🧂 From layoff to $500K: How you can overcame the fear to start a business

Hey there. Happy Saturday! Today, I want to share what I learned turning a layoff into a thriving design business.

It’s been an entire year since I started my design business.

Last year, my world turned upside down. Several months after returning from maternity leave, I lost my 9-5 job.

My baby wasn't even one year old yet. As a hard-working immigrant who had never been unemployed, I felt devastated.

That moment of crisis forced me to confront a dream I'd been too afraid to pursue: becoming a full-time founder. Despite years of side hustles and entrepreneurial aspirations, fear had always held me back from taking the leap.

One year later, Studio Salt has generated over $500K in revenue, and my team has grown to include three full-time designers (including myself). What initially seemed like a catastrophe transformed into the catalyst I needed to build the business I'd always wanted.

How to overcome fear and start your own business

The journey taught me valuable lessons about confronting fear. If you're hesitating to pursue your dreams, these strategies might also help you find your courage:

• Learn from past failures:

  Back in 2019, I launched a digital course for kids after investing an entire year of weekly publishing podcasts. I barely sold 3 copies (and 2 were bought by friends) after weeks of promotion. I felt crushed. Two years later, I tried to launch a digital card product and couldn't find even one paying customer. These experiences taught me hard lessons: either use payment to validate ideas early or build an audience first before launching anything.

  These failures weren't just disappointments; they were investments in my business education. Each eliminated uncertainties and provided clarity about what paths to avoid. When I finally launched Studio Salt, I knew exactly what early stage founders are looking for: passionate collaborators who would tell others about their vision, help them build their team, secure funding, and reach customers. I positioned my design services to meet these specific needs.

  Action step:

  Make a "lessons learned" inventory from your past attempts. What specifically didn't work? What assumptions were incorrect? These insights are your competitive advantage—they're mistakes you'll never repeat.

• Identify your bottleneck:

  Design had been my professional identity for over a decade. I could create beautiful work in my sleep. But marketing myself? Cold pitching clients? Talking about money? These skills were my clear bottlenecks.

  I know I had to find a channel to allow people to discover my service organically. For me, that's X. As someone who don’t use Social Media too much, I forced myself to write and post design on social media. The first few felt awkward and garnered little engagement. But one month later, someone encouraged me to sell my design for $35. I got my first organic customer. This small win was proof—I could learn to market myself if I committed to consistent practice.

  Action step:

  Write down the three skills you're most confident in, then honestly identify the one skill that's holding your business back. Dedicate 30 minutes daily to developing just this one area—whether it's sales calls, content creation, or financial literacy.

• Seek support from your inner circle:

  The day I lost my job, I was shocked, embarrassed, and ashamed. When I finally called my mentors, voice shaking, expecting sympathy, they all instead exclaimed: "Congratulations, this is an opportunity to start your own venture, something you've always dreamed of!"

  One by one, the people who knew me best—my husband who reminded me of all accomplishment I achieved in the past, my former boss who offered to be my first client, my in-laws who offered some childcare help in the past—all saw this "failure" as the opportunity I needed.

  Action step:

  Identify 3-5 people whose judgment you trust implicitly. Share your fears with them specifically. Ask not just for encouragement but for honest feedback: "Do you think I have what it takes to succeed at this?" The people who truly know your capabilities often see potential you're blind to.

• Confront your worst-case scenario:

  One sleepless night, I opened a spreadsheet and calculated exactly how long our savings would last without income. I researched house prices in less expensive states. I even awkwardly broached the subject of temporarily moving in with my in-laws if things got dire.

  This exercise wasn't depressing—it was liberating. The concrete worst-case scenario—downsizing our apartment and taking a temporary financial step back—was far less catastrophic than the vague dread I'd been carrying. And realistically, I knew I could always find another full-time design position within a few months if necessary.

  Action step:

  Write out your actual worst-case scenario in detail. Calculate exact numbers. Research specific alternatives. Then ask yourself: "Could I recover from this?" The answer is almost always yes, and that knowledge dissolves fear's power.

• Embrace the ups and downs:

  My first two months of self-employment were terrifying—I made just enough to cover our living expenses but not much else. Then month 3 I crossed my full-time salary month, and 2 months later, I earned what my first full-time job would pay in an entire year. This rollercoaster was anxiety-inducing after years of predictable paychecks.

  But I've learned to see these fluctuations differently now. The low months push me to improve my systems and outreach. The high months provide resources to invest in growth. Together, they create a business dynamic that's more alive and responsive than any corporate job could offer.

  Action step:

  Create two separate financial plans—one for lean months and one for abundant months. In lean times, which expenses can you temporarily cut? In abundant times, what percentage will you allocate to savings, business reinvestment, and personal rewards? Having these plans ready removes the emotional panic when income fluctuates.

The safety we seek in traditional employment can be an illusion—as I learned firsthand when I lost my job after maternity leave.

Fear means growth

When you feel too comfortable in your current situation, it often means you've stopped growing. That knot in your stomach when considering a big change? It's not a warning to retreat—it's a signal that you're about to expand.

I've come to recognize that fear is simply the emotional response to stretching beyond your comfort zone. Each time I felt afraid during this journey—sending that first cold email, setting higher rates, hiring another designer—I gained tremendous power by pushing through it.

The path from employee to entrepreneur isn't easy, but it's incredibly rewarding. Each challenge I've faced has built resilience and confidence I couldn't have developed otherwise.

Take action today

I believe “there's always something you can do” while you're waiting for the "perfect moment" (which never comes). Many people give up before they even try because they can't imagine the entire path to success. But you don't need to see the whole staircase to take the first step.

Make small efforts daily—you can never predict what remarkable results they might yield. When I first started those passion projects as side hustles, I never know what they would lead to. Now, all the lessons and experiences makes sense as I look back.

If you're standing at the edge of your own entrepreneurial dream, hesitating to take the leap, remember that waiting for perfect conditions means waiting forever. Start small, test your ideas, identify your bottlenecks, and build support systems.

What's one tiny action you can commit to taking this week—something so small you can't say no to it—that moves you closer to the business you've been dreaming of building?

I'd love to hear how you're transforming your fears into fuel for growth.

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