what would you do if you lost your job today?

by jo baquiirin | 01 April 2026

have you thought about that at all?


would you panic? or would you already have a plan? most people don’t have a plan. they’re one layoff away from scrambling. but it doesn’t have to be that way.


this is the longest newsletter i’ve written in a while. and for good reason - i’m putting philosophy aside to teach you the practical bedrock basics for starting your own business, brand, whatever you wanna call it. ready?


for the purpose of this newsletter, when i say “9-5”, i mean a traditional job, corporate job, teaching job, government job... any type of job that has you building your whole life and identity around something that isn’t yours. i say “9-5” because that’s the most accessible, what most people call it around this space.


okay, let’s do this.

the 5 categories of career urgency


so. if you’re reading this, you fall under one of these categories, there are 5, arranged by urgency:


  1. you lost your job (got laid off).

  2. you just left your 9-5 and don’t know what to do (free will, retirement).

  3. you have a 9-5 but you’re not fulfilled (overworked, underpaid) you wanna leave.

  4. you have a 9-5 but you’re preparing for the worst (safe).

  5. you love your job (i don’t know why you’re here), maybe you’re open to new ideas.


i’m talking to the ones under the most urgent category first.


if you already lost your job or you left your job, you have 2 choices: (1) find another job or (2) start your own thing.


obviously, the easiest (safest) path is to find another job. only in the sense of, like, can i start doing this today? yes. because it takes less brainpower to make this decision - this is the “typical” way. we’re already programmed to do this.


the second one is basically a vague path, risky. not everyone does it, it’s not “typical” to go down this route, and frankly, nobody knows what they’re doing. yeah, we don’t know what we’re doing half the time. we try, fail, learn, repeat.


but that’s why i’m taking this time to teach you what we know and what we’ve already tested, so you have a rough idea of what to do. if you’re still here, let’s answer this question:


what would you do if you lost your job today?


there are 2 worlds to explore here - but they overlap, so either way, you’ll be fine.

option 1: how to start freelancing


first option is to do freelance work. there are platforms for this like freelancer, contra, upwork, fiverr.

but how do you actually start freelancing? well, you pick a skill, usually what you used to do at your old job, and then find clients who need your help (through these platforms).


the problem with these platforms: (1) competition, (2) fees, (3) scams. the upside is, once you get a good client and you gain momentum, you have consistent income. honestly, i prefer freelancer to upwork or fiverr. but that’s just me.


to give you an example, i tried these platforms multiple times, testing different skills.


when i was still teaching, i set up a profile that focused on teaching: curriculum design, teaching english/esl, writing (books, assessments, workshops), presentations, all the things teachers can do.

then when i started writing newsletters, i set up a writing profile too. ghostwriting, copywriting, non-fiction, emails, newsletter campaigns.


but after my instructional designer role at a startup, i finally decided i had to merge all my skills together: everything from my teaching years up to that point. and so i set up my “full production” profile (this was the start of yōso). because by then i’d already picked up and tested personal branding, marketing, etc. we’ve already built 3 brands.


so i completed my profile, portfolio, everything. then i got to work. i started looking for work & pitching to potential clients.


freelancing in a nutshell: pick a skill → build a portfolio → find clients to offer your service.


but in today’s world, it’s exhausting. competition, top freelancers leverage on trust and longevity. even if you’re great at what you do, if nobody trusts you yet, you’ll lose. plus, these platforms limit your reach (unless you pay premium) which i hate. i paid for freelancer. it didn’t get me anywhere.


so the next question is. can you do away with platforms? yes, absolutely. the best way to do this is by building a brand around your services. instead of competing inside freelancing platforms, you advertise yourself on social platforms. you do things your own way. this is what we did. and we landed our first client this way.


how?

option 2: starting your own digital business


this leads me to our second option: starting your own “thing”.


what’s the “thing”? a business and/or a brand - later you’ll realise why they go hand-in-hand.

what type of business? i’m only covering digital businesses because that’s what we do. i know others venture into offline businesses like cafes and selling crafts, and they’re also amazing. but today we’re focusing on what you can do from your computer with an internet connection.


a digital business can be anything from selling digital products to offering services (like the freelancing we talked about before). examples: copywriting (writing to persuade people to buy), ghostwriting (writing for someone else), selling e-books, templates, digital art, creating & selling courses, coaching & consulting (literally any field) - this is where most people start, because if you know your field well enough to teach it, then you’re golden.


i know what you’re thinking, what if you don’t fall under the “tech” field? you don’t necessarily have to. we don’t. and we’ve mentored a photographer who opened an online shop selling photo calendars. another client came from a corporate role designing training for companies, now they’re selling courses.


