Now is the best time to launch your dream as a creative entrepreneur

Your financial health has a mighty influence on how you display or exercise your values.

- Me

I have dream to build a philanthropic movement that grows beyond my profession as a nurse.

This will require the ability to generate funds to accomplish goals like building educational programs for community hospitals, making sure that public health in poor countries becomes a household topic, and supporting other worthy causes (like volunteering as a racial justice facilitator to create safe spaces for people to talk about current events in our nation).

However, I hit a road block––I soon learned I can’t finance my dreams with just my bi-weekly wages. I am no longer a college student who receives grants from the government. I now have loans that must be paid no matter how pitiful the job market looks. I also have personal goals I want to accomplish, goals like traveling to many countries and eating lots of delicious food. These cost money and miles. And trust me, it will cost relationships as well.

Now, I don’t hate my job. My profession as a nurse isn’t just a bridge to living life out of the suitcase. It’s not because I want to leave my 11-to-7:30 to live the beach hopping lifestyle.

Rather, I want to be so dedicated to my career without getting crushed by financial woes.

So, I did the only thing that made sense: I turned my writing skills into for online entrepreneurs. Although I hung my copywriting boots in July, I can't help but acknowledge the fact that being an online entrepreneur has allowed me to exchange my skills for money. It’s also one of the only legitimate jobs where your earning potential is limitless as you scale your systems and processes.

Here are 5 reasons why you should consider launching a dream as an creative entrepreneur:

1) You don't have to work full-time if you don't want to

I love my job as a nurse and don’t think I could ever walk away from it. Yet.

But I read many depressing stories about nurses getting burned out by the profession. Or how many of them get injured before they could reap the benefits of being a nurse. There are also other stories about how families have been broken because one partner is a great employee but a lousy husband or wife.

See, life doesn’t have to be so hard. There is no need to for you pick up extra hours at work to pay for a concert ticket because revenue from your creative business can foot the bill. There will be no need for you to take time off work to avoid Mr. Iron, your toxic co-worker. Because you don’t work from Thursday to Sunday.

The interesting thing here is that you can redefine what it means to work full-time. And you can love it too because it doesn’t mean you must be tethered to one employer.

2) You have time to discover what matters most to you.

If you graduated from college and suddenly discovered that working 12-hour shifts sniffles the life out of your soul, and you’d rather spend your weeknights sampling red wine, all you need to do is redefine what matters to you.

If you're a current business owner who loves writing but poops at the idea of daily FB lives, you don't have to dance out of tune.

I get it, it’s challenging. So, how do you attempt to discover what matters to you when you’re busy trying to survive?

By purposefully creating extra time to work on discovering what your creative genius is. Yes, it might involve cutting back on your hours. But it’s worth it, and the beauty here is that you have the permission to pivot to do work that matters most to you.

3) You don't have to work overtime to support causes that matter to you.

About 4 years ago, I offered to sponsor a child. Then I graduated from college and found myself with no job offers.

I tried to hold on for a while but eventually had to choose between my survival and supporting my sponsored child. Unfortunately, I made the painful decision to stop the support.

Your financial health has a mighty influence on how you display or exercise your values. If you care about an honest but struggling cause and want to see it around for years, your tweet or shares can’t save it alone. It needs money. Ever wonder where these monies come from? They come from people like you and me, people who have transformed their lives enough to allow guiltless giving.

Giving without guilt. Yes, if you own your own business, you can set the value of your donations and touch lives worldwide without depleting your bank account.

4) You'll kick debt out of your life without sacrificing your ideal lifestyle.

Ever read stories about successful online business owners who enjoy 5-and 6-figure launches and post pictures of themselves sipping margaritas on the beach and get envious?

I don’t because they’re living a life that they have designed for themselves. No one tells them when to go to the beach and what time to be back. They might even bring their whole family along if they so desire.

My ideal lifestyle starts with me dressed in sweatpants and ends with me in my sweatpants (with occasional scrub outfits #nurselife). It involves me living the writer’s life with multiple trips to the cafe (I personally love coffee shops) and sitting beside a window while reading my favorite works of fiction.

Of course, I’ve got bills to pay and I bet you do too. I don’t know what your ideal lifestyle is but I’m sure it doesn’t involve working 50+ hours/week at a job that doesn’t cover your monthly expenses.

4) Your personal brand and networks grows beyond your company (or bedroom walls)

Think about how many people you’d meet if you attended just 2 conferences every year. The epic collaborations that could result if only you opened your world to invite brilliant, creative minds who provide solutions beyond what you could imagine at your day (or night) job.

As you begin to gain publicity for your skills, your business will grow and attract thought leaders who want to be a part of your network.

To recap:

• Having a creative business doesn't mean you should quit your day job.

• You get to define and design your creative business lifestyle.

• With a thriving creative business, you can support socially conscious causes and movements.

• Your network grows beyond your bedroom and company walls.

Next step:

I write about the intersection of creativity, passion, and profit. I also share my own process towards doing my other creative endeavors via email. Sign up to be notified when the next post drops!