Yung Zo

@yungzo

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Self-Employed It’s been hectic and busy for me. I’m still on contract terms with the company (baby bassinet) that let me go, but i’ve been more ad hoc with what I do for them. They’re also overdue on my first invoice. I don’t think they have the funds and that’s partially why I’ve stopped doing any type of work for them. My other client (beachwear) that does pay, has started my new contract terms and has kept me super busy. Work keeps me interested and has me using ChatGPT. I’ve recently acquired a new client (eyewear) as well and will start doing work for them. This is a 3-month contract. The beachwear is 6-month and my baby bassinet is about a month more. I forget how much hustle being self employed requires. You have to sell yourself, project manage your task, book keep on top of your skills that you were hired for.

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The Markets, Geopolitical Climate, Tarrifs, and The Admin 2.0 has served as a big distraction this week and last. I don’t think I need that type of time and energy drain so I need to refocus and realign. Back to freelancing and project planning.

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Fears of Recession I'm fortunate that I'm able to try freelance for the foreseeable future. Yes, tariffs can and will impact my clients, which then affect me but I'm currently treading water. I've locked in a 6-month contract with higher pay-rate. I have another contract, which I need to take more advantage of, until June. My sister's company just laid off her entire Prod Dev group, but fortunate she got 3 months severance. Her company literally told the team the day after "Liberation Day" that they're getting rid of the department. Trump 2.0 admin is def playing FAFO, but apparently DGAF. I don't think he knows what he's doing and what consequences it brings, but as a marketer and con man he's saying things are intended. I think people forget how dysfunctional his last term was. Maybe this term his loyalist stooges are more aligned, but I wouldn't count in-house fighting and dysfunction. I think shit gets crazier.

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It's basically the end of my night. I'm trying to get some coding in, but my eyes want to shut. I think I'm actually sleeping in early tonight.

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Things could be worse, but things are ok. I don't want to complain too much. At times I feel stressed and overwhelmed, because I don't have control of things. I just recently created "large blocks" of time on my calendar that are dedicated for the two clients I have. I also make time in the morning just to gather and plan things for the day. I have a block of time to work outside and soak in the sun. I have blocked off time at night to just wind down and also make sure my hours are tracked correctly. This has given me more control and making me feel less overwhelmed. Of course, I make time where it's with family: Be with kids during breakfast, drop them off to school. Pick them up and eat dinner with them. Right now, vibing in my own lane while creating the lane at the same time.

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Thoughts / Mindfullness When I don't have time (or make time) to journal, I'll let my thoughts out on either here or my other anon journal type twitter account. Bad Vibes Just want to air out gripes. Not all clients are the same. I really dislike doing the tasks I have with one client, which was my previous employer. They're really are in a "throw as much shit on the wall and see what sticks" mode. I'm not really involved in any of the chaotic things they're trying to do. Instead I'm creating documentation and tutorials. I'm setting up meetings and going over procedures for the Marketing Team and Engineering Team. It work I really not aligned with doing, but I'm doing it because it pays a higher pay rate. However, I dread the work. Good Vibes I enjoy working with my other client. There are lots of tasks that actually involve developing and engineering. I actually just proposed a 6-month contract with higher pay rate and it looks like it will go into affect mid month.

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Life happens fast when too much shit is going on in your life... I haven't been doing my "mindfulness" routine, but will try. I just want to say, there's lots of stuff I can cry and complain about, but that doesn't do anything constructive. So below are some positives. > I got my annual (bi-annual) physical. Lab results good. Blood pressure has been in the normal/ideal range for the past 3 weeks now. > Fitness has been on point. I'm literally in the best shape in my life. Gradual changes was the key thing for me. Easier for me to maintain and to add things onto. > I'm locking in a 6-month contract, with higher hourly rate with my current client I took on this past year. > I'm still on contract with the company that let me go until June, but I really avoid trying to do work for them. > I have an "interview" with a potential client that has a higher hourly rate with 15-20 hours of work a week. > Family has healthcare coverage. Blessed 🙏

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Health & Fitness Progress - I’m now averaging 6 hours of sleep a day. -I still drink only 1 cup of coffee a day and 2 to 3 cups of decaf. - I go for more walks. I try to do it after a meal. - My blood pressure has been below 130/75 - I dropped a couple bounds this week. - I dropped 1/4” in waist - I can do more pull-ups, pushups, sit-ups I go in for my physical this coming week. Hopefully everything else is good!

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Health/Fitness Notables! Ever since I been monitoring my blood pressure, good things have occurred. > 1 cup of caffeinated coffee in the late morning or at lunch. > 2-3 cups of decaf (morning, sometimes afternoon, and evening) > 1 bottle (24oz) first half of the day > Another 24oz the second half of the day > I am almost averaging 6 hours of sleep. I was sleeping 3-4 hours prior. On weekends I'm sleeping 7-8 hours of sleep. I was also on a manageable workout schedule. Very basic and simple. I try to cover pushups, squats, and situps. I'm not the type to do everything all at once, so I break up the sets throughout the day. The middle of the sets are where most of the reps are. I do flexibility exercises at night before bed. I also started to add more "steps" into my routine. I'm now back to the weight and measurements I had pre-holiday parties last year. I think it's totally possible I can get to my ideal weight by summer.

