We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Rachael Berthiaume a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Rachael, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Owning a business isn’t always glamorous and so most business owners we’ve connected with have shared that on tough days they sometimes wonder what it would have been like to have just had a regular job instead of all the responsibility of running a business. Have you ever felt that way?

I am happier as a business owner, but I definitely think about going back to a regular job quite often. When I first started my business in 2021 as a social media assistant I had a part-time job on the side for an entire year as I grew my client base. Like most people, it was drilled into me that the way the world operated was you worked a 9-5 job for the rest of your life. So the fact that I had ventured into self-employment was already a huge leap from how I was taught that ‘success’ was achieved. After the excitement of starting my own business wore off, that’s when the thoughts like “what have I done”or “I need to get a ‘proper’ job” started trickling in, despite having a full client roster and having gone full-time in my business a year after starting it. Imposter syndrome took hold as I compared myself to others on the internet and friends in ‘regular jobs’ who seemed to be doing so much better than me and making so much more money than me. I was really lucky to work with some really amazing entrepreneurs but they were solo business owners themselves. Their hearts and dreams were big but their budgets were small. At this time I was still learning about setting appropriate pricing, establishing myself as a business owner and understanding how much money I needed to make to provide for myself comfortably. I was constantly in an internal fight between what I was taught to be true about careers and success and what I was learning could be another option. As we entered the year 2025 the idea of getting a ‘regular job’ got stronger and stronger as I watched the people around me getting raises from their corporate jobs, maxing out their Roth IRA’s and getting their clothes dry cleaned just because they could. Being self employed gave me freedom over my own time, which to me was a perk I couldn’t imagine giving up. I was getting the recommended eight hours of sleep every night, but I had no savings. Was it better to be practical or be able to go grocery shopping whenever I wanted? In April of 2025 I spent a month in Ireland. Traveling is very important to me and I create travel content on the side. I had an amazing time, but when I came back I couldn’t ignore it any longer. This was when I had to face the reality that maybe I didn’t have a choice but to get a ‘regular job’ to support myself. I began the (agonizing) task of filtering through old files to find my resume, and browsing job sites. I had always associated a W2 job or salary job with stability. I was tired of being worried about money and how to run a business. But something happened when I eventually found an old resume in the archives of my hard drive and began to write cover letters. I felt dread. Dread worse than when I was facing the lowest month that year in my business after I came back from Ireland and was worried I wasn’t going to be able to make rent. It had been a big decision to start my business and go full-time a year later, and it would be another big decision to let it all go for a desk job. For the next few months I went back and fourth. I searched for job openings on Indeed when I was in a low moment and considered deleting my resumes again whenever I remembered why I wanted to continue with my business. Letting myself consider going to a ‘regular job’ was exactly what I needed to realize that I still wanted to continue this new way of life I was creating for myself. It made me look at the present where I was at a crossroads. I knew in my gut that not only would I be unhappy at a ‘regular job’ but that my brain doesn’t work best in that environment. So I set off on a mission to find myself as a business owner again and make the changes necessary to build my business back up. And that’s where I’m currently at now. I’m revisiting my priorities, updating my website and business goals for what I want now. I’ve also realized that if I ever decide to quit the unemployment life and get a ‘regular job’ that’s totally fine too.