my point is, any type of skill or service that solves a problem for a specific person is enough to start. you can land clients with a simple, valuable skill. you can start selling digital products literally today. you don’t have to be an expert, your skills don’t have to be special. you just need to be yourself, show up like someone people want to work with or people want to buy from. that’s it.


it’s crazy, right? because this space isn’t school. it’s not the traditional workplace where everything’s measured by numbers and high-achievers are always rewarded. nobody cares about perfect scores. this space is different.


because the real metric is this: your brand has to be authentic and your skills have to help somebody improve their life. and yes, art improves people’s lives. they improve people’s moods. wellness and coaching businesses also exist for this reason.


see, the brand part is huge. to build trust, people need to see you, understand your story, have reasons to feel you can help them, and believe what you say. and this is why nurturing your brand/business is essential. you can’t just show up, flash your services, and expect to be successful.


it’s a journey.


to be able to stand out, you have to understand who you are, because that will then shape the philosophy of your brand. believe it or not, this unwavering philosophy is what “converts” or makes people part with their money.


people don’t buy iphones because they’re so great (although they are). people buy because they trust apple. their marketing makes us feel something. that is your goal with your brand’s bedrock. the philosophy. the thing people will remember you by. how you make them feel.


this is why you need a brand that’s genuinely personal. to make people aware that you and your business exist for them. but apple is a huge corporation. i know.

so what about a “personal” brand - where the face is the actual person?


well, the biggest personal brand today? of course, taylor swift. if you hate her, you can leave now, but you’ll miss out on the golden nuggets.


taylor doesn’t sell a service. her brand is her. her music is about her life. her merch is tied to her story. she leaves clues everywhere, and we (her audience) eat it up. and this is why her brand is so successful. she’s mastered how to keep us watching. connection. but that didn’t happen overnight - she’s cultivated this relationship over many, many years. taylor’s ability to connect with her audience is what keeps selling her music. as a longtime fan, i can tell you: we came for the bop, we stayed for the tears. that is true authenticity.


okay, let’s move on before you leave me hate comments. i know she’s also an “unreachable” example.


so i want you to go on social media (whatever you use), and look at the accounts you follow. but this time, don’t look as a consumer. observe like a creator. there are so many smaller accounts out there who have established, successful digital businesses. your following doesn’t have to be huge. i’m not saying millions like apple or taylor. you don’t need that. at the very least you only need your 1,000 true fans. even that number is huge for some.

so start with 1, go on that journey, see how you go.


now can you see how freelancing and starting a business overlap? they’re technically the same thing - skill → portfolio → client → sustain your life.


it’s just the approach that’s different. dare i say, building a brand is way, way more challenging. but i believe it’s still the optimal choice. what’s yours?

preparing for the intentional exit from 9-5


on to the next group: the ones who still have 9-5 jobs but are thinking of leaving.


your options are the same. but i wanna talk about what you need before leaving the 9-5. what’s the plan? how do you know if you’re ready?


let’s talk practical foundation.


first, decide: what type of lifestyle can you fund? the life you want where you’re comfortable. and then think of your survival (food, rent, basics). most people think they need a huge amount of money to leave. but they might only really need smaller to survive while they build. so, how many months of survival have you saved? that’s how much freedom you have.


now, i can’t give you actual numbers because i don’t know the life you live. we had savings from working in japan when we started. but we also live a very lean lifestyle. my only active subscription is apple music. the rest is for our business. no, i don’t miss netflix. yes, i love to batch cook & i save so much money from bulk shopping.

case in point, if you’re willing to sacrifice a bit, you can save more, you can leave sooner, and you’ll have more runway. this totally depends on your priorities.


takeaway: if you have the chance, put money aside before leaving.


next is your emergency plan. what’s your fallback - because business is unpredictable. the easiest here is to have an idea for like a part-time thing you can do. i had to take that start-up job before because we weren’t making much from the 2nd and 3rd brands we built. but after that, i focused on building yōso full time. it’s smart to have a back-up plan for when you may need extra cash to survive. don’t panic. find some sort of a “bridge work” from coaching or consulting. then rebuild.


i know everything sounds scary, but trust me, you can make this work.

3 signs you are ready to quit your job


now, how do you know when you’re ready? will you ever truly be ready? i don’t think we’re ever “ready” in life. but here are 3 signs you can look out for:


the box is suffocating

i talked about this in my last newsletter (you can watch it here if you prefer video). this is when you have zero motivation, and sometimes going to work is literally making you physically ill. you resent it, you’re always exhausted, and you feel like you’re stuck. i reached this tipping point in japan. i felt so uninspired, like my work didn’t matter anymore. i dragged myself to work each day. like you’re just “done” all the time. i don’t know how else to explain it.


