A Stage Many Ambitious Women Experience But Few Talk About.

There’s a strange stage almost no one talks about. It’s that space in between being employed and knowing there’s something more or different for you and → having the courage to do something about it. It’s the dream of the entrepreneur, the self-employed, turning the side hustle into your full hustle.

I see people like this everywhere. I met one recently at an International Women’s Day Event. We were both lost in the large downtown convention centre, looking for the correct conference room and I asked what she did for work. She shared that she was super lucky to be employed by X company who allowed her to have a side hustle in the same industry. (Yes! A progressive company for sure.) In the few minutes that we spoke I didn’t hear from her that she wanted to quit her day job, but if we’d had more time to dig into this, I would not have been at all surprised if she’d shared that at some point she’d like that side hustle to become her full hustle.

Possibility #1 – You’ve taken your career as far as you can go in the organization you’re in and there’s no way up; just sideways, or out.

Possibility #2 – You actually have come to really dislike your job. The idea of going into work gives you the heebee jeebees. You count the days until the weekend. You don’t like being tied to the 8-5. There’s at least one person (often your boss) who you are completely exasperated with. You might be bored with what you’re doing. The details don’t really matter.

You. Want. Out.

Possibility #3 – You are later in your career and have become expert in your field. You see other people offering their professional services under their own banner and you’re curious if you could too. You could have more time freedom, possibly more income, potentially able to lead a more location independent lifestyle. You feel excited when you consider these options. It’s not bad where you are. Perhaps even good. You’ll miss the people you work with. And yet….. That lure of time, financial and location freedom have you curious.

Possibility #4 – INSERT YOUR STORY HERE. Your situation is undoubtedly unique to you. Unique to your circumstances, lifestyle and career. Nevertheless, there’s something calling you.

It’s the space in between Employee and Entrepreneur.

Perhaps you’ve started building something on the side.

You’re not fully an entrepreneur. But you’re not thinking like an employee anymore either.

You’re living in the in-between.

For myself, I loved my job. But the fact that I was now referring to it as a “job” instead of my “career” was already a signal.

HINT: Your career doesn’t have to stop if you change your “job.” They are honestly two different things.

Why did I stay in the “stuckness?”

• I didn’t want to lose my salary (what if I didn’t succeed?)
• I didn’t want to lose my identity (who was I without my title?)
• I didn’t want to lose my friends and social network (most of my friends were my workmates.)
• I didn’t really know what lay on the other side (I was nervous about trying something new)
• I didn’t want to fail (who was I to do this work?)

I had to build my confidence. And I had to try.

There was no way I was going to know if I was going to be successful until the proverbial rubber hit the road. Many new entrepreneurs experience imposter syndrome during this phase. In this blog I share some ideas that can help you through that specifically.

Let’s talk about possibilities.

• You can start your side hustle on the side. Especially if it isn’t a conflict of interest with the work you’re currently doing.
• You can also ensure you’re set up as a business before you leave your employ. You can determine the salary you need, the path you’d like to take and confirm what this business is going to be.
• You can save money (and get a line of credit) to help you through any potential financial roadblocks. It’s unlikely that you will be earning as you were as an employed person right away; you need to plan for that. Six months of savings is a great target.

Truth: Your side hustle becomes a real entrepreneurial path when you decide it is.

I met a “side hustler” at an event recently who was actually a “full hustler.” How did I know? She shared, quite tentatively, about the work she does. She told me she was working part-time in this business. I asked her: “What do you do for full-time work?” She shared that she didn’t do anything else, this is what she did.

“Than this is your full time gig,” I told her. “You don’t have to be working full time hours for this to be your full time gig,” I shared. “Just start telling people this is what you do! It doesn’t matter how many hours you’re putting in, This. Is. Your. Work.”

Her friend laughed and said: “See? Told you! You need to own it!” Yes, yes she does.

Can we just say: MIND-SHIFT?

