7 Steps to Escape the Rat Race in Under 6 Months

Escaping the rat race was the best decision of my life.

If I had to do it again, here're the 7 steps I'd take do it in under 6 months.

🧵

— Kieran Drew (@ItsKieranDrew) April 1, 2023

Pick one skill.

Screw passion. That's an outcome of hard work.

Instead, pick a skill that:

1. You enjoy
2. Makes money

You can worry about the rest when you're free.

Some examples:

— Kieran Drew (@ItsKieranDrew) April 1, 2023

High value online skills:

•SEO
•Direct sales
•Web design
•Copywriting
•Graphic design
•Email marketing
•Social media marketing

Pick one – pivot later.

— Kieran Drew (@ItsKieranDrew) April 1, 2023

Get to work.

What you do outside your 9-5 determines your 9-5.

Netflix won’t solve your problem. Partying isn't the answer.

It's gonna be tough.

But so is everything worthwhile.

Your day job now funds your future career, so here's what to do:

— Kieran Drew (@ItsKieranDrew) April 1, 2023

Upskill

Most people want clients immediately.

But here's the truth:

The fastest way to get paid is to get good.

Study and practice relentlessly before you do outreach. 2 months 'going slow' will help you go fast.

— Kieran Drew (@ItsKieranDrew) April 1, 2023

Build on Twitter.

Everything you need for your business is here:
- Clients
- Network
- Motivation

Share as you learn to build your presence.

You don't need to be an expert.

But you should be a professional.

Present like one. Write clearly.

— Kieran Drew (@ItsKieranDrew) April 1, 2023

Help for free.

If finding clients was easy, everyone would do it.

But most of the time, the problem is internal. You don't believe you can help.

Offer your service to your network for free.

Overdeliver.

Gain confidence. Collect testimonials.

— Kieran Drew (@ItsKieranDrew) April 1, 2023

Find your first client.

Don't try build the perfect offer. Money isn't the aim here. Momentum is. You need to hustle hard to get that first win:

Do outreach.
Market yourself.
Ask your network.

This is a numbers game. Don't stop until that first digital dollar arrives.

— Kieran Drew (@ItsKieranDrew) April 1, 2023

Scale the side hustle.

Every client is an opportunity to create another. Smash your service. Ask for referrals. Keep creating compelling content.

Soon, you'll have a reasonable side hustle.

Don't make this mistake:

— Kieran Drew (@ItsKieranDrew) April 1, 2023

Quit when you can.

Screw the advice 'wait to replace your current income'

Sure, don't take stupid risks. But if you can make $2k/month with 10hrs a week, what happens when you have 50?

Once you have signal & a safety net, bet on yourself.

Enjoy your freedom 🥂

— Kieran Drew (@ItsKieranDrew) April 1, 2023

TL;DR

The 6 month 'screw your 9-5' escape plan:

1. Pick a skill
2. Build on Twitter
3. Help friends for free
4. Collect testimonials
5. Find your first client
6. Overdeliver and scale
7. Quit your 9-5 when safe

Digital freedom is worth every effort.

— Kieran Drew (@ItsKieranDrew) April 1, 2023