I was Hootsuite employee #8—back when it was barely a blip on anyone’s radar and we were making things up as we went along.

[atomicpoet@atomicpoet.org]

I was Hootsuite employee #8—back when it was barely a blip on anyone’s radar and we were making things up as we went along.

That experience taught me the truth about “success stories”: they aren’t clean, they aren’t easy, and they sure as hell aren’t built on motivational quotes. They’re messy, chaotic, and often brutal—but they’re also where the real lessons are.

After I left, I figured I’d try creative consulting. Big mistake. What I ran into was an entire cottage industry of people who don’t actually care if you succeed—they just want a piece of your wallet. It’s less about collaboration, more about leeching. And if you let them, they’ll bleed you dry under the banner of “help.” That was my wake-up call.

The thing that saved me was the little side hustle I had going. I put my own money on the line, tested it, grew it, and for four years it’s been the backbone of how I take care of my family. Only in the past two years did I feel confident enough to shove my old consultancy into the background and let this take over fully.

No investors. No bosses. No fake cheerleaders. Just me, my capital, and the work.

What I bought with that decision is something people romanticize but rarely achieve: time. Not the Instagrammable “I work from the beach” version, but actual freedom to chase what matters to me.

Now I get to launch projects, start ventures, and throw myself into things purely because I’m interested—not because I need the cheque.

People like to talk about “financial independence” as if it’s some spreadsheet formula or guru hack. It isn’t. It’s about having the guts to back yourself, walk away from parasites, and build a setup where you answer to nobody but yourself.

That’s the kind of independence I care about—and it’s a hell of a lot more valuable than the story most people are trying to sell you.