Own Your Career

Chapter 8Taking Your Side Hustle to the Next Level

Leaving my corporate job to pursue entrepreneurship and focus on Break Your Budget full-time was the best decision I have ever made in my life, and I don't say that lightly. You already know that I struggled in corporate and my real passion was, and still is, my business.

Entrepreneurship has completely changed my perspective on work, life, and the synergies that exist between those two pillars of being. Truthfully, I am an entirely different person after two years of self-employment, and the corporate version of Michela that used to be a major part of my identity doesn't exist anymore.

I used to view my job as a core pillar of who I was. I equated so much of my worth with how other people perceived what I was doing. I wanted to sound important because it made me feel important. Unfortunately, it also made me feel incredibly unhappy, depressed, and hopeless about my future and how I'd ever truly feel both satisfied with my work and financially comfortable.

All that being said, building a business that is strong enough to support you on its own is a challenge, and my journey has not been a walk in the park. Here is an overview of the true timeline and sequence of events that took Break Your Budget from an idea to a full-fledged business.

The Evolution of Break Your Budget

July 2019: Created my first business Instagram handle, @BreakYourBudget. I began posting daily and sharing tips about budgeting and investing. I knew nothing ...