Hi There,
Thank you for your time this morning.
I wanted to share something a bit more personal.
~7 months ago I became an independent SEO consultant; I was a part of the “Great Resignation”.
The decision to leave my company at the time was a unique one.
If you hadn’t known, I grew up in a family business – El Condor.
My parents started importing Ecuadorian and Peruvian products in 1995 and today we’re the largest major distributor of such goods in the Midwest.
Something I continue to be in awe of.
2020 was a blessing for the business but an eye-opener for me. I had seen the effort and opportunity to grow the business.
At this point, I had invested +9 years in SEO but I wanted to support them as they transitioned into retirement with more ease.
Here’s the tricky part: my dad calls El Condor his baby; I call SEO mine 😊
I couldn’t part ways with a career I cared for.
My parents and I came to an understanding.
Since November, I’ve divided my time between SEO and El Condor.
Independent consultancy gave me the liberty to pursue this route.
BUT, and this a major BUT…
It’s not without complexity.
Why am I sharing this?
Sharing my SEO career journey and aspects into my life is cathartic, to say the least.
We all come to crossroads, whether you’re in SEO or not, and there may be a need to re-evaluate the path forward.
My hope is to give you an understanding of my thought processes if you ever find yourself in a similar situation.
The reality of my career change
I had to be honest with myself.
My wife and I talked it through at length; she gave me candid feedback.
She is my biggest advocate but one that will also ground me in reality – always have someone in your corner who cares enough not to mince words.
After assessing…
I would essentially be wearing multiple hats across 2 businesses.
What’s more, I have a growing family; I wanted to be present for my wife and son.
Lastly, there are only so many hours in the day from which you can tap into.
Head-splitting 🤯
It was going to be a challenge.
How I prepared
“Help will always be given…to those who ask for it.” – J.K. Rowling, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows
I can’t stress enough in the power of reaching out to a network, friends, and individuals you admire.
SEO Peers
I reached out to friends in the digital space for advice.
I leaned on my network for raw honesty and advice on what to expect as an independent consultant – the good, bad, and ugly.
Several began to give me ideas around billing (30 day cycle), invoicing software (FreshBooks), processes for efficiency (automation and outsourcing), and contract write-ups (clauses to include) – all invaluable.
But they also mentioned the late hours and stressful days; it was not a means to scare me but to help prepare me for what’s ahead.
Grocer Peers
What’s more, I reached out to a COO of a regional Korean grocer, Joong Boo Market – a grocer I felt was relatable in the specialty food niche.
He warned it was going to be hard, citing “you can’t give 100% to 2 things”. Not exactly what I wanted to hear but candid feedback.
He recommended I focus on IDing current processes. From there, you can identify opportunities.
I’d have to be on the ground floor; how else would I know how the business operates?
Agency Opportunities
Lastly, I began to cultivate relationships with agencies that needed SEO contractors prior to my departure from my employer.
These were agencies / firms that had SEO departments but were being swamped with work.
I wanted to ensure I have work coming through as I grow my clientele base.
What better way to keep income flowing in than to work with a group that already has a clientele base.
All about the Benjamin’s…
I’d be naïve to say that the only thing anyone needs is the will to do it.
Money helps…a lot.
Strategic spending…helps even more.
Cutting Costs
Before changing my career, I diverted more income into savings as a cushion. Although I wish I had invested it instead.
I scaled back on unnecessary spending – the pandemic helped me stay in.
I revisited all my spending – subscriptions I didn’t use, expenses like coffee, anything and everything was on the chopping block.
By the time I had begun independent consulting I saved myself $1,200 / month. It was ludicrous how much I had spent on a monthly basis.
Cash Management
After filing for an LLC, I created and structured 5 business bank accounts.
It sounds excessive but they were meant to keep me from going insane.
Their purpose included
- Income
- Profit
- Compensation
- Taxes
- Expenses
I learned this from Mike Michalowicz’s “Profit First“. The goal was to pay yourself and divert cash to each need through a % allocation.
I’ve learned to appreciate the above.
Every business purchase needs to grow the business, in one way or another.
That is, no gold-plated keyword if it’s not growing the business 😊
Finding a Niche
I knew a crux of my income was going to come from SEO; it’s a lucrative field and in demand.
So I focused on 2 of my strongest areas – Website Migrations and Salesforce Commerce Cloud.
Doing so would allow me to charge a premium given my experience.
I would forgo multiple projects (priced at lower rates) for fewer projects (priced higher).
I’ve built out sections on my website that talk at length on each; creating topic clusters around both.
The goal was to be found in organic search for longer tail queries as well as create material for sales purposes, which would highlight my expertise.
The focus on the 2 areas has led me to decline work.
If a project strays too far from the above, it’s a project I have to carefully consider.
My priorities
I won’t bore you with how my day looks like.
Suffice to say, I’m very stringent with my time.
Almost to a fault.
Prior to leaving my job, I (literally) wrote down what I wanted to accomplish going forward. For myself, for my larger family, and for my growing family.
There are several nuances in each but in essence these are my priorities.
Nested within each are details around career, growth, experiences, and more.
It may sound cliché but as I take on a new project, dedicate time to a new area, or feel overwhelmed with the dynamic, I keep these priorities in mind and ask myself why I’m doing it and whether it aligns with my goals.
I learned this through Simon Sinek’s “Start with Why“.
Tactics can get lost in the day-to-day.
Keeping these priorities and goals in mind allow me to look at the bigger picture and give me the energy to keep moving forward.
Coping is must
I won’t sugar coat it, having my days split like this can be overwhelming.
I, like most, need to vent in some fashion or another.
There are a few ways I give back to myself.
- I stretch before before bed and target the areas the stress accumulate
- I prepare and drink chamomile tea before bed to calm my nerves
- I read before I fall asleep; a mixture of self-help / business books and fiction (the latter is much better at alleviating stress)
- I write in a journal, my thoughts, worries, and accomplishments (although I can do better with praising myself)
Above all else, I have to be forgiving and not too hard on myself when there’s 1 or 2 more things to do but I want to take a break.
I’m just 1 person.
Summary
My career(s) are still a work in progress and I can go at nauseam about the various new facets of my life but I want to end it with this…
I’m getting back in touch with my Ecuadorian roots (something I want to share with my son), I’m seeing my family regularly, I’m building amazing relationships with people across the globe.
Through this new dynamic, my decisions are filled with more intention.
From having dinner with my wife and son to sending out this newsletter; I appreciate each more than I would have prior to my career change.
That is to say, I’m enjoying my life.
