The Day I Got Fired, and How It Was A HUGE Blessing
A quick google search and you’ll discover a lot has been written about this very topic! Every story is different and I’m sharing mine with you. Getting fired is a difficult, emotional, and devastating experience to go through. That feeling of failure and uncertainty can be overwhelming, but you’ll discover as I share my experience, it can be the most exciting opportunity of your life! It was for me!
I wasn't always a photographer.
I used to do customer service. I have done customer service ever since I was old enough to work. I always thought that I would work my way up the ladder and build a customer service career. I would imagine myself walking around in pantsuits, in a corner office with a great view of the city, working in corporate, but it never got to that. Every time I tried to move up, there was an issue. I was always good enough to train the supervisor or train other people, but never good enough to BE the supervisor. Each time I tried to move up the ladder, I got a NO! They never could give me a really good reason why. I did hear (through the grapevine) multiple times that I was unapproachable, which I did not understand, because I was nice to everybody.
I was on a hamster wheel that would never end
It felt like I was on a hamster wheel that would never end and never had any real benefits. I was working for a paycheck, begging for time off to spend with family, and missing important events and milestones.
The day I got fired
My customer service job was at an alarm monitoring company -- I called people when their alarms went off to make sure everything was okay. You have to meet at stat (target) in a customer service position, and I was not meeting mine. I wasn't getting off the phone fast enough or getting through my calls fast enough. With seven years on me, I was fired with a quick phone call. They told me I didn't have to show up for my next shift and make an appointment to pick up my things. When I got off the phone, I wasn’t sure how to feel. I just knew that it didn't feel good.
At first, there was a slight sense of relief because I was tired of that job, but mixed in, there was a sense of fear because I didn't know my next step. I knew 100% I didn't want to go back into customer service. But I had no clue what I was going to do next. That meant no money, more problems. Yes, I could draw unemployment. So I did, but I only had a limited amount of time before my unemployment would run out. I had to figure out what I was going to do. I had never gotten fired before. This was a first time thing for me.
Swamped with anxiety, I was talking to a couple of my friends and they said, “why don't you start a photography business?” I laughed, I mean really laughed. They were joking right? I didn't know anything about photography, and I sure didn't know anything about starting a business!!! I didn’t go to college. I don’t have any education past my high school diploma. So I didn't feel like I was smart enough to start a business. Never mind the fact that I didn’t have a clue how to operate a camera. So initially I thought their idea was silly, but after that conversation, the idea kind of stuck with me.
I had a Canon 70D camera that I used to make YouTube videos for my channel. I only knew how to press the record button and record videos. I called up an old friend who knew how to properly use a camera to help me learn more about how it worked. I then proceeded to spend the entire month of May in 2015 taking photos for free, just to see if I could do it.
Boom! A blessing in disguise!
Take photographs, edit & touch up in Photoshop, then get the photos back out to the client. After May, I realized I really loved taking pictures, and I could do it independently. On June 4th, 2015, I got my business license and started my photography business!!! The rest is history. So the timeline here is - I got fired in April 2015, I learned to use a camera in May, 2015. And I started a photography business in June 2015.
What if I never had gotten fired?
I think about the day that I started my business a lot! I think how scared I was, how I felt like I didn't know what I was doing. Trying to navigate even how to start a business felt confusing. I had all these papers that I had to get from the State, the City and the County. Then there was a tax ID, bank account, and other important things. It was all new to me and I felt very naïve to say the least.
I made a huge jump, a huge leap of faith.
And I'm glad I made it because what if I didn't, what if I didn't take that leap of faith and start a business just to see what happens? I spent a lot of time thinking about what would have been if I didn't do that. I probably would have gotten another customer service job, I would have hated it. I wouldn't have been happy. I wouldn’t be fulfilled like I am now. I make my own rules: how much money I make, how much time I spend with my family, and how much time I spend in my studio. I decide when I work and when I don't. I decide what type of work I want to do. I decide how my day is going to go and what to wear. There's so much freedom, and I have so much gratitude for what I do now. I'm happy that I'm doing photography, but I'm even more pleased that I literally get to design the life that I want.
Starting a business allowed me to be my own boss. I say what goes and what happens. When my business makes money, it's because of me. It's because of all the hard work that I put in. When I secure a new client, it is because of the work that I put in to get them. When you reach that level, where everything you have is because of God and YOUR OWN hard work, it's truly a blessing. So I would have to say the day that I got fired was probably one of the best days of my life! It freed me and allowed me to explore my creative side and do what I actually wanted to do. And I'm thankful to that company for firing me.
