This year, I turned thirty.
This year, I gave myself the best birthday present ever.
(no, not the wedding… though that’s AWESOME, of course)
I quit my job.
Yep.
I don’t talk about my job much here; it’s featured when it dictates things like my spending the foreseeable future in another city, but other than that, it doesn’t play in.
Many of you may not know that I’m an accountant – a CPA specializing in Taxation. I decided to study accounting when I was 17 and haven’t looked back. While I’ve always enjoyed the subject matter (yes, for real), my job was a bad fit.
That alone isn’t such a big deal – I’m certainly not the first person whose job wasn’t a great fit.
What’s bad is that I’ve know it was an imperfect fit for years. It took me more than two years to admit it to myself.
Admitting it meant change, and change is scary.
I mean, I have my Masters in this stuff. That is a considerable sunk cost if this isn’t what I’m supposed to do with my life. I felt like I was surrounded by successful people and I could barely get my footing. To be frank, I felt like a failure. There were many tears shed over this issue.
Many.
In the office and out.
I started to read about Quarter Life Crises and got into a debilitating “what am I doing with my life?” -type existential impasse.
And then, in January, I got the inspiration I needed.
I was at Alt Summit – specifically, at a roundtable run by Angie of Biggest Little called “How to Quit your Day Job” – and there was a lightening bolt.
Not a literal lightening bolt, but practically.
The other attendees at the roundtable looking to leave their nine-to-fives had a consistent concern: who would help them with the business end of freelancing? Who would help them file taxes and submit invoices?
Um, me.
Me me me.
This is clearly my calling. I’d found a way to merge business and blogging. I’d found a way to work with people like those I met at Alt Summit – people who inspire me. This idea fit. From the moment it came to me I’ve been excited out of my mind to put it into action.
With that, I announce SweeterCPA. I’m officially hanging my shingle.