I made $100,000 in 7 months with no business experience.

When I was 17 years old, I was obsessed with comics. I read, collected, and drew. The only world I knew was that of sequential art. I didn't fit in at school, felt aimless studying for high school entrance exams and doing homework, and suffered from anxiety and depression.

Drawing pictures was very therapeutic and soothing. I was hiding behind my character's challenges and distracting myself from my own. When my parents gave me my first laptop, I started posting my comics online and created a webcomic called Majesty.

Surprisingly, Majesty went viral. It quickly gained thousands of fans from all over the world. My inbox was filled with fan mail and fan art every day, and I continued to write about her until I was in my early 20s. It was ranked number one on topwebcomics.com for years.

I had signed a deal with a specialty publisher, and it was surreal to receive pictures from fans holding hard copies in their hands and how excited they were to finally get their hands on my comics.

All my dreams were coming true. I thought, “This is it. Everything is going to happen to me now.” But then came the Great Recession. That was the beginning of the end of my fame and success.

My publisher went out of business. Website traffic is slow. I tried to make new connections and get my series picked up by major companies, but no one was interested. So I pivoted and tried to find a full-time job.

I wanted to get my big break at Disney Animation Studios, so I studied animation at SVA and Brooklyn College in New York. I traveled back and forth between New York and Los Angeles, visiting studios, asking about open positions, and meeting people who seemed to know the right people, to no avail.

Despite winning two awards for my comics, I still hadn't gotten a single response out of the countless resumes and portfolios I'd sent.

I was exhausted trying to break into entertainment. I couldn't sleep at night. I was anxious and worried about my future and felt like a failure.

I continued to draw my own illustrations while doing freelance animation work. After my disappointment, I realized something. It means that I no longer feel fulfilled. His skills made him feel like he was destined for something bigger than working 12 hours in a studio.

The anxiety-filled side of me urged me to distance myself from the world and stick to my paintings, but my heart wanted to make an impact on life.

Then I discovered the world of graphic design and freelancing. I had plenty of digital art experience from making comics, so I learned more about design with each job I took on.

It started with several university professors recommending me to their colleagues, and my name started to spread among small business owners. Thanks to word of mouth, my small freelance job grew into a full-time business by his 2011, within a year of graduating from college.

I worked for a variety of companies, from marketing agencies to jewelry stores. It was exhilarating to see the tangible results of my design work as my client's business flourished.

I had come a long way from comics when I felt immense satisfaction in helping brands grow. I wasn't just working for myself anymore. I was helping others realize their dreams and it felt great.

Everything was fine until 2019. By this time I was a mother to her two children and was juggling the demands of parenthood with her hourly design job. The passionate flame that once fueled my creativity was completely extinguished by burnout, and I was no longer able to continue working late into the night for paychecks.

I felt like I was stuck in a never-ending wheel of serving customers that didn't align with my true vision. I worked with him for 8 years, every month he was handling 10-12 clients at a time, and no matter how many times he increased his rates, he still wasn't making enough money.

I've reached my breaking point. I told myself that if I didn't meet my business goals by the end of the year, I would quit design.

With this conscious decision to rebrand myself, I set two major goals. That is to buy a house and the proceeds reach his $100,000. Since I had no real business experience, I started listening to podcasts and reading as much as I could about growing a business.

I ran my business differently by setting goals and being intentional about growing my business. I made sure every action I took and each client I worked with was aligned with those goals.

My social media approach was more strategic, finding my target mompreneurs (which I understand deeply as I am a mompreneur myself) and building customized offers and branding packages just for them.

I was no longer “just a graphic designer.” With a fresh perspective, I'm now the CEO of my own brand, helping moms build their businesses from scratch. Within a few weeks of changing our approach, we were booking high-value clients. After just seven months, I made my first $100,000 annual income, and in 2021, my husband and I bought a home on Long Island.

Today, I am dedicated to empowering mothers around the world to turn their dreams into reality and grow businesses that bring them joy and fulfillment. The satisfaction I get from witnessing their success is the most important reward for me, and what once warmed my heart has now translated into tangible, life-changing results. Similar to “Fan Letter”.

Here's what I learned: Life unfolds in mysterious and unexpected ways, often charting a course we could never have predicted.

Sometimes our grandest ambitions fade into the background, making room for something even more special. These moments of change are not always obvious. They can present themselves as a challenge and make you question whether it's worth pursuing your dreams.

So, am I still painting? sometimes. My 8 year old son loves drawing with me. He reads my comics and is a big fan of mine.

I haven't completely left comics, but I feel very right where I am right now. I haven't had depression in all these years and have done some mindset work to manage my anxiety by practicing gratitude and abundance.

Serving others instead of just focusing on myself not only made me feel more aligned and whole, but it also helped me run a successful business.

I may not be a famous comic book illustrator or Disney animator, but that's okay. Because now I finally feel fulfilled. I am living my true purpose.

Michelle Moses is a brand strategist and business coach who helps mompreneurs launch and run their dream businesses. Her Branding Her Checklist is available for free download at michellemozes.com.

All views expressed in this article are the author's own.

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