At a recent talk on entrepreneurship, someone punched me with a tough question: what did I do between starting a personal blog 12 years ago when I was 17 and running my own company today?

Of course I knew what I was doing - freelance writing and then freelance consulting for different brands - but how did that work contribute to what I have now? Freelancing is the foundation of all I’ve achieved and I am grateful for the opportunities that I have had along the way. I learned so much as a freelancer! I thought I’d share five lessons that I apply to my daily life in the hopes that this will make you think about how you work.

Finding my first mentor was life-changing. She contributed so much to whatever success I have now, because for the first time, someone was able to show me that it was possible to have a different life than what my parents and school initially taught me. Because of that person, I saw a path to being an entrepreneur! I was a freelance marketing consultant for her business, but eventually, I began to understand that I could be more - with a little bit of guidance.

Mentors are people whom you look up to for advice, wisdom, and opportunities. They are role models that you seek for guidance; ideally, you have a long-term relationship with them where they share their method to success. They can be massively influential to your personal and professional growth. But here comes the daunting task: how do you find a mentor?

I started my freelance career from zero. I didn’t have money, connections, nor even the “right” degree to guide me in this particular line of work. I truly knew nothing at first, but I just jumped in and learned what I needed on the go! And of course, I had the Internet. The web is the single most powerful tool that was (and still is) at my disposal since it has made it possible for me to get my name out there, freelance full-time, and finally build my own company.

The road to running my own company at 28 was an unexpected one. I always thought I’d be working a corporate job for most of my life and maybe finally running my own business when I retire. But things didn’t quite work out the way I planned! It’s challenging and often exhausting, but I honestly can’t imagine my life any other way - and it was all because of blogging.