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I also have some ideas that I want to build out as well. I have one simple app idea that I wanted to create. A one page resume, portfolio, and blog. It's basically linktree and similar services, but something I want to mess with for my own personal project. I'd use a tech stack I'm familiar with like WordPress, but use it as a backend and try new tech to create the app (Svelte, React,Vue or others). I also want to open up an online plant shop. This is more so a hobby as I have tons of plants that I grow at home (foxtail agaves, aloe vera plants, snake plants, and more). It would be a cool e-commerce project. It would be a nice learning experience. I tried selling concrete planters on Etsy and I actually made money. That was fun. If I'm serious, I really need to just keep jotting things down and start forming them into plans.

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I'm also seeing a trend, at least with the recruiters I've talked to, that more of the companies hiring Shopify Frontend Developers are contract or contract-to-hire. I found one job post interesting and I applied. It's part time 15-20 hours a week, but hourly rate is high. I think if I were to land this or a job similar, I'd try working freelance for at least a year. No benefits, but all I really need is health care and I've qualified for state health insurance that seems to be decent coverage. Ideally, yes, a full time job would be nice but if I can land more clients the freelance isn't bad as well.

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Busy Week! I'm trying to get settled. I'm at a weird area in my "work" life. I'm not technically unemployed, but I've a week removed from being let go as a full time worker who had benefits. Last week, I was actively searching, interviewing and meeting with recruiters. This week, has slowed down, but I'm busy with actual freelance work. My "backup" job, that I thought I could fallback to in the case I can't land a full-time job has basically shown some concerns since they know the salary they'll offer me is low and that I would be a "flight risk". However, they do want me, because I'm more responsive then the agency they're using now. I have the opportunity to take on tons of hours, but lower pay, if I give a 3-6 month commitment if they get rid of there current agency. On top of that, I signed a contract with the former company that let me go and working as a contractor with them as well with a max of 30 hours a week. It's higher rate and runs until the summer.

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Gratitude I’m taking this moment in my morning to share some gratitude. With all that’s happened in this week alone, with months of feeling anxious, stressed, dread. There’s a silver lining. I have some renewed life in design and development. I still have ideas of what i’d like to do, accomplish, produce and create. I’m here at my oldest daughter’s tennis practice. It’s sunny, after days of raining, and life is good. It’s easy to complain, especially about the environment I was creating for myself, but taking the time to soak everything in. Everything is good. There will be anxiety, frustration, and anger along the way, but I need to be confident. I am good enough. I can do anything as long as I want it. Enjoying the moments I have right now.

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I have some interviews/meetings lined up, but ideally would like to lock something in by end of month. I have an opportunity to become full-time under my former coworker who Im freelancing for. It's much lower pay, but I can work from home. Or possibly work hybrid and get a little more pay. However, TBH, beggars can't be choosers and I want my family to be covered with benefits so I'm thinking I take the full-time position with my former coworker. It would leave me with less stress and can cover expenses (but it doesn't cover all). I can try working more freelance projects as well. Still going through the motions...

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Unemployed / Day #2 I've been having tons of emails, text, calls with recruiters this week. I've caught up with old colleagues. I confident enough to say I'll land on my feet. However, I think there's tradeoffs that I'll have to be ok with. Part of me wants to be like "FK IT" and enjoy some time away. Then another part of me feels I need to always be on the hustle to find something. I still have freelance (indefinitely) with my former coworker. I also signed a contract with the company that let me go that allows me to do contract work for them. However, I'm not sure how it works and I'm not hopping on there stand-up calls or going online there Slack messaging. I think I need a break from my old company, which is why I'm not really trying to push for any tasks from them.

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Unemployed I think things still are settling and I'm kind of going with the flow. First day was more of a "I'm not surprised, but I'm surprised" type of vibe. Third day in, it's sinking in, but trying not to stress. I have some runway, but I also want to make good use of time and skills before my mind goes to shit. A good reflection and writing session should help this. For now, will just kind of post random thoughts/feelings here.

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Ok, now that I got that out there, where do I start? Luckily, I went 99.9% cash with trading accounts. I have crypto gains and stock gains. I have available funds that can last us awhile. I do have taxes to pay this year. I have my daughters birthday coming up as well. Other than that, I'll be on "save all the money i can" mode and also work freelance hours. This is the second time I've ever gone through a layoff, but I'm ok with it. I feel relief, but I know I need to find another job or something.

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Prior to that, I asked if I can personally donate to both my kids fundraiser jog-a-thon but use the company's name to help out the school PTA Event. I didn't ask them to donate, I just asked if I could put there name down. Anyways.... they said it was fine, but they felt bad because they wouldn't donate. Again, no problem, but just weird. Then I get a message before noon, asking "Are you free for a call now?", which felt like it was implied we had a call setup prior. I don't recall any call being setup, but I told my Director I was free. I get a zoom link and that's when I knew i'd probably get dropped.

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The Shoe Dropped! TLDR: I was just let go of today. I got a month's worth of severance and offered contract work for the time being. I'm just thinking things through and letting things settle in first. This is kind of my mind dump of everything and how I'm feeling, thinking, and just going through it. ... I posted earlier that I used ChatGPT to help update my resume. For the past month or since start of the year, there has been a weird vibe from the workplace. No one really saying anything, but the tea leaves were there. The feeling I had last month about just waiting for the shoe to drop, well it dropped today. It was weird. I'm not surprised, but still weird. Just this weekend I did some work, because my Director of Marketing called me up about something.

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NGL, when ChatGPT/AI came out. I was turned off by it. People kept saying how great it is, this and that. I tried it here and there, but was like "whatevs". More recently though, I've started using it. Now that I have purpose in using it, it's been a great tool. I had it update my resume. I had it helped me with coding. I had it help me come up with a plan to lower my blood pressure. It's very cool tech, that I can understand now and see how it can give "google" search competition.

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