I lost the job I hated in 2019 and was thrilled. (Need the scoop on that? Click here.)

I had been dreaming and scheming for literal years about how to make a living without going to a regular job, and it was officially my time to shine.

I took the expertise I had — graphic design — and started taking on any and every freelance gig I could.

And when I say every, I mean every.

Branding for $100 because I need to figure out if I even have what it takes to work with clients? Sounds good.

A pack of custom social media templates for $25 just to get something for my portfolio? Let’s do it.

But I had to start somewhere, so I just started.

In February of 2020, I filed all my official paperwork to become an actual business.

I was wrapping up my final college semester at this time as well — and we all know what happened in March — so it was a busy and stressful but incredibly fun time.

I was filled with excitement about what would come next for me.

When I did my taxes in 2021, I realized I had made $50,000 in 2020.

WHAT?!

That’s more than what I made full-time in my retail job as a store manager. It hit me that I made more in my first year of business than I was making in the job I despised with every fiber of my being. I thought, “Holy shit! I’m actually doing this!”

I know what you’re thinking. “Marin, shouldn’t you have known what you were making throughout 2020? Why didn’t you know until the next year?”

Yeah, that was my bad. I was terrible at tracking money and doing bookkeeping. (Still kind of am, honestly.) But don’t be like me when it comes to your finances — check out my resources page to find my favorite tools to help.

One of the main reasons I wanted to work for myself was to have the ability to set my own schedule.

My energy and motivation comes in waves, rather than staying steady. I think that’s the cast for a lot of us — if not most of us! So having to follow a schedule set by someone else and work on creative projects outside of my own creative moments just wasn’t working for me.

So with the ability to set my own schedule came a whole new level of freedom. So my boyfriend and I took advantage of that and started van life.

We had such a great time, we want to do it again, but we have senior dogs now that need a bit more of a cushy lifestyle than the road can offer.

But knowing that my business allows us the freedom to pick up and go anytime brings me so much peace and joy.

In January of 2013, I had my highest income month of my business up to that point. I made $13,000 in that month alone, and almost couldn’t even believe it.

The problem? I took on a client that had more red flags than I could count on both hands.

I should have listened to my gut. Working with this client impacted my mental and physical health, causing me so much stress that I actually got sick. My confidence and business mindset was also deeply affected, and I didn’t resolve some of those issues until a couple years later.

That’s why one of the things I really like to help my clients and students with is setting up business boundaries that protect their peace.

In 2024, and after my confidence had taken a hit from my nightmare client, I had lost my way.

I didn’t have a clear vision anymore, and I felt stuck in a rut.

So I listened to the classic "the riches are in the niches” advice and niched my business down to a narrow audience.

The problem? I felt even more stuck and directionless than I had before.

This was my worst year in business, both in terms of my enjoyment and income.

I share this because I don’t want to give the idea that once you start your business life is all rainbows and butterflies. Sometimes it’s also feeling panicked about where your money is going to come from and letting a client run you ragged to the point of falling ill.

It’s all a learning process, and I still believe that starting a business is the best decision I ever made, and I wouldn’t change it for the world.

So I never really left my business, but I sure felt like I did. Without my confidence and ability to make decisions like the business owner I am, I felt more like I was a hobbyist who just happened to make some money.

But in 2025, I got my confidence back. I worked with a coach to address the mindset issues that had developed and spent some time thinking about the kind of business I really want to have.

So, what comes next? I don’t know. But I’m super excited to find out.