The COVID lockdown helped me explore the possibilities of writing online and starting a business as a solopreneur. When I saw the opportunity, I decided to work independently.
The first days of writing online were tough because nobody knew I existed. I shared my blog posts on Facebook and LinkedIn, which helped me find a few readers. Back then, I wrote mostly about personal development.
Since I used to work in corporate finance, I learned a lot about investing and portfolio management. Therefore, I also wrote blog posts on these topics.
Writing about finance and investing helped me take a leap of faith in my online writing journey. People began reading and liking my stories. I received positive messages from readers about how my articles on the stock market and personal finance were helping them learn about the subjects.
How I capitalized my 9–5 job to grow my audience
Since my articles on the stock market were blowing up, I decided to compile them into an e-book. I allowed my readers to download the e-book and learn about investing for free in a single document.
Publishing an e-book helped me collect emails from my readers. I shared my e-book on social media and did some basic marketing. I got tons of downloads and web traffic. My blog became popular among the community of newbie investors.
As I continued blogging, I learned about writing guest posts for prominent websites and blogs. I wrote a blog post about money management and sent it to one of the top finance websites. A few days later, they agreed to publish it. I included a backlink to my e-book in the article.
The website had thousands of daily visitors, so my article exploded, and I received hundreds of downloads within a few hours. Twenty-four hours after they posted my blog, I already had over 500 downloads. I received emails and messages about my e-book.
Funnily, my friend sent me a message saying that one of his friends told him to read my e-book because it was helpful.
Your 9–5 can help you start your own business.
Many people want to quit their jobs to start their own businesses. However, most of them leave work primarily because they aren’t happy or satisfied. They fail to understand that their jobs can help them build a side hustle, which can later become full-time gigs.
Your 9–5 is your most prominent teacher. I had zero knowledge of Corporate Finance, but when I started working in a firm, I gained much insight into the industry. I didn’t like my job, but I was curious to learn how things worked. I asked questions and tried to learn as much as I could.
When I wrote online about finance, I knew what I was talking about because I worked in the same industry. People trusted my words because I had credibility.
You can do the same by building a side hustle related to your industry, whether you work in marketing, sales, finance, or tech.
People want to learn from experts. Working in a company educates you about the industry. You can build the skills and knowledge and capitalize on them to create something of your own.
I chose online blogging. If you don’t want to write online like I did, you can make videos on YouTube, educate people on TikTok/Instagram, or even start your own company.
A day job is not only for doing the work. Instead, it’s for learning and doing more.
Your 9–5 isn’t just a source of income. You shouldn’t just do what your boss tells you to do. There is so much you can learn and capitalize on.
I was keen to learn how an organization works to gain as much knowledge as possible. I knew I wouldn’t be working for someone else from the beginning. Therefore, I focused on learning and growing whenever I could in my office. I showed interest not just in my work but also in what my colleagues did, especially those from other departments.
When you gain so much knowledge and skills, you become an expert at what you do. You have the opportunity to use your expertise and teach others. You can also find something to do more with what you learn at your day job.
If you wish to do more, that’s the path you must choose. Otherwise, you can never get ahead if you only focus on doing the work and following orders. You will be stuck in the rat race.
I used my day job to create content and build an audience. Although I do not specifically write about finance now, I still have readers from back then who follow my work. They are part of my email list and receive weekly content from me. I’ve used the same strategy to build more audience and grow as a writer.
Your day job can indeed be a secret ingredient for your success.
