How Working Full-Time Has Affected My Business (Part One)

Starting a full-time job (what I call a W-2 job) while balancing my social media marketing business has been quite an adventure. Given how tough it is to find a full-time marketing job these days, I was thrilled to begin this new chapter, especially since I hadn’t held a full-time W-2 position since 2021.

What I didn’t expect was that my new job would actually double my clientele

Quick story time:

After college, my first full-time job started in the mail room. Every day, I delivered mail to people throughout the office, giving me a chance to meet and talk with many colleagues. One of these connections was the director of HR.

She later connected me to the company's head of marketing, and I was promoted within a month. I had exactly what the head of marketing was looking for, and it all started with delivering mail.

Fast forward to March 2024

I was preparing to leave the W-2 job I had been working at since December 2023. One reason they hired me was my entrepreneurial spirit. During my last week, I boldly passed around my business card, offering the same graphic design services I had been providing as an employee. I saw a need for it, and it worked.

Most of the time I spent in that position was refining my InDesign skills and learning each person in the office’s design preferences for the marketing brochures I created. This made the transition from W-2 employee to freelancer smooth.

Because of this, I completed 11 projects during the month of April.

In my current W-2 job, I talked about my business during the interview as well. Thank goodness I did because I was approached again to complete a graphic design project.

In the past, I have always been strict about what services I provide.

I have been approached about web design and professional photography shoots before, which I declined. It’s important to me to provide high-quality service, and I didn’t feel confident I could do that.

However, with graphic design, I feel confident to take on projects.

Before interviewing for W-2 marketing positions, I would consider whether bringing up my business would be seen as a strength or threat.

I had often assumed that one shouldn't talk about their side business while working for someone else, but my experience over the past few months has taught me otherwise. 

These opportunities arose precisely because I was open about my freelancing. My background and willingness to share my skills led to contracting with the most clients I’ve ever had at once. The real takeaway is that even in a traditional W-2 role, being transparent about my entrepreneurial endeavors has created unexpected and valuable opportunities.

Keep up with me on social media! Follow @thesocialnicole on LinkedIn and Instagram.