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SarahGonzales
Level 5

What Milestone Moments Persuaded You to “Pivot” and Work for Yourself?

When you think back on your life, what milestones stand out as moments when you “pivoted” and deliberately chose to move in a new or unexpected direction? Maybe your pivot was inspired by something personal -- you got married, had a baby, moved to a new city, lost a loved one. Maybe your pivot was based on a professional experience -- you got (or, perhaps, didn’t get) a promotion, your beloved boss retired, you were laid off, the company you worked for relocated.

 

Whatever the milestone, we know people who work for themselves embraced the opportunity to reset a traditional career path and strike out alone. In fact, we’re constantly wowed by the “can-do” attitude of our inspiring QB Community members. That’s why we asked you to share what persuaded you to turn your passion, hobby or side gig into a full-time job. Turns out everyone has their own reason for making the pivot!

 

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Goodbye corporate world, hello startup

Plenty of folks consider stable, long-term, well-paying job with benefits and a steady routine the epitome of success. Others find themselves itching for “something more.” Sherrie Bainer decided it was time to scratch that itch when she left her long-term corporate career to join a fledgling business she’d fallen in love with. Now head of sales for GRACEDBYGRIT, the women’s athletic-apparel company she so admired, Sherrie  explains she saw the “pivot” as an opportunity to be part of something bigger.

 

“The GRACEDBYGRIT co-founders, Kimberly Caccavo and Kate Nowlan, were inspired to make athletic clothing with an element of safety after a local woman named Chelsea King was killed while on a run. Every piece of apparel we sell comes with a safety whistle, and every pair of pants has a cell phone pocket in the front and the back.” The name of the company, says Sherrie, comes from the idea that we all go through “gritty” moments, and those hard times give us an opportunity to persist with grace.

 

Lee Weinstein, who is now head of his own firm, Weinstein PR, made his pivot thanks to a passionate conviction he needed to do something different with his life. “I’d been at Nike 15 years.I loved working there. I was literally shaving one morning, and I asked the guy in the mirror, do you want to be there 20 years? The guy in the mirror said, ‘Hell, no!’ I was surprised I felt that strongly. I didn’t know what I wanted to do if I left Nike, and that led me to a whole process of figuring it out.”

 

Moving for love … and then following your heart

Travis Troyer worked in accounting and IT for about ten years before he got tired of his great ideas getting lost in steering committees. So when he made a life change -- a move to San Francisco to be with his life partner -- he also made a career switch and started Basik Candle Co. “I took some classes at WorkShop SF, and during a candle-making workshop, the instructor shared her story about starting her own business. It inspired me. I spent about nine months in product development before releasing our Basik Candle Co. products to the world.”

 

Sadie Scheffer had a different kind of happily ever after. She moved to California for a guy and learned to bake gluten-free for him. They didn’t end up together, but Sadie did find love when she eventually opened her bread company Bread Srsly. “I found out I also had an intolerance for gluten, so I created a sourdough starter. I began selling it to my friends in order to make some money for recipe development. In the beginning, it was just a hobby while I worked at a coffee shop. But it kept growing, and I decided to launch a gluten-free bread company. In my first week I had 13 orders! People came to my house to pick up their loaves.”

 

Sometimes you just need more ... income

Ceramics artist Heather McCalla was teaching at a university, but she needed to supplement her income. “I thought starting my own business might be a good way to do that while still giving me the flexibility I needed to maintain my teaching schedule two days a week,” she says. That’s how Heather McCalla Studio began where she now creates not only ceramics, but also sculpture and other fine art pieces.

 

Hairstylist April Hall made her pivot when her cash flow was a little light. She’d moved to San Francisco and didn’t yet have a full roster of salon clients. With a little time on her hands to explore other career paths, she was introduced to metal-working by a friend. “I was completely blown away. I couldn’t believe metalwork was a ‘thing.’ I knew I wanted it to be a part of my life. I became obsessed! I watched videos, practiced my skills constantly and eventually got the hang of making jewelry.” April now sells her own line of baubles at April May Jewelry.

 

Birthing children -- and ideas

Erica Voges had a degree in fashion design and set out to sell her hand-sewn designs through her small business, Caustic Threads. But after having a baby, she found her current designs far too time-consuming to finish during naptime, so she knew that she needed a new product if she wanted to stay in business. “I purchased a screen-printing kit several years ago and taught myself how to use it,” she says. “When I started screen printing I didn't really have any expectations, but I'm thrilled that my business became successful enough to do it full-time.”

