One year ago, I filed my LLC paperwork.

Two weeks later, I gave notice at my full time job.

Two weeks after that, I said goodbye to my old position.

At the time, all of this felt very anticlimactic and unceremonious. Filing for the LLC took approximately 5 minutes using an online form. Giving notice at work was just submitting a formal letter. And finishing my role, during a pandemic, was me dropping off my computer and company cards to an empty office in an empty building. With the sound of a click as the building door closed behind me, I was done.

There was no pomp and circumstance. There were no team celebrations.

There were also no clients.

You read that correctly. I now owned a business, and had no clients.

On paper, this probably sounds like a terrible decision. Business coaches will tell you that you should have at least half of your full time salary committed in contracts before giving notice. I did not have that. What I did have was years of connections and some money saved from consulting on nights and weekends. Most importantly, I had a dream.

Before I made my decision, I crunched the numbers and analyzed the situation every way from a logical perspective. I made spreadsheet upon spreadsheet with projections and expenses. I invented multiple “fake problems” to stall my plan: I needed a catchy company name, flashy branding, and a better website. I called everyone I knew and asked for advice.

That’s when I realized that logic was not going to work. I needed to make a decision on a soul level.

What I knew for sure, from every level of my being, was that this was my dream and this was my time. I could read every business book published, and it would not change the fact that I was feeling called to make a change, to honor myself, and to trust the universe.

The funny thing about trust is that things tend to work out when you are being true to yourself. Once I made my decision, people started reaching out. Previous clients called wanting to move existing contracts and start new partnerships. Colleagues began sending me referrals. Within a month, I suddenly had a full portfolio.

I could do this. I was doing this.

A year later, I continue to find that the same experiences to hold true. When I became worried in the Fall that contracts were ending, people started calling. Whenever I had a question or problem, colleagues have shared resources and supported me. I am humbled and filled with awe and gratitude about the generosity I have experienced from the universe, colleagues, and friends this past year.

Being a solopreneur takes a village. It requires grit, determination, trust, courage, flexibility, and grace.

Every day presents new challenges. I find myself questioning my direction and approach on a regular basis. I struggle to stay out of a comparison mindset. I fear that sometimes my desire for rest, reflection, and spaciousness is in conflict with my role of running a business. I wonder if I am doing “enough.”

I could make a list of all the things I didn’t do. I didn’t get my website re-designed, update my branding, or take celebratory one-year pictures. I didn’t publish many of the blogs I have drafted. I didn’t launch certain things. I wondered if I should celebrate my filing date versus my resignation day versus the first day I officially worked under my new business name (more fake problems). Who knows, maybe I’ll honor them all.

And then I remember: I am showing up. I am being. That is enough.

A year ago, I realized my dream of running my own consulting business. And right now, that alone deserves celebration. It doesn’t need fancy pictures or a list of lessons learned, achievements, or new initiatives. It simply requires recognition and celebration.

Happy 1-year anniversary! Thank you for being part of my journey.