The Biggest Risk I’ve Taken So Far

I’ve become very comfortable with taking big risks. Okay, maybe not comfortable (I still have anxiety and meltdowns every time I take a big risk), but I have learned from experience that those risks tend to pay off. And if they don’t, what I learn from them is just as valuable. 

Right after I graduated from college, I took a MAJOR risk and moved from my hometown, Kelowna, BC, to Edmonton, Alberta. A friend of mine was living there, I was unsure of what to do next and I wanted to live in a city where there was an NHL team that I could potentially work for. So I quit my job in Kelowna and two weeks later, my dad drove me out to my little one bedroom apartment in Edmonton. 

I had no job when I arrived, and just the one friend who lived down the hall. I spent two months unemployed, going crazy with boredom in my apartment. I was applying for tons of jobs and getting nowhere. After some intense searching, I found the HR director for the Edmonton Oilers on LinkedIn and I messaged her repeatedly until she finally agreed to interview me. A few months later (yes, months) I was working in the Ticketing department for the Oilers and Oil Kings. 

I worked for the teams for about eight months before I decided that it was time to move home. I wasn’t enjoying my position or the city anymore, and I desperately missed my family and the Okanagan. So my parents came back to pack me up and move me home. At the time, I felt like I had taken a risk that hadn’t paid off, but in reality, making the move to Edmonton was a huge learning opportunity for me. I learned how to survive on my own, how to get a job that I really wanted, how to cook (ha!), how to make friends as an adult and to trust my gut. I also learned that Kelowna is my home and it’s where I want to be. 

Once I moved home, I took many more big risks. I left a good job with no backup plan. I bought a house all on my own. I rescued a dog from overseas that I had never met before. I joined a soccer team full of people I didn’t know after not playing for 10 years. I (finally!) launched my blog. And most recently, I put in my notice at my very secure, very well-paying job to pursue my dreams of running my own business. Holy shit, this is the most terrifyingly big risk yet. 

I think that I have always known that I wanted to run my own business and create my own legacy. While I have enjoyed working for some really wonderful companies, I’ve always wanted to blaze a trail of my own. So, as of the end of October, I will be putting all of my blood, sweat and tears, as well as experience and skill, into full-time freelancing as I grow my content creation, social media and marketing business, as well as my blog. 

This one truly is a dive into the deep end, but when it comes down to it, I’ve realized that it’s time that I bet on myself. “Entrepreneur” is a title that I’ve always wanted to have, and what better time than right now to make my dream a reality. I know that it’s going to be a lot of hard work and it’s going to challenge me, disappoint me and make me uncomfortable. I am so ready for it. Bring on the discomfort… it’s time to grow!

(Also, if you or someone you know is looking to work with a super awesome freelance writer, social media manager or marketing consultant, I would REALLY appreciate an email @ contact.sammmyhill@gmail.com. THANKS!)