I Quit My Fashion Editor Job & Started a Substack
And everything is going great, thanks!
No really, I mean it. If you’ve ever fantasized about quitting your job and leaping into The Great Unknown™, then this one goes out to you. (Cue Tom Petty’s “Free Fallin’,” which has always been one of my favorites.) Did you turn it on yet? Okay, let’s go.
It’s been about a month since my last day at my previous place of employment, where I worked for nine years. I now stand confidently before you on the other side, full of all the wisdom and winking self-fulfillment accessible to me only after I hit the “Eject” button on my little hamster wheel in the sky.
Just kidding. I’m still Free Fallin’, but I have my parachute on and I’m taking in the scenery, baby. What have I been up to since then?
Thawing out, mostly.
Freelancing. Getting coffees with generous creatives and asking them a lot of questions about their jobs! Thinking about career pivots. I knew my reasons for leaving my last role, but figuring out where to go from there here is another question entirely. When I resigned, I wasn’t entirely sure what I wanted to do next. But I was certain I was tired of waking up every day feeling rushed, drained, and burned out. I was ready to turn the page.
Despite the confusing strangeness of the rising tide rushing in, these were things I did know:
I still love to write and edit.
Nothing thrills me quite like landing a really great outfit.
I had a wedding to plan in the not-too-distant future (and someone once told me planning a wedding is like having “a full-time job,” although they certainly didn’t mean the kind that pays you money).
So what could I do with all that? Start a Substack, of course. I want to see what’s waiting to bloom beneath the permafrost. In addition to freelancing, wedding planning, and spending time with family, friends, Ryan (my fiancé), and Mickey (our eight-month-old dachshund), I’m hoping this will serve as a place for me to think through things and document this little leap of faith.
I’ve been a late bloomer in various ways my whole life (those are stories for another post!), so let’s document this growth chapter in real time.
Thanks for coming along for the ride!
Go, Elly, go!