Rachael, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

My name is Rachael and my business story starts during the pandemic. I, thankfully, graduated college in 2019 and was working as a Sales Coordinator at a local hotel and conference center. In college I had completed multiple social media internships and even had my own lifestyle blog where I was self-educating myself on marketing, copywriting, etc. A few months after being laid off in 2020, I decided to try to pursue a different career path. I took some time setting up a foundation for my business, including a new website, branding and messaging, and started to put out a few feelers on my social media for opportunities. My very first client was a woman I had went to high school with who wanted help with the social media for her podcast. My duties were to create graphics, write copy, schedule content and provide analytics reports. When I first started promoting my services there was a lot of interest. Not all of them panned out, naturally, but within the year I had a full client roster and was committing to this work full time. My main services involved content strategy, content creation, and content calendar management for online business owners. As you can imagine, at this time around 2021, online businesses were popping up like crazy so there was definitely a need. I really enjoyed working 1:1 with other women entrepreneurs. Most of the time, I was their only other team member and the first person they had ever hired. I really appreciated their trust to let me into their business as it was still growing. At the beginning, I helped my clients to create and maintain a basic, but consistent, social media presence through a strong brand identity. I also enjoyed conducting brainstorming sessions, where we could bounce ideas off of each other and just provide a listening ear.

As a new business owner myself, I wore a lot of hats. If my clients needed help with other aspects of their business, I said yes. I delved into email marketing, podcast outreach, community management, photography and videography…the list goes on. Eventually, I found aspects of the work I liked and was good at and realized what I wanted to leave behind. I was really lucky to work with clients who let me flex my creative wings. In this industry that isn’t always possible.

When I work with clients I really aim to provide a personalized experience. Every client has different needs and goals and I value them as people, so I always strive to be flexible, understanding, and bring a fresh perspective to every project. I’m most proud of my ability to capture my clients voice and brand identity. I’m all about creating authentic content that is fun and attractive to their ideal audience.

As my business has grown over the last 4 years I am transitioning from strictly social media to offering more tailored and thoughtful content marketing like blog posts and short form videos.

Working in the online space, I really prioritize taking time away from the screen and love to do that by reading, crafting, taking a walk, or exploring a new city. On the side I create content when I’m solo traveling the world and am starting to host group trips and work with travel brands. Over the years I’ve realized I don’t have to limit myself to only one income stream and that I work better when I’m not putting all my eggs in one basket.

What’s been the most effective strategy for growing your clientele?

The most effective strategy for me to grow my clientele has been referrals! Once I had a solid foundation of clients under my belt is when this strategy began to work for me. I work as a contractor for business owners or brands so I’m brought on to help them with their social media and marketing, indefinitely. I get to know my clients business, as well as them personally. Because of that, trust grows and I’ve found most of my clients, current or former, have recommended me to their peers. People will only feel comfortable referring you if they trust you but also if you provide good and honest work. Not every referral will lead to a client, but the more you get referred, the more likely you are to get a new gig. I’ve also been lucky enough to have been referred by family and friends. When people need to hire someone, they reach out to their connections first, before resorting to the internet to find candidates. If you keep your personal circle up-to date on your business and openings, and always provide a positive customer experience, then you’ll get referrals!

Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative?

I think most non-creatives believe that creative people are naturally talented, that they are just born that way. While some people may be naturally gifted, that isn’t always the case. As someone who identifies as a ‘creative person’, I am not inherently gifted in the creative ways, I just like it. Trust me, I wish working in a creative field came easy to me, but it doesn’t. Think about this: there are people who are naturally better at math than others. But just because someone is bad at math, doesn’t mean they can’t learn and thrive in a math related field. Being a ‘creative’ is the same. It all takes practice, time, and education.

There’s also the assumption that jobs under the ‘creative’ umbrella pay less and there are fewer opportunities. Once you get into the space, you realize how many people are in need of your services. There is definitely competition, but there is enough work to go around. I think it’s hard for ‘non-creatives’ to understand why anyone would take a ‘creative job’ over a job that pays more and has better benefits. In my experience, it’s about freedom. Freedom of time, expression, and overall agency.

I also don’t believe in ‘non-creatives’. All human beings are creative, at their very core. Just because you are ‘good’ (I think this is subjective, hence the air quotes) at painting or writing, that doesn’t make you a better creative. A ‘bad’ painter is still a creative person.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://unplannedinpink.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/unplannedinpink
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rachael-berthiaume10/
• Other: Tik Tok: www.tiktok.com/@unplannedinpink

Image Credits

All images are my own