Ridicule and redundancies
Matthew’s Story
“My very first job I worked with 4 wonderful people. My second job is where life went downhill rapidly. I ended up there for 6 toxic years. It was the worst period of my life.”
Matthew’s story speaks of the powerlessness we can face when working for others. Where toxic work cultures and bullying left him feeling like he had no voice. He felt he was never being listened to and having to pull the weight of others who really just couldn’t be arsed.
In 18 years working in the corporate treadmill he was made to feel lifeless, bullied and depressed. Overall his experience was marred by years of suffering, redundancies, bullies and stress.
“If it wasn’t managers it was horrible colleagues. I worked with a lot of lovely people, but toxic people bring a whole place down and that happened pretty much everywhere.”
It is one particular part of Matthew’s story which shocked me to my core, “I was signed off with stress, I suffered from depression and my epilepsy wasn’t controlled at the time. When I was hospitalised after suffering a seizure in work, I was made fun of and ridiculed all the time. I reached a point where I just wanted to walk in front of a train, I was so low.”
Luckily, Matthew had the support and understanding of his family, and another colleague who was having similar workplaces issues, “One of my work friends at the time was suffering too, we struck up a good friendship and would socialise outside of work. Our mutual suffering created a good friendship.”
After leaving the toxic workplace years earlier Matthew trained to be a copywriter. When he was made redundant again, he leapt into freelance life. For a couple of weeks, he didn’t know what he was going to do, but he managed to land a retainer client before his notice period ended - and he hasn’t looked back!
“It felt good when I landed the retainer knowing I’d have a small amount of guaranteed income right from the off.”
Looking back at the experiences that led to self-employment, he can now look at the positives, “The way I see it, those experiences got me to where I am today. It took me 8 years from leaving that toxic workplace to work for myself, but it was worth the wait.”
For Matthew, the biggest benefit of self-employment has been doing what he wants, when he wants. Not having to clock in and out. Or even finishing early. And he feels he can be himself, with a tone of voice that is undoubtedly true to him, “On my website I even ask the question, ‘Find writing about your business a pain in the arse?’ I have had so many comments and enquiries from people which start with a comment appreciating that I say arse on my website. I’m me. I love what I do, and I want to work with business owners who are dead laid-back and fun”.
As for the biggest challenge? “Finding regular work. We all want a quick fix, the fact is, there isn’t one. It takes years of showing up and building relationships to get regular work that earns you a living.”. Wise words!
When it comes to tackling the challenges of self-employment, mindset shift plays a key role. Matthew echoes what I hear from many freelancers, and that is that he works harder and longer now than he ever did working for somebody else. “I’d never work past my ‘set’ hours in the final few years of ‘office’ work. I just wanted to do my hours and go home. Since working for myself I start every day at 7:30, and most of the time work through to around half 5, 6 o’clock. But freelancing has been everything I expected and more, so I don’t mind”.
Would he work for others again? “I know I wouldn’t work as hard. I’m not really fussed about having colleagues either. I only see my wife most days, and that’s more than enough for me.” Speaking of his lovely lady Matthew says “My wife said when I left that job in 2010, a weight lifted. I didn't show up at her house looking sad and beaten at the end of the week. I smiled and was just really happy”.
Long may the happiness continue.
Matt Drzymała
Copywriter and owner of Indelible Think Copywriting.
Website: indeliblethink.co.uk
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/matthewdrzymala/
Twitter: twitter.com/indeliblethink1
Instagram: instagram.com/indeliblethink
