I am often asked the question about what I do for a living. It seems like many tiny house people work from home or are creative types. People often assume that I make my money blogging on this site and while I do earn some money here it really isn't my bread and butter.
I don't make much money on this blog.
Since leaving my 15 year career as a temporary staffing recruiter, I work full time as a freelance writer.
Most of my clients are either marketing companies or small business owners. I provide online content for them to help increase their SEO and I also help promote this content on social media. My job is 100% location independent so I can do it from anywhere in the world.
However, just like tiny houses, employment is not a one-size-fits-all scenario. Working from home is not a requirement of tiny living but many people who want to simplify their lives feel that working from home is an essential part of their personal journey.
Last week I read this article which gave some great advice for how to develop a location independent career.
I thought I might give you a bit of an outline of how I was able to leave my full time job and pursue something I love.
Step 1: Pay off Debt
This meant I had to kick it into high gear for a while. While I never really hated my job I also never really felt fulfilled by it so some days were harder than others. But, I had a goal in mind and I just needed to get there.
Step 2: Adjust Living Situation
We were able to sell our 2700 square foot house in suburban Atlanta and we moved into an 800 square foot apartment closer to town. This reduced my expenses quite a bit and helped me be able to pay off my debts quicker. Rent was cheaper than our mortgage and the utility bills cost significantly less. During this time we continued to build the tiny house.
Step 3: Research Freelance Writing
Freelance writing wasn't something I had ever done before so I needed to learn how it all worked. Once my debt was paid I could concentrate on how to make it happen. I set up my own systems for billing and marketing. I spoke with other people who were already doing it. I began to write for a small client after work hours to get my feet wet and start to build a new resume.
Step 4: Quit
This was absolutely the scariest thing I have ever done. I left a job that was comfortable and that I had known for a long time to try something new. I had no safety net and very limited savings. I just knew that if I didn't do it then I may never do it at all. As soon as the tiny house was finished I gave my notice.
Since that time I have been dedicated to building my business. I have marketing plans in place, I follow multiple freelance writing job boards. I've even been working on my first eBook - slowly.
I can't tell you how to start your own work from home career any more than I can tell you what kind of tiny house you should build or where you should live. But just like the tiny house - if this is something you need to do then you can find a way to make it work for you.
What I can say with authority is that I love what I do. I never hated recruiting but I knew from the first day I ever did it that I wouldn't want to do it forever. In some ways I wish that I could have felt confident enough to take the leap sooner - but at the same time I don't think I would have been mature enough to handle it then. I am happy to get up every day and do this job and decisions like building and living in a tiny house made it possible.