I am an accidental project manager AND an accidental freelancer

I am an accidental project manager AND an accidental freelancer.

(Pictured is a throwback to a moment when I decided to document this accidental journey back in 2020).

The first time I realized I might be a project manager was 8ish years ago when I was working at a SaaS startup.

A friend of mine was managing clinical trials and had just discovered project management was her thing.

She excitedly shared her discovery with me, and after the conversation I remember having an aha moment myself, thinking:

"There are finally words that describe what I do!"

(Which was a big surprise because I thought project management only existed in construction. 😂 )

From that moment on I began identifying as a project manager even though I didn't have the job title yet.

And I did what project managers do: I read the PMBOK and studied different methodologies and tried my best to learn the lingo. But most of all, I excitedly shared my learnings with my team, applying frameworks and various techniques where it made sense.

In fact, on more than one occasion my team mates informed me that I was the most passionate and enthusiastic project manager they had ever met!

After the startup closed and I was left jobless during the pandemic, this passion and enthusiasm led to sharing my discoveries with the world on my YouTube channel.

I wasn't the most trained or experienced project manager, but I was genuinely interested in helping other people find their own aha moments in the lessons I had learned.

So I shared what I tried, what worked, what didn't, how I interpreted different tools, and generally how to be an everyday project manager.

During this time, finding clients and making money wasn't even on my radar, but it happened anyway.

People began to reach out to request my services. And that's how my consulting business was born.

Finally, one day I realized that not only was I an accidental project manager, but I was also an accidental freelancer. 💡

Today, I'm an intentional project manager AND an intentional freelancer, still just as excited as ever.

And that intersection is what I share about here, in my newsletter and on my YouTube channel, with the hope that my insight and experience will help you on your journey. 💙

➡️ Are you an accidental anything? Share your experience below!