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Not Pursuing my Dream would be the Failure

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It’s finally happened…I have taken the leap of faith and left my full-time job to focus 100% on my beloved jewellery. It is without a doubt one of the scariest decisions I have made, after having worked in the Digital and Adtech world for over 13 years with no break. Now, I have a beautiful calm studio space in the comfort of my own home, and I couldn’t be happier.

For some time, people have advised that I need to focus on Sally Lane Jewellery 100% in order to really make a success of it but there is no doubt that turning your back on a successful career, and the standard of living that it affords, is incredibly daunting.  When you are consumed in a world of commuting and work stress, it is easy to splash the cash without a second thought: ‘I deserve it because I work so hard’, I’d say to myself as I spent £60 on dinner for the second time that week. If I wanted something, I bought it; ‘Why do I work so hard if it isn’t to spend money?’, another common phrase I would reassure myself by. I realised that after so long being with money, I felt I couldn’t leave my job until the jewellery business was earning as much (which was likely to be never, when I was only working on it evenings and weekends) and so I had my Catch-22.

It took a complete burnout, and the thought of being stuck in New York for two years, without friends and family, in a role I was no longer enjoying, to make me take a step back and reassess what really brings me happiness. Yes, I enjoyed progressing in my career, and I wanted to ‘have it all’ and live in New York enjoying ‘that dream life’, but the reality was unfolding, and it was to be two years of further stress, taking me away from my true creative passion. ENOUGH. I quit and reversed all the planning that had been going into transporting my and my boyfriend’s life across the Atlantic (which is pretty awkward, let me tell you). Fortunately, my employer was very understanding and wished me well on my new venture…and so my new life started to form ahead of me.

They say: ‘fortune favours the brave’, and so far I couldn’t agree more. Opening myself up to my new life and discussing it with whoever I can has revealed a heart-warming number of people ready to help, advise and put me in touch with relevant people. New opportunities are forming and it is incredibly exciting.

What I do know is that, for me, it had to come to that breaking point. I was not ready before, and it is only with the new, fierce desire to have a different type of lifestyle, with creativity and not money at the heart of it, that I had the courage to overcome the anxiety that follows such a life-changing decision. Without realising it, my work had become a defining part of my confidence, and as such it was vital for me to break that down and understand how to rebuild that in my new working life. What was amazing to me, was that all of it was transferable, and best of all, it is now in addition to my main passion…jewellery. I have a stripped back life, with a considerably lower budget, but I get to spend my days dreaming up the next gorgeous jewellery pieces to adorn all the StrongYetFeminine ladies out there.  

Watch out for some new killer designs, and a lot more communication from me. I will be sharing stories from many women following their passion, corporate or independent, to inspire us all. I am so elated to be fully dedicated to the StrongYetFeminine ethos that I whole heartedly believe in.

It is so easy to fear failure and let that stop you giving 100%. Time to reframe what failure is; not pursuing my dream would be the saddest failure of all. Δ

strongyetfeminine

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