So I quit my job. 

Surprise! 

I know there are lots of follow-up questions to a sentence like that, so I’ve put together a brief FAQ page. Side note: I should have written this WAY sooner and simply referred friends and family to it pre-holidays — but alas! Hindsight is 20/20. 

Here it goes:

Wow, you quit your job. 

Yes. 

Wait, actually, what was your job?

I’ve never actually announced it on the blog for a few reasons — namely because I wanted to remain anonymous and Charleston is kind of a small town. But now, I’ll say it cause why the heck not?

For the last (almost) five years, I’ve been a copywriter for a fully integrated ad agency. As a conceptual copywriter, I’ve written countless taglines, headlines, radio scripts, TV commercials, banner ads, those emails from brands that clutter your inbox, the newsletters you never read, etc. etc. etc. :) At this agency, I’ve worked on everything from branding/identity to website bios to drinking the beer in the kitchen. 

Free beer?! Why’d ya quit?

I’d maxed out on growth at this particular agency, and look forward to pursuing new opportunities. 

So like, are you just gonna cruise on your husband’s salary?

Yeah. Marry up. 

Really?

No. 

We could survive on his income. However, we still have an enormous amount of student loan debt, and I don’t think we’re in a spot for me to stop earning income just yet. Here’s what we do have: We have a large, fluffy cushion. I have an unbelievably supportive family. I have fallbacks. And then I have worst-case scenario fallbacks. I’m blessed to have such a thorough system of support around me — I know that many people don’t. That support, coupled with the diligent work and disciplined saving my husband and I have both accomplished over our adult lives, makes this scary jump possible. 

Do you have another job lined up?

Not in the traditional sense. 

Wow, that seems stupid. 

Sure does. 

Does the idea of not having consistent income terrify you?

Does that make you want to curl up in a ball and cry?

Yep. 

Are you quitting anyway?

Yep. 

Were you unhappy at your agency job?

Nope. 

So wait, why are you doing this again? 

The last (almost) five years have laid a critical foundation for my career. I learned so much, truly — I didn’t even know what a copywriter was before I started, much less how agency life worked. (Fun fact: I landed my internship interview through a friend of a friend who knew I was majoring in a relevant field in college, and literally GOOGLED “What is a copywriter” prior to interviewing. Ahh. Baby SC was so young. So cute. So naturally full of collagen. )

There comes a point when it’s time to move on. We have to evolve in order to grow, both personally and professionally. I’m ready for that. I’m ready for more money, more time, more flexibility, more growth potential. I’ve set aggressive money goals for 2020, and I can’t wait to report back to y’all a year from today, telling you how I crushed it. ;)

Do you still teach pure barre?

Yeah!

How are you going to make money?

My immediate goal is to diversify my income streams. 

#1 - Freelance Writing. 

I have worked hard to build meaningful relationships over the last five years as a writer, and I’m grateful for that now. I am fortunate that I can part from the agency on good enough terms that I will retain a few of my clients, and I also have a roster of agency/networking/local/freelance contacts that I feel comfortable reaching out to for work. 

#2 - Pure Barre

As I’ve written about before, I’m not going to get rich teaching Pure Barre. But boy, do I love it. I’ll teach four classes per week, probably take three to four each week, and also pick up a few subbed classes here and there. 

#3 - Ballet Classes

As I’ve harped on and on about, I spent an entire former life in the performing arts. Thankfully, even though I’ve hung up my pointe shoes for good, I can still tap into that skill set (* clears throat * TAP into that skill set * hold for laughter *) and teach. 

It took me awhile to get here emotionally, but now I can still get a taste of the art form I love so dearly without wrecking what’s left of my ankles. Win-win!

Call it fate, call it comical, call it the Lord working in mysterious ways, but literally the day after I quit my job I ran into a former student who now manages a theatre in town that needs a ballet teacher. I’m also meeting with a studio owner who happened to pop up right after I quit, too. Ha. And I’ll continue subbing at another local dance studio. It’s a small little dance world. 

#4 - Various Investments

Watch and learn, Warren Buffet! Just kidding. My investment accounts will chug along for awhile before I ever use that money, but one day I will very glad I planted those little seeds. They a’growin.

And of course, I’m already pursuing a wide array of additional money-making ideas. 

Ya girl isn’t afraid to hustle. 

(Ya girl is afraid of coyotes.)

Will you freelance write blog posts for other bloggers and brands? 

Yes!

But I want to be thoughtful with how I answer this, lest I get an inbox full of freebie requests. How can I put this delicately?

• At this time, I will not accept work in exchange for “exposure,” “link building” or “a tweet” — on any subject — unless it falls in a very rare, very niche category about which I would write about for fun … and/or you represent The New Yorker. Because if I write it for fun, I’ll be putting it up on my own blog or submitting it to publications in which I’ve always dreamt of seeing my byline appear. 

• I have done an obnoxious amount of market research, asking around, and snooping, and I have settled on my approximate project and hourly rates. Words are hard. And I believe I ask a fair price for mine. So please, don’t have your bot email me about a “Very Good Opportunity for https://missfunctionalmoney.com”

HOWEVER. All of that said…

If you’re looking for freelance copywriting, Facebook ad management, blog content or other form of word wrangling (speech writing! Wedding toasts! Instagram captions! I’ve done it all, and can do it for you!), please feel free to reach out. Who knows — we may be a match made in heaven. :) At that point, I’ll happily send work samples for you to review. 

I haven’t quite sorted out how MissFunctional Money intersects with my freelance writing name and website, but I’ll holler once I do.

Until then, email me for portfolio pieces and rates: sc (at) missfunctionalmoney (dot) com and I’ll get back to you promptly. 

As you can imagine, this transition has been pretty all-consuming for me.

I missed you! I can’t wait to hang out more regularly. While I (miraculously) have a pretty full January and February lined up, 2020 is still pretty vague and I can’t wait to figure out how this blog plays into it all. 

Through it all, I’m grateful to you.

Yes, you, reading this.

It’s so wild that I can put something out into the internet, and that someone else can read it — that two hearts can connect across miles, and that you and I can be friends even though we haven’t met. 

I’m grateful you’re here. And I hope you’ll stick around to see where this crazy jump leads me to next. 

Cheers to you. Cheers to change. Cheers to love. 

Happy New Year.