Everyone has that moment.

That single moment of clarity — that wake up call — where, despite all the same reasons still buzzing in your mind, you decide that enough is enough.

For me, I’ve had that moment 3 times.

The first time was when I was fourteen.

Life hadn’t always been easy, but at that point in time, it had gotten much better.

Things were going well…and I had no desire to even finish school.

I was three grade levels behind and had no concern for the future.

Until life brought in the wake up call.

One day everything was fine.

The next, he was in the hospital, and I didn’t know if my dad would come home alive.

Quadruple bypass heart surgery.

He pulled through, but that was when I decided that I needed to be able to take care of my family.

The second moment happened just after college.

I was working full-time as an academic advisor.

It was a good job compared to the cost of living in the area at the time.

I should've been happy.

Instead, I was crying in the bathroom most days wondering why I wasn't happy.

So I quit my job cold turkey and started freelancing (probably the worst way to go about it but I don't regret it!).

The third time I felt that wake up call was last year around this time.

When I heard the news that my cousin had stage 4 pancreatic cancer.

She was always the one cheering me on, telling me to go for it and follow my dreams.

But at the time, I was not following my dreams. I had given up freelancing and was working at a marketing agency.

And I was once again miserable.

And when she passed, one thing became crystal clear:

Life is too short to waste being miserable.

It was then that I started making moves in what I called my 5-step plan.

My 5-Step Plan

1. I needed to quit my toxic job.

This was my #1 priority. My job at the time was beyond toxic, and my workload was insane.

But to do that, I needed another job to replace it, and I needed to make enough money to support myself and my family until I could get my business going.

2. I needed to get a new job.

I did some research and landed on tech sales. Then I spent the next two months beefing up my resume and LinkedIn, and a few weeks after that, I'd landed some interviews.

This was actually the reason I started posting on LinkedIn! LinkedIn wasn't part of my original strategy, but now look at me! 3k followers strong and a steady stream of inbound leads.

3. I needed to rebuild my biz.

I'd freelanced on and off for over a decade, so getting clients didn't scare me. The hard part was figuring out how to build a business that was sustainable.

I didn't want to leave one rat race just to create another for myself.

So, I wanted to rebuild my business from the ground up (which meant losing some long-time clients) in order to build a system...one that I could do in less than 20hrs a week and make a minimum of six figures.

4. I needed to launch my new biz.

Once I decided on what I wanted to do most, I worked hard to launch my Story Coaching program in December 2023.

And in just a couple of weeks, I closed 2 four-figure deals.

5. I needed to quit my full-time job.

And this is where the saga continues. I'm a little more than halfway to my minimum income goal in order to quit my job and run my business full-time again.

So why am I telling you all this?

Because it took me 3 wake up calls and 14 years to get it.

And once I got it, the time to enact my plan has taken less than a year.

Less than one year.

Let that sink in.

Because I can bet that you've had multiple wake up calls over the years too.

And maybe you listened to some. Maybe you didn't.

But one thing's for certain: You're here, reading this, because whether you've launched your business or not, you still haven't achieved the time and money freedom you're seeking.

And I'm here to tell you that this is the last wake up call you'll need.

Because this is the year we get it done, bestie!

It’s Challenge Time!

Ernest Hemingway famously wrote a story in just six words:

Your challenge this week is to do the same.

Why? Because practicing how to write concise, fluff-free stories will do WONDERS for you when it comes to writing content on LinkedIn.

Plus it’s fun!

So, reply to this newsletter and share your six-word story with me. The most captivating stories might be featured in my next newsletter or on LinkedIn.

And don’t worry if you don’t think you’re a good writer (in fact, the “good writers” are usually the ones who struggle the most with this exercise).

Can't wait to see what 6-word stories you come up with!

It’s Time to Wake Up.

Did you know that hotels still offer wake up calls? Yes, they will call you at your specified time to wake up (although it’s most likely automated these days).

Truth is, we all need a wake up call every now and again. We get so used to being independent and trying to go it alone, that we forget how important it is to have an outside perspective on our situation.

So, if you feel like you need:

• An extra set of eyes on your plan or on your LinkedIn Profile.

• Help building a strategy to launch or grow your personal brand.

• A friendly face to hash out all the details and brainstorm your success.

Then book a 1:1 Wake Up Call with me, and we’ll spend 45 minutes getting to the core of your biggest brand/content challenges right now.

And as an added bonus, my email subscribers get a discount, so make sure to use the link here instead of the one on my LinkedIn profile (and please don’t share this link)!

I’m here to help you win as I win, so let’s get this bread together, bestie!

See you around LinkedIn,
Cyndyl

P.S. Did you notice how I used the HERO framework throughout this newsletter? Reply back and let me know if you caught it!