Hi Friends! I thought I would do a little life update because I still get questions on whether or not I’m still working as a physical therapist, so I thought I’d address it here and chat about how it’s been transitioning to a full-time fashion blogger.

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Quitting My Career As A Physical Therapist to Become A Full-Time Fashion Blogger

Honestly, I never planned to take my blog full-time because I didn’t think it would be possible for me to be successful in this industry. I also didn’t understand how making money from a blog even worked. I started Strawberry Chic during PT school because I was looking for a creative distraction and thought it looked fun. I kept it up through the years because I enjoyed connecting with others and sharing my take on fashion. I also started to love the creativity behind graphic design, photography, and marketing.

Once I started working as a therapist, I was burdened by $1,000/month student loan payments. I was like HOLD UP…you mean to tell me I spent three years in graduate school to get a doctorate degree, and now I work 40 hours/week to pay over half my paycheck back to the government in taxes and student loans?? It was definitely a reality check I wasn’t expecting. Sure, I knew I would be paying back student loans, but I also figured with a decorate degree I would still be able to afford a life I envisioned and worked towards.

I’m not super patient, so when I decide something I want it ASAP and I will go full force until it’s done 🙂 I wanted a second income that I enjoyed to supplement my student loan payments. Deciding to pay off my student loans was the initial motivation I needed to start dedicating more of my free time towards blogging, and it just sort of snowballed from there.

I gave my blog a much-needed makeover and signed up for a conference to connect with others in the industry. That was the first time I put money into my blog, and I think that helps to motivate you to want a return on your investment. I dedicated every weekend and hours before/after work creating and planning content, editing, and learning. I decided to start a youtube channel, so I also spent a lot of time watching videos on how to do youtube and use iMovie to edit videos.

I’m not going to lie, it takes dedication to build a blog business while working full time.

I could probably count on one hand how many free weekends I had between 2018 and when I went full-time in Sept 2019. I’m not going to sugarcoat it and say it was easy.

As things started taking off in 2019, I knew I could eventually go full-time but I’m not going to lie, I felt guilty giving up physical therapy. I spent 7 years in school and 60K worth of debt to become a physical therapist. It was a career that truly helps people in ways no other career can do. Yet, I was contemplating quitting that to blog? Sure, most people won’t ever understand how it’s a real job, but that’s kinda what makes it so special 😉 Even my own parents took over a year of convincing, ha!

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I officially paid off my student loans in June 2019 and by September, I switched from being a full-time employee to a PRN therapist. This switch in roles allowed me to have a more flexible schedule, and I reduced my hours from working 5 days/week to 2days/week. I mentioned this transition in one of my Five on Friday Q&A’s I do weekly on Instagram, but for the most part, I didn’t really want to make it a big deal with an announcement.

When COVID-19 hit us all back in March, I stopped working PRN because my company didn’t need additional coverage. Once things started picking back up this summer, I felt it was time to fully transition to a full-time blogger. I was also starting a second business to help others interested in the industry, called The Profitable Influencer. Although blogging is a steady career for me right now, it’s nice to know I can fall back onto another rewarding career.

Now that I’m officially a full-time fashion blogger, I have zero doubt I did the right thing.

I haven’t felt any Sunday scaries, my stress levels are much more manageable, and I have never been happier. It truly doesn’t feel like work, even though I work way harder and way more hours now. But that’s a story for another day 🙂 Let me know if you want to hear more about my schedule as a full-time blogger!

With all that being said, I hope you know how much your support means to me. Without you, I wouldn’t be doing this full time! I love connecting with women and helping them feel more confident through building a wardrobe they love. Even though I help people in a different way now, I’m thankful for my journey and how it lead me here today.

If you’re wanting to connect with others who are starting or in their blogging journey, join me in my private Facebook group here where we support and encourage each other along the way!