An Accidental Entrepreneur: Turning Setbacks into Opportunities
by Marquia Farmer

“Friend, I am doing this because I want to preserve our friendship.” Imagine that being the last thing you hear as you are informed that your contract will not be renewed, and you have 30 days to figure it out. I felt like I failed as Dean of Community Partnerships, I failed as a school leader, and I failed my students. Mind you, I never loved the job; I loved my students and the ability to enhance their experience, but that job? Nah. I didn’t love working at a charter school, and I didn’t love the idea of being a school leader. The job was okay enough—it was better than my role as an essential worker during the start of the pandemic (Hey Covid), but that was all I knew. That was the day I was thrust into entrepreneurship.

Unlike many, I never dreamed of owning my own business. But when the rug gets swept from under you, or the sh*t hits the fan, you understand the importance of pivoting and trusting in the skills you have. I like to call myself an accidental entrepreneur. I didn’t have a plan—it was definitely a build-it-as-you-fly situation. But the one thing I knew I could count on was myself. I had skills and experience, and I could make something happen. This was also an opportunity to do something I was genuinely passionate about.

I was fortunate enough to get a boost of confidence from one of Palette’s Sheroes, Lauren Boyer, who saw my situation and said she wouldn’t hire me but would let me take her on as a consultant and figure it out from there. Talk about a golden parachute! Even though I struggled—Could I actually be successful? Could I make this happen? What would I even do? I remember back in 2016 when I threw an awesome Beyoncé-themed brunch that made me feel something. I also recalled the brightest spots in my 6-12 experience were planning events for my students. And honestly, going further back to my youth and college days, I loved planning. So, I proposed to Lauren that I could handle her company events, and she agreed.

She was my first client, and it was a learning experience. I didn’t know anything about her company’s industry, and I never really wanted to work in corporate, but I took the challenge, and the rest is history. In taking on my first client, I realized I had an opportunity to build something meaningful. I was able to curate experiences for people that I felt passionate about and that were making a positive impact in the world. I also was able to bring my whole self to the table. I didn’t have to code-switch or show up as my representative; I could be me.

Often, when we show up to work, we do so in a performative way to be more palatable or to appeal to those we think we want to work with. By showing up as my whole self, I am finding clients that align with the vision I have for myself and the way I want to leave my mark on this world. Being fired is a curse. We think that “failing” at something represents who we are—we give so much power to our titles at work, but those titles mean nothing if they’re not feeding your soul.

Before I left, I knew that job wasn’t supposed to be my forever, but I was too scared to make a significant change. I didn’t “know” what I was good at. If you are in a similar position or have that inkling that maybe where you are isn’t for you, chances are you are right. You are so much more capable than you are giving yourself credit for. Find that thing that motivates you and find ways to share whatever gifts you have with the world. Take the leap of faith; your drive and authenticity will carry you to success–I can promise it will go much better than you think.

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