the pull is strong

you feel like you’re being pulled toward a vision. maybe you get inspired by others doing the same thing. and you see there’s something more worthwhile you could be doing with your time and talents. you’re not necessarily just running away from a workplace you hate. you have this burning passion for “i wanna leave and start something on my own”. and it doesn’t come clearly, oftentimes you don’t know. you just know that you’re done with this chapter. you’re ready to move on and to start building.


you’ve reached your survival numbers

sometimes, it’s as simple as you have enough leeway to experiment and leave.


bonus sign: you just wanna start

sometimes it’s as simple as this too: you just wanna start. maybe you haven’t been working, or you feel lost and don’t really know what you want in life. then you realise you wanna start trying, for a change.

sometimes all you need is to take that first tiny step. and keep going, even if you lose your balance.

the emotional cost: the identity crisis


alright. i feel like i’ve covered all the practical stuff.


now i wanna shift my focus on the psychological & emotional aspects of venturing down this path. this is something i don’t really hear people talk about a lot.


when you lose your job & leave your 9-5 to start building something on your own, you’ll experience some sort of identity crisis. especially if you’ve been holding on to your label for years. there’s this grieving phase where you’re like, “well, i’m not a teacher anymore. who the fuck am i now then?”


and it’s strongest in the beginning. it comes with environmental and societal pressure too. the people who know you - your family, close friends, old colleagues - will start asking questions. oftentimes these questions are...valid. but oftentimes, they also make you feel uncomfortable, defensive, and even isolated.


things like:


“so what are you doing now if you don’t have a full-time job?”


“are you earning enough? how do you even survive doing this online thing?”


“how much do you make from that? do you have clients?”


“when you get a job again, you can do [insert activity here] again.”


“you can just go back to your old job.”


“so when are you getting a “real” job?”


it’s a terrible feeling when you hear people say these things. and it’s also equally terrible when they don’t say anything but you can just feel that they don’t believe in what you’re doing. like they have doubts. because they think the only metric for success is money. and they probably think you’ve lost your mind (which, i mean, maybe we have).


that’s why we prefer to keep it quiet. sometimes it’s better for your mental health to build silently - that way you don’t have to explain yourself to anyone. also, remember that you don’t need to prove yourself to anybody. it’s tough when you’re starting out, but you’re allowed to honour your own process, timing, and flow.

the isolation of the long game

this thing is not instant. the long game is difficult. the mental gymnastics and ebbs & flows of making everything work - it gets exhausting. and you can’t talk to your old crowd about it. because they’re still doing the same things.


that’s why doing this feels so isolating. most likely, you’re the only one in your circle actually building something. and most likely, they don’t fully understand how it feels. they don’t go through the roller coaster rides of one day you’re feeling so confident about the business, and the next you’re questioning your decisions. you panic and think, “maybe i should just go back to that job.” then you talk yourself out of it because you know, in your soul, it was time to go.


you’re probably reading this and thinking, “this sounds so overwhelming.” and i won’t lie to you, it is. it’s not easy. but. that’s why we’re here. we know how it feels to go through this alone. this is the reason i’m writing these newsletters. the reason i’m filming the videos. the reason i’m sharing our journey...so you know you’re not alone.


we’re here to listen, share stories, teach what we know, and support you through it all.


and i’m writing this for the person who will stumble on this a month from now, a year from now, even if that’s my future self, remind yourself why you started. and remember that all the sleepless nights are worth it in the end. just keep going.

redefining success in your business

here’s what i want you to know about success in this space:


success isn’t linear. some months you’ll land a $6,000 client. other months you’ll make $0. some days you’ll feel on top of the world. other days you’ll question everything.


but success is also waking up and working on something that’s yours. it’s not answering to anyone. it’s building at your own pace, in your own way, with your own values.


for us, success looks like: working from home, setting our own hours, saying no to clients who don’t align with our philosophy, and building something that feels true to who we are.


what does success look like for you?


finally, we’ve come to the end. i know this was a lot, and honestly, this doesn’t even scratch the surface. in my next newsletter, i’ll dive deep into our take on branding and teach you how to navigate the very interesting world of personal branding.


there will be more topics on leaving the 9-5 (this is just the beginning).


so, i’ll leave you with this: you don’t need to be perfect, you don’t even need a perfect plan. you also don’t need to be “ready”. you’ll never fully be ready.


we’ve been there. our clients have been there. we’re mentoring someone who’s literally in it right now. 3 months ago they had nothing (no direction, no portfolio, no clients). now they’re building a business & i believe they can make it like we have.


and you can too.

join the intentional journey

join our workshop on 22 april 2026. we’ll figure out what an intentional life looks like for you. and how to build it, step by step, without burning out.


or go deeper with the intentional journey. 12 weeks. 4 seasons. we’ll build your brand, your offer, and your business together.


you don’t have to wait for the collapse.


you can start now.


要素 yōso — essential elements only.


stay soulful,

jo from 要素 yōso studio

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