That time I only made $45 in a week

I took the full-time freelancing plunge in April 2021. I had a few clients who were supposed to be steady, although I don’t write for a single one of them today.

The low point in my full-time freelancing journey was July 2021 when I made a total of $45. That was it. Barely enough to pay for a trip to Sonic. Somehow, in her wisdom, my wife never lost her faith in me.

But I sure did.

I’ll be honest: I did not believe in freelancing right then and there. I did not believe there was any continuity in it, I did not believe it had a future, and I did not even want to continue.

One night, I broke down to my wife and told her I hated what I was doing. I hated writing. I wanted to go back to the workforce. I even contemplated returning to my old job, 3-hour commute and all.

Talk about Stockholm syndrome.

Stuck in the system

The longer I’ve been away from and out of the traditional workforce, the more clearly I see what exactly it is and does.

The corporate job market will only give you just enough to keep you coming back. They will cram a metric ton of BS down your throat, overwork you, and leave you unfulfilled, and they’ll do it with a smile, knowing they can replace you yesterday. It is awful.

Despite all of this, even though I spent over 660 hours per year in my car (that’s 27 ½ days), I still couldn’t shake the idea of going back to it.

That’s how strong of a hold habit have on you, including bad ones.

I’ve got to break free.

Taking the plunge and resigning was the scariest thing I’ve ever done. I actually liked my job! But I hated spending a month out of every year in my car. I hated sleeping in my office because it was too late to safely drive home that night (it happened 10+ times a year).

So I took the plunge. I totally threw caution to the wind (we had no savings to speak of when I quit). And it has worked out beyond my wildest expectations.

But I had to wade through a long period of time (9+ months) where I felt like it was a mistake. I missed the structure of a job. It scared me most days. And here’s the deal: you probably will, too. But you can do it. Will you succeed? Maybe, maybe not. But life is Crapshoot anyway.

That $45 week is a benchmark in my mind of something that was; I don’t ever want to feel that hopeless again, so it keeps me moving, grinding, and hustling. I felt like I had made a mistake, but thanks to the love of a good woman, I made it through that slump and am on the other side.

And I wouldn’t trade where I’m at for anything.

So, if you are slumping, keep going, Chads. You don’t have to be the best. You have to be the most persistent. Keep emailing prospects. Keep building on Upwork. Keep doing whatever it is you do. Do NOT QUIT. Even when you have a $45 week, keep your head up, Champ.