A week ago, I was laid off. It’s never easy to face that kind of news, but it wasn’t entirely unexpected. The writing was on the wall, and I had a feeling it was coming sooner rather than later. Everything has its season, and this was clearly mine.

At the end of 2023, I started building my own website with the intention of running my own business. A week before I got the news, I went ahead and filed for an LLC and got my EIN registered, just to cover my bases. It’s always a good idea to look out for yourself, after all.

Looking back over the last five years, I’ve come a long way. I started as an account manager and worked my way up through various roles, eventually becoming the Senior Director of Account Management. I wore a lot of hats during my time there and learned a great deal. I have no hard feelings; it was a valuable learning experience.

Before all this, I had already restarted my career once. I used to be a master electrician, but I decided to go back to school for marketing because I felt I had a knack for it. My degree is multifaceted, covering operations, marketing, and IT management. It wasn’t necessarily a passion, but it made sense at the time.

Over the past five years, I’ve had plenty of great experiences and my share of tough ones, too. All of it has been building toward this point. I know I have a lot to offer a company, but I also realize how competitive the job market is right now. Fortunately, when I put “open to work” on LinkedIn, I received a lot of freelance opportunities. Many people asked if I had an LLC, an EIN, and a business bank account, which I thankfully had prepared.

Part of my preparation was about creating a saleable asset. I’ve spent years building up domain and page authority on my websites, and that effort might pay off. Right now, my site, themorningdrive.co, has a domain authority of 20 and a page authority of 30. It’s not perfect, but it gets the job done, and Google recognizes the value in it.

I wasn’t moonlighting while employed; I wasn’t taking any clients or trying to poach any. I was simply preparing for the possibility that I might need to start fresh on my own. And now, with several meetings lined up, that preparation is paying off.

The point I’m trying to make is that if you’re a hard worker and passionate about what you do, don’t be afraid to take those next steps. One of my mentors often suggested I go into business for myself. At first, I thought they were picking on me, but I’ve come to understand they were encouraging me to create my own path. Things don’t always go the way you want, and if you want them to, you might need to build something yourself.

I’m grateful for the last five years, not just for the professional growth but for the personal growth as well. I’ve learned to be more empathetic, to listen before jumping to conclusions, and to give people the benefit of the doubt. I’ve also learned that sometimes, you need to step aside and let progress happen.

Earlier this year, I stepped down from my position because I didn’t want to stand in the way of progress. That decision, along with the steps I took to set up my LLC and other legal necessities, made it easier to move on when the layoff happened. I’ve been looking for a new job for the last 16 to 18 months, and I can tell you, the market is tough. But I knew that if I ever did lose my job, I could find contract work quickly, which is exactly what’s happening.

The moral of the story is this: If you’re content being a hard worker for a company, there’s nothing wrong with that. But if you’re more of a leader, someone with a high D on the DISC assessment, start thinking about building something for yourself. Both paths are valid, but if you want more control over your future, you might need to take action now.

Over the last few years, I’ve invested a lot of time in my blog, posting consistently and building my personal brand. This is something I’ve been preaching for a while now—work on your personal brand. Invest in yourself. Build something greater.

Not all of us are cut out to take orders, and there may come a time when you’ve learned enough that you don’t want to anymore. When that time comes, be ready to start giving them instead.

So, long story short, start building your brand, take care of yourself, and who knows? You might find yourself ready to make that leap too.