The intersection is the point of reckoning. The road you are traveling comes to an end and you have to decide which way forward. You can choose to turn around and go back or continue on, on the other roads. If you have a map, and can read it, it’s easier because the road is already picked for you. The challenge is when you get to that intersection and have no idea which way is which.
In my life, I have found myself at intersections a couple of different times and have always made a decision which way to go, whether it was which career path to take, when to quit a job, a relationship or even when to move houses, counties even. So while this was not a new phenomenon, the latest one took me by surprise. I thought I had it all figured out and I was going to be on this road a long, long time.
Intersection Ahead
Things took quite a turn mid last year, 2019. Everything I thought I knew about my career online changed. I looked back at the decade it had been since I started working online and I was overwhelmed with regret and disappointment. I am my own worst critic and have been known to be so hard on myself. I questioned the decisions I had made up to that point and started looking at different pathways I could have taken, when I chose this particular path, back in 2009.
In my contemplation, I started looking for ways to get back on top of the game. Do I take low-paying jobs to make do while I waited for another big break? What if that big break never comes? What if this was it and I had screwed things up? I had more questions than answer but the one thing I knew without a doubt was I could not live in the intersection forever. Something had to be done. Fast!
Enter Virginia
It was during this search that I bumped into an old colleague. One I had worked with more than 10 years ago, in my last formal job actually. I was strolling on the streets of Pinterest when I came across her content, which led me to her website. I stared at her website in amazement as I got to learn about her success as a blogger. She had made quite a name for herself. The feeling was like nothing I’ve felt in the past, reading up on someone’s success.
This was someone I knew! It was not some fantasy. I especially like a story that tells of success coming in after hard or smart work. It is more achievable than the get-rich-quick-schemes that are being sold out there. I had a light bulb moment. I knew I stumbled onto her site at that particular moment for a reason. For the first time in a long time, I felt encouraged. I had not tried everything. I could try this!
Is that light I see?
I reached out to her with my hearty congratulations. She was gracious enough to give me a few pointers. She may never know this but she literally got me out of the intersection. I knew which way to go. For that I will be eternally grateful to her. I read up on what I needed to do, to get started and hit the ground running. I did some brainstorming over the next couple of days. Within a week, I had bought and registered a domain name. I had written my first five articles, as advised on her site, and I was off to the races! Goodbye intersection!
I then researched for people who were already making it big in the blogging industry and started following them. I registered for their free courses and ate everything up. It was so exciting to learn about all the new stuff. Those bloggers, that I continue to follow to date are:
- Virginia Nakitari of Earn Smart Online Class
- Adam Enfroy
- Neil Patel
- Ryan Robinson
- Sean Ogle
Game Time, Game Face
It’s easy get overwhelmed by all the information that is available and I had to narrow down on who I followed so as to focus. After taking their free courses on how to get started, it was clear something was missing and I had to go back to the drawing board. Today, May 25th, one month since that deer-in-the-intersection moment, I am ready to go back out there and show the world what I’ve got.
I decided not to edit the post I wrote on that Friday morning when I was scared and confused. I don’t want to take away that vulnerability it was written in, and the lessons therein. My website is so aptly called The Intersection Cafe. I hope to be there to help someone else who may be in that point of indecisiveness. I want to be someone’s Virginia. With a cup of coffee in hand, no less. Below, is my story.
The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago.
The second best time is now.
~Chinese Proverb
One Month Ago
It is 1:47 AM on Friday, April 24th 2020. I will be up for a while longer. As I type this, the world is right in the middle of a pandemic. Covid19 is its name. As a result of this, many countries are either in quarantine, self or mandatory, or are in partial and even in some cases, total lockdown. I’m up for several reasons.
One, if I go to bed I’ll just sit and watch a movie or continue with some series I’m following. Two, I’m wracking my brains with thoughts on how to make money, quick! While most things have stood still, the bills have been very consistent with no chance of quitting in the horizon. In another 15 days, rent will be due. As will be water and electricity. The rate at which we are running through the food in the pantry is alarming. But babies have to eat and rent has to be paid. And so I’m here.
The burst bubble
Until recently, I had a steady flow of income. Even on the ‘slow’ months, I was able to pay my bills and have something to spare. But things took a downward turn mid last year and I had to learn new skills. The skill of downloading money-lending apps and borrowing from one to pay another has become a norm.
Having their due dates memorized to avoid hefty penalties is another skill I picked up on, lest I find myself listed on the Credit Reference Bureau (CRB) as a defaulter.
Business unusual
The email notifications alerting me of new job orders or the favorite ‘ding’ from PayPal alerting me that I had gotten paid have since died away. It’s like they lost my number. Initially, I thought this too shall pass, it’s just a dry spell, clients are still getting their work schedules in order, etc. The point at which I had to discontinue the services of two fulltime employees was a low moment for me.
So, it’s been a journey of trying to look for new clients online and realizing things are not like they were when I left. The competition and new systems and the hoops needed to jump through to get from point A to B are on a new level. I launched a website, gave it a catchy name, The Admin Whisperer and waited for the clients to come running. That didn’t happen. In fact, the first client that ever hired me as a virtual assistant to create an assessment form was not in my ‘database’ of clients but she was referred to me by one who was.
I realized I didn’t know how to get new clients. I had been so spoilt by my old clients I thought they would last forever! Shock on me! I opened social media platforms in my business name and just maintaining a presence online was a business in itself. Things were not moving. I needed to busy my hands with something. I already suffered from Shiny Object Syndrome, now there were no new objects in sight! I sent applications to various individuals and companies but wasn’t confident about the things I said I could offer or the pay I was asking for. I felt like a fraud. Damned if I bid too high and damned if I bid too low!
Way forward
Why am I here? I’m here because I have decided to take a different path. For a long time, over 10 years, transcription was all I did. In some cases, I feel like it’s the only thing I can do. I’m here because I need to prove myself wrong. I’m here because there are people who refer to me as the ‘strongest’ person they know. I’m here because I have two daughters who I need to prove to that it’s never too late to start something new.
It helps that my younger daughter thinks I’m 28. Yeah, 41 going on 28. But still. 28 to her is OLD and I need to show her that mommy has got this! I’m here because there must be someone else out there who is so afraid of trying something new because of the fear of failure.
I will document my journey so that one day, when I’m holding my glass of champagne in Bali, I will look back and say, darn girl, you did it!
EDIT: In just a week, there has been a major turnaround. I’ve had a client, who I last worked with when I was expecting my 8-year old daughter, reach out to me with enough work to cater for two months’ rent! Yeiiiii! I still decided to post this in the raw-ness I wrote it in because this is exactly why I’m beginning this new journey of blogging. I need to supplement my active income with passive income. And I don’t want to forget. It is the maiden post.
At the intersection where your gifts, talents, and abilities meet a human need; therein you will discover your purpose
~Aristotle
There you have it. May the journey begin! Welcome, to The Intersection Cafe!
