5 Habits That Will Help You Leave Your 9-5 and Increase Your Income, According to a Former Nurse Who Did It Katelynn Blackburn was tired of working 12-hour shifts and paying a full-time babysitter to care for her daughter.
By Amanda Breen Edited by Jessica Thomas
Key Takeaways
- Nearly 50% of Americans have considered starting a business of their own.
- Blackburn left nursing for entrepreneurship after seeing an ad for financial services on social media.
- After several years of hard work and sacrifice, Blackburn says it was "well worth it," revealing the habits that helped along the way.
Sixty percent of Gen Z say traditional 9-to-5 jobs are "soul-sucking," according to a recent Credit Karma survey, so perhaps it's no surprise that nearly 50% of Americans have considered starting a business of their own.
Katelynn Blackburn, founder of life and health insurance brokerage Diligence Agencies, is one of the many who have left the corporate ladder to give entrepreneurship a shot.
Image Credit: Courtesy of Diligence Agencies. Katelynn Blackburn.
After graduating from college and pursuing a career as a nurse, Blackburn, a single mother at the time, was tired of working 12-hour shifts and paying a full-time babysitter to care for her then-2-year-old daughter.
So when she stumbled upon an ad for financial services on social media, she took a call to learn more about the business, then realized how different her life could be, she tells Entrepreneur. Why not me? Why can't I take the leap into entrepreneurship and be successful? Blackburn remembers thinking.
Armed with a strong belief in herself and the conviction that she "was made for more," Blackburn got to work developing her skills as a saleswoman and leader. One major challenge was the mental focus required to excel on her new path, she says. "Habits are one of the biggest reasons people will fail in entrepreneurship," Blackburn says.
Related: 28 Habits for Building a Successful Life in Business
"You must find ways to hold yourself accountable because you are no longer clocking in and out of work," Blackburn says. "You are actually on the clock 24/7 as an entrepreneur. There are sacrifices that have to be made, and you have to understand that to have the life you want, you must give up the life you have for a short period of time to grow."
Blackburn admits it was a struggle, but now, three years into her journey, she can say it's one "well worth it." To make it a little bit easier, Blackburn suggests you set aside enough money to cover one to two months of bills and honestly assess your will to work, make sacrifices and exercise grit, all habits that contribute to success, she says — along with believing in yourself.
"Believe in yourself relentlessly," Blackburn says. "If you never try, you'll never know how good it can get for you. Most of us worry too much about the bad things that could happen and don't focus enough on all the wins that come along the way. Commit to overcoming your fear of failure, and remember, you got this."
