Radical Self Employment, Y’all
Before the election on November 5. 2024, I had plans to start a business coaching program for high achieving women. I was puttering along with it because I already have full time work in my private practice and I assumed I had time to ease into things.
Well, everything is different now.[Before we go too deep here I’m going to put this out front. I supported Kamala and Tim with my whole self. I was so, so hopeful we were going to have a positive, joyful, productive democracy. Now that vision is dashed. If you voted for a man who rapes women, hates people of color and queer people we will not get along. I have nothing for you. I am not tolerating devil’s advocates, “whataboutism,” or any blather challenging my ideas. There are thousands of other writers and creators who will engage with you. I am not one of them.]
OK—onward.
This devastating election is about money at the core. Billionaires and foreign dictators want an army of uneducated, broke, desperate people to work themselves to death for scarcity wages to fund their egos, bank accounts and eventually use our money to leave the Earth they destroyed and inhabit Mars (actually!).
So, just know that
MONEY IS POWER.
And the way we gain more power is to make more money.
Any time you work for someone else, you are making them money. They pay you a salary, yes, but your work generates more income than what they give to you. Corporations and owners will tell you they are “giving” you a job, offering you “benefits” like health insurance. But, trust me, your work generates enough income to cover all of that plus more to line the owner’s pockets. They aren’t doing you any favors. You’re supporting them.
In 2025 the new administration in the USA has been crystal clear that they want to strip away power from women, Black and brown people and those who identify as queer. This will take many forms with the goal being to decrease our ability to support ourselves financially.
Add to this, over the past several years, corporations have had no qualms in hiring and firing people in quick cycles. No corporate entity has any employee’s best interests at heart. There is no loyalty card that saves you from being tossed into financial chaos on a whim.
Financial Struggle is Not Your Fault
These employment systems are set up against us. They are designed to promote and pay cis/het white men. That’s why being self employed is a radical idea.
I’ve been the person who worked hard and couldn’t get ahead —my work funding an employer’s financial dreams, being hired, then fired, promised promotions that never came to fruition, asked to work the front lines during Covid while my supervisors worked safely from home making way more money than me. (I’ll tell these stories in more detail as we get to know each other. But they aren’t the main point here).
I had built two businesses in the past and dipped in and out of government and corporate work as well. But in late 2021 I had enough. I vowed to never to work for anyone ever again and started my third business which is where I earn my income now. Today I make all my own money, pay for all those “benefits,” own my own home. And NO ONE can tell me what to do with my money, stop me from pursuing my dreams, threaten my financial safety. I literally write my own checks. I’m a great boss and my only coworker is my cat, Micha.
But this isn’t some rah-rah coaching speak to get you to buy my program or trick you into spending money on information that doesn’t help you in any real way.
I’m angry, sad, frustrated and want as many people as possible to have the kind of freedom I am privileged to experience. Remember, money is power. Making your own money gives you freedom. My goal is for you to learn to have money and freedom to do whatever you want with it.
I’m not saying you need to start a whole big entrepreneurial venture with employees, office space, need for funding—I have none of that.
I’m talking about Radical Self-Employment.
This is taking your skills, education, ideas, passions and creating a six figure business that supports you and those you love. This is radical because there will be a line of nay sayers who will challenge your plans and goals. I have heard it all:
“It’s very hard to build a business.”
“You can’t sustain that income.”
“The only way to succeed is if you do XYZ, my way.”
“You can’t afford benefits. They’re too expensive.”
“What happens if you fail?”
People love to shoot down marginalized people’s goals and dreams. Why? See money is power. It’s radical for us to do this work in the face of all the bullshit, all the obstacles, people throwing shoes at our heads, the closed doors and side eyes.
How did I do it?
Desperation. Stubbornness. Realizing that my work ethic is best utilized for my benefit and not lining someone else’s pockets. Understanding that starting a business is a skill and doesn’t require a any special level of intelligence.
I’m not going to lie, it wasn’t easy. But being abused by my employers sucked more. I got so much shade, hate, doubt, anger even from people who said they cared for and loved me. Initially, I thought I was just starting a business but only now I realize that as a Gen X woman what I was doing was actually radical and went against all of what the culture expected me to do.
The culture hasn’t changed. It’s doubling down now. Women, Black and brown people, queer folks aren’t supported to have power. Fuck that.
Where do we go from here?
I’m going to be pulling together a Radical Self Employment Starter Kit. It will be free forever. Follow me here, sign up, whatever you do on Substack (I’m still learning here) if you want access to this product when it’s published.
This Kit will have information on how to start your journey towards self employment. If you already have a small business, it can help you learn how to grow your income and/or diversify your income streams. I built three businesses starting with NO business experience. Zip, nada. Hopefully, the Radical Self Employment Starter Kit helps you to get the foundational pieces quickly so you can launch something sooner, rather than later.
This is going to be a journey. I’m starting here on Substack because it’s an easy place to publish ideas. Eventually, this will migrate to a blog I own (because we never build a business on a platform someone else owns—take that as your first business lesson). There will eventually be coaching and paid programs, but also a lot of stuff will be free or low cost or ask you to donate to a charity to get access. We’re going to be creative, have fun, be accepting, open, encouraging and bad ass.
I’m looking forward to the journey with you.
