biggest misconception about being a full-time blogger is that people assume that because I’m doing it full-time also means that I’m earning a lot of money. Just because I’m investing time, doesn’t mean I’m making money from it! Also, there’s a certain amount of false glamor that comes with full-time blogging. Truth is I’m at my desk, color coding my to do list and responding to comments.
As for being a full-time freelancer, I’ve found this is typically a term most people understand compared to being a full-time blogger. Less questions come with this title, to be honest. Introducing myself as a freelancer has also been very helpful because people immediately think, “Can I ask her to do something for me?” I’ve gotten a lot of gigs just from sharing that I work for myself!
What kind of freelance work do you do?
Since I’ve moved into the world of self-employment, I’ve been able to work with clients on projects that I’ve always been interested in. For example, I’m a copywriter for a domain registrar and a freelance photographer for a local non-profit. I also do social media management and consulting.
Overall are you happy with your decision?
That’s hard to say! I’m someone who thrives on inconsistency, adventure and change. I don’t think I’ve ever had a job where I didn’t think, “What’s next?” Overall I’m happy with what I’m doing now because I’m using skills for work that I used to regard as hobbies like writing, photography and social media.
What advice you would give to someone who wants to become a full time blogger and freelance writer?
Have a plan, but don’t be afraid when it falls apart. I pictured myself falling in love with full-time blogging. I obsessed about taking the leap for almost two years before I did it. I won’t lie, it was a bit disappointing when I realized it wasn’t the best fit for me. However, it helped me figure out what I do want to be doing, which is freelancing with blogging being apart of that.
You can follow Courtney Mirenzi on Twitter @mirenzish and be sure to read her blog at ThoseGraces.com.
Thank you so much for interviewing me for this piece! It gave me a great opportunity to reflect 🙂