How I promoted myself
365 days ago I got turned down for a promotion.
So, I promoted myself instead. How?
By booking a one-way ticket to Asia.
Okay, I kmow that sounds a little dramatic, but hear me out 🤣
A year ago I walked into my yearly review with all the receipts as to how I'd far outgrown just the title of “Brand Designer”.
→ I'd helped organise company PR events,
→ I'd developed and run the company socials,
→ I'd designed websites and user experiences,
→ I'd branched out into animation/motion graphics.
I was told that they'd “get back to me”
Spoiler alert: They never did.
Eventually I got frustrated with how company politics was holding me back from reaching my fullest potential. 😩
💡 But I had my own idea:
I wanted to build an app - one that would actually help people become the best version of themselves and reach their full potential too.
I'd spent a year saving as much money as I could, so I could fund it myself.
And moving to Asia was going to make my money last waaaaay longer.
🛫 So I booked a one-way ticket to Vietnam. 🇻🇳
And honestly, it was the best (and scariest) decision I've ever made.
💜 Now I've been in SE Asia for almost 9 months:
I'm the Founder of Journee and I'm now working on other apps too! 😍
But more importantly, I've gained more than just a change of title:
✅ I alone set the pace on how quickly I progress.
✅ My earnings are directly related to my input.
✅ I'm doing work that I'm passionate about.
✅ There's no 'optics' or politics to uphold.
✅ I have autonomy over the skills I learn.
✅ I can work when I feel motivated.
✅ I'm building my OWN wealth.
✅ I choose my 'co-workers'.
I realise now that by chasing a promotion, I was prioritising growth in the wrong direction.
Sometimes the biggest risks yield the biggest rewards, and that's exactly what happened when I booked that ticket a year ago.
I could never have predicted how different my life would be now! 🤩
So just a reminder:
YOU are in control of your own life, and if you're not happy with it, just know that you have the power in you to change it.