Breaking Up is Hard to Do

It’s always a joy to find an unexpected flamingo from an anonymous sender in your mailbox! Actually, there were two — a veritable mini flock, if you will. This ornament and an ice cube tray.

I can’t wait to make cocktails with flamingo ice!

Pretty sure I know who my not-so-secret Santa is in this case. Lack of a return address label notwithstanding, the USPS tracking # tells me my flock departed from Chandler, Arizona. There’s only one person I know who lives there.

Thank you, Wendy! Awesome gesture. I appreciate you.

I broke up with my freelance client over the weekend.

It wasn’t easy saying goodbye to this particular cash cow, who happens to be my former employer in Washington state. I owe a lot to these guys; not only did they give me my first professional writing gig when they hired me in December 2012 (and took a risk because I had no actual experience), but they gave me a freelance contract when I left for South Dakota in June 2018. It was a nice safety net that allowed us to leave the PNW without jobs, which — hello! — is scary AF. I kind of assumed it was just a polite gesture, and because the contract stipulated either of us could opt out at any time with 30 days’ notice, I figured it would last maybe six months tops. Instead, it turned into a lucrative, steady income source for two and a half years. One that allowed me to pay off my debt and buy a whole bunch of great stuff, including a new car.

You might recall I cut way back on the work at the beginning of this year because I was burned out and had zero free time, handing off 90% of my assignments to somebody else. A starving college student who needed the income more than I did, as it turns out. And while eight blogs and four newsletters a month is a hell of a lot better than the 80(ish) or so I was doing throughout 2019, there was still a lot of planning and prep work required, not to mention actually writing the damn things. The extra income was nice, but I no longer needed it. And when I landed this great new job at CenturyCo, I really no longer needed it. So I sent in my required notice informing them I was opting out of my contract on Thanksgiving day, turned in all my December assignments (early), and submitted one final invoice.

It’s bittersweet, and I got a lot of heartfelt messages from the people I worked with on these projects. Here’s a sampling:

  • I’ve really appreciated your work, timeliness, and communication.
  • I’ve loved working with you over the past several years. I have come to rely on you for job advertising content and have always appreciated the fun spin you put on difficult to sell areas and your quick turnaround time. I will miss you!
  • Pleasure working with you, keeping the newsletter queue fresh and relevant. 

They really are a good group of people and I’ll be forever thankful for the opportunities they gave me. Irregardless (yes, it’s a word now), I have no regrets. I have a very satisfying job and a pretty terrific wife. I’m at the point in my life where work/life balance is a very important thing. Probably the most important thing.

Still not sure if I’m writing every day this month…

(Just kidding! I’M NOT.)

18 thoughts on “Breaking Up is Hard to Do”

  2. Have I told you that a friend and I snap and send pics to each other of any flamingo paraphernalia we come across? It’s a whole thing. Long story.
    Nice that you had that sweet side gig, that you no longer need it, and that now someone who does need it can do it. Good stuff.

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      1. It started out as a joke because of a game night. I had to get people to say flamingo and could only give clues that started with the same letter. I was sure it was a lock when I said “Birthday bird.” Blank stares all around. I repeated it, louder and slower, like you do with a foreign person. Still nothing. This was over a year ago, but my friend still laughs about it with me. For her birthday, my daughter made her a paper flamingo (with a stand b/c she’s an amazing kid) for each year of her birth. She laughed quite hard. 🙂 So, yeah, since then, wherever we are, when there’s some kitschy flamingo something-or-other, we share it with each other. You’re actually BUYING the things. Livin’ the dream, man!

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  4. Good on you! I’m currently starting a book coaching business, but I swear whenever I read your posts I miss writing for corporate places and freelance. That’s my biggest gift. The writing. I’m hoping to find a balance of writing myself and helping others. Both can be good money and a lot of freedom. Much luck to you!

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