Freedom First

CHAPTER 13Buy back your time so you can buy back more time

Freedom Escape Velocity.

‘Well when you describe a job that way, now I’m really certain I want to quit my job for good,’ Melissa laughed.

‘I’ve done what you said, and collected the marketing that other photographers have sent the office and I’ve got my camera and lenses. But I’m itching to just get started.

‘The thing is, I’ll only have a couple of shoots a week at first, based on work I’ll probably get from this office. I know I should probably try to build my business part-time until I can replace my income, but I’m not sure how I could do that, even if I wanted to. Agents are going to want to book me during the week for starters, not just the weekend.

‘While I have my job I can’t really start taking bookings — I could try to book agents on a Saturday, but what if they want another day? You said that I’ve got to think of what the customer wants, not just what would suit me best, and I know agents. Those guys like to leave everything to the last minute and do it in a rush. Besides, weekends are a time they’ve got a lot else on their plate.’

Melissa was asking me to ‘give her permission’ to quit her job without any real ‘security’, so she could be free to really commit to her new business idea, and make it work. I’d spoken with Melissa over the previous few months as the GFC was unfolding. I’d shared my concerns about the downturn and the hard times that would follow the initial fireworks and headlines that were ...