My First Month as a Full-Time Solopreneur — Here’s What I Learned

Earnings, fears, and big plans for the future

My creator journey started in March 2020 when I published my first article about Google ads.

I worked for a few days to create an in-depth marketing case study, which made me $7 eventually. You might say it’s nothing, and I agree!

However, that single article showed me new horizons and opportunities I didn’t know existed.

I thought 9–5 was the only way to make a good living. I was convinced I wanted to work in world-known companies and occupy important positions. After all, it’s about prestige and recognition.

I knew I was just a resource the companies wisely used to achieve their goals, and I was somewhat okay with it.

But things started to change.

I realized there are many things to learn and do besides the job. I wanted to learn cooking, care for my health, spend more time with my family, and travel worldwide. Everything required time, which I did not have.

So, instead of slowing down and enjoying weekends, I started working twice more.

I treated weekends as an opportunity to rethink my past and create a better future.

Despite fatigue, I was driven by the thought that one day I would be in control of my own life; I would decide when to work, where, and on which projects.

Don’t get me wrong; I did not have any issues with being an employee. I’ve diligently worked and helped many businesses establish their online presence.

However, I knew I could do more, spend less energy, and earn more.

It was a matter of time.

I’ve worked on my side hustles for two years to make a smooth shift to solopreneurship.

Finally, this time has come.

I have been a full-time content creator and solopreneur since July 2022.

I have mixed feelings from the first month. So, let me share some lessons that might be helpful for you too.

No one understands what I do for a living

Therefore, my friends call me jobless.

The conventional way of work is so deep inside our brains. That’s why alternatives don’t exist in peoples’ minds.

The majority do not think doing business is for them. It’s more secure to keep a full-time job. That’s what they call a real job.

I am busy from 8 am to 5 pm every day, working happily on my projects. But I am jobless for them. They expect me to be immediately available upon their request.

I had to set boundaries and limit interactions during my most productive hours. Otherwise, I’d fail.

Self-employment is about discipline, first of all!

Working less is a myth

Quitting 9–5 to work less is a myth.

My brain is in work mode every day. It does not mean I don’t have breaks and days off. It simply means my brain continuously searches for new ideas and solutions. This was not the case in the past.

My brain lived in two cycles when I was employed: 1) working by 5 pm five days a week, 2) chilling the rest of the time. That’s why I had to put twice more effort into working on my projects on the weekend.

I have a tight daily schedule that I successfully follow (at least for now) to manage my projects.

I made a four-figure income this month, which is close to what I earned at my previous job, but it can fluctuate in the future.

My income depends on my activity. That’s why working less might result in an income drop. This is my assumption, though.

I am telling you this to point out that solopreneurship is not about working four hours a week from the seaside. It’s far away from it.

It’s not for someone who cannot handle uncertainty.

You’ll have to work a lot from the beginning, earn less, and experience failures, forcing you to work even more.

It’s a reality. Jump on this journey when you are ready for it.

Your income reflects your value

Unlike most jobs, you are not paid for hours here.

This old method makes the absolute best employees and underperformers equal.

Many companies know this issue, but fixing it is not always the top priority.

Solopreneurship rewards results.

You earn money if you do something that helps you or others improve their personal or professional lives.

It has nothing to do with how many hours you work daily as long as you do your job.

That’s why improving skills leads to enhanced productivity and more work done in less time.

Your income will depend on your activity until you create a passive income generation machine.

If you don’t earn enough to support a living without a full-time job and don’t have a clear strategy to do it — don’t leave your job now!

Solopreneurhsip is like an investment — luring and risky.

The ultimate goal did not change — work smarter, not harder

There is no difference between solopreneurship and an office job if you are in the rat race.

I want to gradually switch attention from work and create more spare time without downgrading my living standards.

Time and energy are the only scarce resources we have. That’s why I want to use them while I can.

What does it mean?

It means prioritizing long-term gains over short-term wins.

In other words, it is investing some time into the projects that will generate income independently from me.

Such projects for me are digital products and my website.

My SEO writing ebook income doubles monthly.

I’ve already made almost $800 working 0 hours on its promotion.

I aim to work on the top of the sales funnel only and consistently make four-figure sales selling my digital products.

What about my website?

It grew from zero to 2,000 monthly visitors while I only worked on it for a few hours.

I already make three-figure revenue from my website per month from ebook sales, guest posts, and affiliates.

I aim to keep growing my website, start running ads and explore more monetization opportunities.

What about working as a contractor?

I work with clients and will continue doing it in the future. However, I am not planning to jump back into full-time work. It will be against my big dreams and values.

Furthermore, I am confident my little projects will keep growing, supporting my living and letting me prioritize my life over work.

In conclusion

I’ve never thought I’d become a solopreneur one day.

I was born in a family where hard work was the only way to support a living.

I believed working in jobs you don’t like was expected, and 9–5 was the only way to make money.

I was wrong.

It’s an outdated mindset.

Some people realize it sooner rather than later, while many prefer to complain their whole lives.

I’ve never wanted to devalue full-time jobs with my story. I just want to show there is another reality.

Download my free guide with 5 proven ways to make money writing that will let you work for yourself from home even if you have zero former experience.

You can get full access to every story on Medium for just $5/month by signing up through this link.

Your membership fee will directly support me and other writers on Medium to keep creating helpful content for you. :)