I see you out there. Working full-time. Doing all the things. Getting the kids to activities. Getting dinner on the table. Driving, driving…. More driving. And then, once the day is done, after you’ve finished your “9 to 5” you start your “5 to 9” – or maybe that second job starts even later into the evening. Regardless you are pulling extra hours, working late or getting up early to move your new business forward.

Add to that the overwhelm of what to work on first, what takes priority and what’s the best use of your time. I’m sure there have been times already when you’ve questioned if it’s worth it. The invisible tension that lives in your brain and follows you around is real.

Does any of this sound familiar:

• Living in two professional identities
• Have limited time and energy
• Treating your business like an “extra”
• Unclear about what you should be focusing on
• Fearful the finances won’t work out
• Feel isolated as you’re doing a lot of this in secret
• Hesitate getting visible about this until you’ve left your employer

During the day You’re a capable, respected professional. In the evenings and weekends you’re an entrepreneur experimenting, learning, and sometimes doubting yourself. That split identity can feel disorienting. One world values stability and hierarchy. The other requires risk-taking, visibility, and initiative.

Your mental bandwidth is taxed, you can feel like you’re busy all the time and not moving forward in a significant way.

You’re likely buried in “free resources” – podcasts, books, online courses and strategies everywhere from people who’ve “been there.” What to focus on?!

At some point, your quiet aspirations as an entrepreneur will shift to intentional business building. When you start to get frustrated that your business may be more of an expensive hobby than a practical business idea. You have to start asking yourself the question:

How will I actually generate revenue?

Intentional business builders begin focusing on:

• where their next client will come from
• what their offer needs to be
• what income would make the business sustainable

Here are some more things you can do that I share in this blog: Transitioning from Employee to Entrepreneur: A Guide for Women – Susan Elford

• Do you treat your business time as non-negotiable?
• Are you willing to be seen?
• Are you still trying to do everything alone?
• Do you have a plan or are you extremely vague about what your milestones might be?
• Are you waiting for permission or certainty? Or are you building your business like you mean it?

When the business is still a dream, it often happens “when there’s time.”
When you’re waiting for the business to make money before you invest in it, you’re not taking it seriously.
When the mindset shifts, the business gets a real place in your schedule.
When you keep learning and not implementing, you’re hiding behind the busy work.

Intentional business builders eventually realize that businesses grow through visibility, consistency and taking action.

The Structure and Support you Need as a New Entrepreneur

The transition from employee to entrepreneur rarely happens overnight.

For most women, there is a period — sometimes months, sometimes years — where you are quietly building something alongside your career. You’re testing ideas, serving your first clients, and learning what it actually takes to run a business.

It can be exciting. It can also feel uncertain.

You may wonder whether you’re doing the right things, whether the momentum you’re seeing is sustainable, or whether this business could eventually support you in the way your career currently does.

This stage isn’t a sign that you’re stuck. It’s a sign that you’re building thoughtfully. It’s also the stage where the right structure and support can make the biggest difference.

When you stop trying to figure everything out on your own and begin approaching your business with intention — clarity about what you’re building, where clients will come from, and what your next milestones are — progress tends to accelerate.

If you’re in that in-between space right now — building something on the side while still working in your professional role — I’ve created a free experience that may help.

From Employee to Entrepreneur: Build Your Business Like You Mean It is a five-day lunchtime intensive designed for women who are ready to start treating their side business like something real.

Over five focused sessions, we’ll explore the key shifts that help early entrepreneurs move from scattered effort to intentional growth.

You’ll leave with clearer insight into:

• what you’re building
• what it will take to grow it
• and what your next 90 days could look like

If that sounds like a conversation you’d benefit from, I’d love for you to join us. Bonus: It’s completely free!

Sometimes the biggest step toward becoming an entrepreneur isn’t leaving your job.

It’s deciding to start building your business like you mean it.

I believe in you!