AVALON GOMEZ

Dear AFETT,

I am struggling to find inspiration to make a move. I love event planning, and at my workplace, I am constantly asked to plan events.

This is not in my scope of duties, I am a health and safety officer, but because they know I am good at it, I become the go-to whenever there is an event. I am not remunerated any extra for this.

I've also realised that event planning is my true passion, and it is becoming difficult to manage my daily duties at work with my "side hustles," which, to be honest, actually earns me more than my salary right now. Not to mention I much prefer being my own boss rather than deal with the ego-stroking that happens in my male-dominated space at work.

However, I know very well that event planning is seasonal, so I am not quite ready to leave a steady paycheque.

Where do I go from here?

Dear Sinead,

It sounds like you are at a crossroads in your career, torn between your passion and being financially secure.

This is all too familiar for me. When I left corporate finance to be an entrepreneur, I had no idea what my passion was, I just knew I loved marketing and I did not want to work for anyone again.

It’s great that you have acknowledged event planning as your passion. When you are in tune, you feel a deep sense of alignment with your true self and a profound connection to the things that bring you joy and meaning. Knowing your passion is a powerful force that can transform your life in ways you never thought possible.

I understand your fears – entrepreneurship is scary – it is entering the land of the unknown.

The fear you are feeling is normal. It is understandable to feel overwhelmed and unsure about the next steps.

Fear of taking a risk

Risk is necessary when following our passions and goals. No risk, no reward.

To overcome this fear, the practical approach is to acquire as much information as possible about starting to operate as a full business rather than a side hustle, as you call it.

This will help you be more prepared and ease some anxiety around taking the leap.

There are no guarantees in life, particularly in business, so every decision should be a calculated risk.

Fear of uncertainty

The unknown is difficult to describe and it is natural to be afraid of failure, so we stay complacent at times.

You have to believe in the path you choose and be prepared to put in the effort necessary to attain your goals.

Apart from being an entrepreneur, I am the founder of EmpowHerTT, an NGO that supports female entrepreneurs.

At a previous entrepreneur event hosted by EmpowHerTT, one of the panellists, Delicia Patterson of DiMedia, spoke about her fear of uncertainty in sacrificing her steady job with a fixed income, yearly salary increase and promotions. She was in corporate banking for more than seven years, with her passion for media communications and marketing relegated to the back burner, simply because it seemed the more sensible and safer thing to do at that time.

"I stayed behind my desk for years because it meant a f