‘The road less travelled’: What it’s really like to become your own boss
Yasmin Hamouda is an up-and-coming fashion blogger with a passion for street style.
She hopes to combine her passion for marketing and fashion to bring something a little bit different to Dublin's fashion scene.
“Dublin is just full of so many amazing creatives and I feel so so lucky to be able to work and create with some of them," she says.
Here she chats about the journey to self-employment.
I loved school but I was far from a model student. I hated being told what to do to the point that I would completely ignore the class in progress and instead proceed to take out my own books on what I thought was worthwhile – as you can imagine I was an absolute hit with the teachers.
Surprisingly enough, I came out with a fairly decent Leaving Cert., and went on to college because, well, that’s what you you’re supposed to do, right? But I was as lost there as I ever was.
I can laugh about it now, but I definitely worried about it a lot at the time. All of the girls I’d been at school with seemed to be flying and really enjoying the college experience, and I just wasn’t at all.
I wasn’t a student that was getting money thrown at me from home, so I proceeded to get a job and ended up getting two. I “studied” Monday to Wednesday, and on Thursday and Friday day time I worked in a bar in Temple Bar until about 4am, and I was there all weekend too.
And you know what? I learned more pulling pints of Guinness, chatting to customers and cleaning up cigarette butts at 4am than I did in my three years of furthering my education.
It gave me the life experience that I think so many young people underestimate the importance of. It taught me key business lessons that weren’t on my college curriculum like what hard work means, how to deal with people (if you can deal with the drunk stags on a weekend in Dublin you can deal with just about anyone).
Fast forward two years and after many more experiences and those inevitable few waves of crap that life will throw your way, I’m now at the beginning of starting my own marketing consultancy business.
After such a long time feeling like a disaster simply because I didn’t fit into ‘the system’, I have to admit I’m super proud of myself for taking the road less travelled.
Building my own life for myself has given me so much absolute joy and happiness. I think that that’s something that those who choose to build their lives around others will never understand.
What I will say though is that it’s definitely not easy and probably not for everyone. Going it alone first of all is really scary. I have bills to pay at the end of each month like everyone and you just don’t have 100 per cent security. I always have a niggling feeling that I’m not doing enough and it can be challenging to have an “off” mode.
But if I think that it’s in you at all, you just have to do it. There’s no other way. Even when it gets tough – you’ll love every moment. You fall in love with the process, the journey – it’s exciting, I suppose!
Also, a quick note for any young person thinking about being their own boss – In the beginning, you will really have to push to be taken seriously in whichever industry it is. I’ve definitely learned that you need to have 100 per cent belief in what you have to offer and have a really “don’t take no sh*t” attitude if you want to develop a reputation as a business person.
At the end of the day it doesn’t matter what age you are – it’s your experience and know-how that counts.
I’ve recently also combined my love of fashion and marketing through my blog and I love it – it’s my baby! My friends think I’m mad spending my weekends out shooting my latest fashion finds and working on content, but I wouldn’t have it any other way.
I’ve met so many amazing people in the industry and I’m just so grateful for all the exciting things coming up! I think when creativity meets business its magic.
I actually think it's gas that girls are following me for fashion inspiration, because I’ve always been such a tomboy! But I have a huge passion for finding and owning your own personal style, so it’s just so fun to share.
In writing this, if I can help even one person who may be feeling totally lost in life, that would be amazing.
I’ve been there, and I’m only at the beginning of finding myself. All I can say to you is that life is very short and we only have one, so living to please others or to fit in just makes zero sense.
Follow your dreams with everything you have, have patience, work really hard, stay curious, stay true to your morals and just keep taking baby steps every day. Most importantly, be kind and live with the best of intentions – that’s a recipe for life in itself.
Working on building your best life will inevitably bring with it stresses, sacrifice, and from time to time that feeling of being all too much, but it will also be the greatest gift you will give yourself.
Slowly building the life of your dreams will be the most incredible journey you will ever take.
You can keep up to date with Yasmin's adventures right here.