 

For Jennie Nigrosh, founder and CEO of The Green Garmento, an eco-friendly dry-cleaning bag business, her pivot happened as a result of not having kids. She explains: “I realized that there's something better in the world that I could be doing. I married later in life and we tried to have kids for quite a long time and it didn't work out. We were throwing a lot of money into that and I thought -- let's put our money into something that actually could grow. If it's not meant to be that we can procreate, maybe we can help at something and do something positive.” Ten years later, Jennie and her product are ridding the world of 300 millions pounds of plastic each year.

 

Figuring out what you don’t want

Artist Dan Schmitt originally intended to pursue a career in sports medicine, but it only took one semester of classes for him to realize that career wasn’t for him -- and that’s when he pivoted. “I decided that, from then on, I would just take classes that sounded interesting, and I ended up in a ceramics course,” he says. “After the first few lessons I was hooked, and I began spending all my free time in the studio. Within three weeks I switched my major to Art and have been focused on ceramics ever since!” He now runs his business as Dan Schmitt Pottery, making tableware and functional pottery.

 

Finally, our very own Shana Neiderman, QB Community Manager, says that she started booking freelance gigs fresh out of college. She thought, “Maybe I could do this full time” -- and the career of a media maven was born.

 

As a new college grad, I'd landed a temp employee position in my field. I started looking for other opportunities and found people willing to contract with me for work they needed. As things progressed, I realized I had full control of my contract work while I had little control over my fate as a temp employee,” Shana explains. “When a big contract opportunity came up, I asked myself, ‘Why not go all in?’” She did, and she’s never looked back.

 

Before you go

QB Community members, tell us about your pivot. What -- or who! -- helped you decide to work for yourself?

13 Comments 13
ShanaNiederman
Level 6

What Milestone Moments Persuaded You to “Pivot” and Work for Yourself?

A colleague of mine gave me the confidence I needed. So it wasn't so much a moment, as a meaningful person in my life.

Rustler
Level 15

What Milestone Moments Persuaded You to “Pivot” and Work for Yourself?

I have a low tolerance for stupid people, and since the Peter Principle is thriving in the business world - starting a business was the only option.

EmilyCowan
Level 7

What Milestone Moments Persuaded You to “Pivot” and Work for Yourself?


@Rustler wrote:

I have a low tolerance for stupid people, and since the Peter Principle is thriving in the business world - starting a business was the only option.


 

Oh, I imagine there's a story here @Rustler! Where did you work before you struck out on your own, and how was that a prime example of people "rising to the level of their incompetence"?

Sangeethmathew
Level 6

What Milestone Moments Persuaded You to “Pivot” and Work for Yourself?

Hi,

Makes a nice reading. I am still working. My scenario is more like the Dilbert Principal. But yes I am in the process of making my plans. Once I make my arrangements I will start on my own.

Rustler
Level 15

What Milestone Moments Persuaded You to “Pivot” and Work for Yourself?


@EmilyCowanwrote:

Oh, I imagine there's a story here @Rustler! Where did you work before you struck out on your own, and how was that a prime example of people "rising to the level of their incompetence"?


 

Really, you really need an example of people rising to the level of their incompetence?  

20 years in the military where you get promoted based on time in grade
Civil service, where it takes the second coming to fire someone once they lock in 3 years
School teachers who are, as we said in the military, retired on active duty, just biding their time, knowing they have to really mess up, publicly, to get suspended with pay, much less fired.
professors with tenure

Or the guy who worked for Raytheon computer programming department, the department head, I had no degree, no official training in programming, but after I retired I applied for a programmer job.  I did the little silly exercises for them in real time, and his response was sorry you are over qualified!  A friend knew him personally, and found out for me that the reason I was over qualified, having NO previous training or experience (I was self taught), was that I breezed through the tests and top of that, provided a more elegant solution to the programming problem they posed than had  been done in the past.  His words quoted to me by my friend, "If I hire Jim, he will have my job in 2-3 years - not going to happen."

Or the guys who worked in a defence contractor I was hired at.  My job was figuring out how captured enemy electronic equipment worked.  Little did I know that you were not really supposed to do that, or at least not in timely manner.  And heaven forbid that you managed to write it up too. 

