Working for an agency can be a tough gig. In a lot of them you are overworked and underpaid and there is little you can do about it.

The worker in this story did do something about it and is doing great.

Check out her inspiring business success story.

But I Don’t Even Have a Contract!

My boss discovered me when I was 16 and hired me for his social media agency because I had 81,000 followers.

By the time I was 21, I was a social media manager, visual branding designer, copywriter, photographer, video editor, and web developer.

So she had an aha moment.

I also had no contracts with him to keep me from working directly with people instead of via his agency.

So one day I told him that I was leaving the company to start my own media venture and he laughed patronizingly.

But all the clients who had come to me directly wanting to work with me alone instead of my boss’s agency came rushing to me.

In November 2018, the landlord, who I’d be doing some work for, told me that he was kicking my old boss out of the office.

He had failed to pay rent for three months.

Then everything fell into place.

So the landlord proposed that we go into business together to create a separate media studio solely focused on the industry his business operates within.

He said that we’d take the old company’s office once my former boss had moved out and that I could also use that office for my own freelance venture, free of charge.

One year after leaving, I’ve taken 25% of my old boss’ clients, occupied his office, and quadrupled my income.

Here is what people are saying.

I agree — it takes so much courage! Especially when you’re used to being exploited.

Great tip! But it sounds like she may already have more work than she can handle.

Unfortunately a lot of people start agencies just to make money off other people’s work while paying them peanuts.

Toxic is the perfect word. It’s so common and everyone can do better.

It’s weird to you because you have good business sense. Her boss did not.

What a pro!

I hope she is a better boss to her staff.

If you liked that post, check out this one about an employee that got revenge on HR when they refused to reimburse his travel.