When I was younger I always said that I never wanted to be self-employed because I thought that means owning some kind of firm or shop in a certain location. The whole working online concept wasn’t really a thing back in the early 2000s.

So I thought having your own business means being bound to a certain location and that it also means a lot of risk, investment, responsibility working 24/7. In Germany we use the word „selbstständig“ for being self-employed which translates to „selfalways“. I remember my parents always telling me: you work for yourself, you work around the clock („selbst und ständig“)

But no one told me that working for yourself can also mean enjoying what you do, aligning your job with your values, not needing a vacation from your life, being time and location independen, choosing your colleagues and possibly making more money than with working for someone else.

For years being an employee had been all I knew but I realized that I might not be the best employee. Don’t get me wrong, I’m a good worker and always do what needs to be done. However, I feel a lot of my past bosses were a bit annoyed by the fact that I often made suggestions for improvements, wanted to do things my own way and just in general make a lot of decisions my way which you often can’t do as an employee.

Long story short: I grew up having completely wrong beliefs about self-employment which made me think it’s not for me but then realized over the years that this is actually SO my thing and started walking the path of self-employment.

How about you?

Are you self-employed?

Is that a goal you’re working on?
Maybe on the side of your regular job?

Or are you a happy employee?
Which is awesome, too, we’re all different.