Sangeethmathew
Level 6

What Milestone Moments Persuaded You to “Pivot” and Work for Yourself?

Hi  Rustler,

Very few organizations nurture talent. Allow it to grow. Bring out the best in you.  The few that do are the ones that thrive. The others just survive.

EmilyCowan
Level 7

What Milestone Moments Persuaded You to “Pivot” and Work for Yourself?


@Rustler wrote:

@EmilyCowanwrote:

Oh, I imagine there's a story here @Rustler! Where did you work before you struck out on your own, and how was that a prime example of people "rising to the level of their incompetence"?


Really, you really need an example of people rising to the level of their incompetence?  


 

LOL, @Rustler I have plenty of my own examples - I was interested in your examples. Thank you for your detailed answer :smileyhappy: It sounds like you were a tremendously bad fit for civil service and the defense industry - neither of which, I might point out, are known for an especially spry response to the changing labor landscape. Have you read Linchpin by Seth Godin? I think you might like it.

ShanaNiederman
Level 6

What Milestone Moments Persuaded You to “Pivot” and Work for Yourself?

@Rustler Those examples really show why you have absolutely no patience for stupidity!

Charles1
Level 2

What Milestone Moments Persuaded You to “Pivot” and Work for Yourself?

Five years ago, I hired into a manufacturing company as their Staff Accountant. I had my Associate degree, working towards my Bachalor degree and no experience. The company's single biggest concern was that I would finish my degree, gain 3-5 years experience, and move on to a higher paying job/position. I assured them I had no intentions of doing so and did not continue with my schooling after the current term finished. Four and a half years later, they were the ones that pulled the plug. Eliminated my position, outsourced the work, and told me "Thank you, we wish you the best".  My entire time with them, I constantly advised them to expand and diversify their customer base (87% sales to a single customer). I decided to take my own advice. No more relying on a single company for my livelihood .

LeslieBarber
Level 6

What Milestone Moments Persuaded You to “Pivot” and Work for Yourself?

I have always wanted to make an impact in the world. When I hit my 30s and everyone around me was having babies and complaining about this thing called the "horse pill", I knew I could do better for my pregnant friends. I wanted to make a difference and the right opportunity fell into my lap. And I listened to it. And knew in my gut it was time...

tamalita
Level 2

What Milestone Moments Persuaded You to “Pivot” and Work for Yourself?

I was at a university, got tenure and promotion. My entire life, it seemed, had been focused on that. Once I reached those goals, I realized it wasn't all that I thought it would be and left. I did work for myself for about 15 years, as a graphic and web designer. Life happened, as it always does, and I decided to re-enter the workforce. I am currently working as an administrative assistant and love the job. It includes bookkeeping and payroll. I really love these aspects of the job. I have been doing a ton of training (which I fortunately have the time and management support to do) on both administrative type things as well as accounting/bookkeeping type things. I think it was just today that a bulb went off ~ I can do these things once I retire from this full time job. I'm not in a hurry, but I do want to start getting ready for that.

EmilyCowan
Level 7

What Milestone Moments Persuaded You to “Pivot” and Work for Yourself?


@tamalita wrote:

I was at a university, got tenure and promotion. My entire life, it seemed, had been focused on that. Once I reached those goals, I realized it wasn't all that I thought it would be and left. I did work for myself for about 15 years, as a graphic and web designer. Life happened, as it always does, and I decided to re-enter the workforce. I am currently working as an administrative assistant and love the job. It includes bookkeeping and payroll. I really love these aspects of the job. I have been doing a ton of training (which I fortunately have the time and management support to do) on both administrative type things as well as accounting/bookkeeping type things. I think it was just today that a bulb went off ~ I can do these things once I retire from this full time job. I'm not in a hurry, but I do want to start getting ready for that.


 

@tamalita this is such a great perspective. So glad to have you contribute here in QB Community as you prepare for wherever life takes you! Do you have any thoughts on direction post-FT employment? Back to teaching? Graphic design? Something totally new?

tamalita
Level 2

What Milestone Moments Persuaded You to “Pivot” and Work for Yourself?

Good question. I'm actually thinking bookkeeping for small business, or payroll. Haven't quite got it ironed out, but leaning that way. 

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