Tell us a bit about what you do for work and what you love about what you do.
I'm a self-employed Graphic Designer, Illustrator, Social Media expert. My specialty is mostly (but not limited to) digital and print with a combination of video, illustration, and social media in the world of entertainment, fashion, and beauty. As cliche as it sounds – I really love being my own boss. I love working remotely from the comfort of my home. I have less anxiety and overall stress. And, I really love connecting with other people in my field.
What do the next 3-5 years look like for you and your family?
On a personal note, my husband and I are trying to buy a house. I'm a bit risk averse when it comes to my career and finances because we truly never know what the future brings. I graduated college in 2010 after the last recession and remember how difficult it was to pay my monthly student loan payments, let alone find a job that wasn't minimum wage (I worked minimum wage at Target for 2 years!), so that is always something that is on my mind. And COVID-19 puts a lot of unknowns out there in terms of what the market will look like (both for housing and jobs). But pushing those unknowns aside, I want to continue helping companies (small and large!) and individuals with their marketing and sales.
How do you use Catch to help you meet your goals?
I found Catch when I was just starting out as a full-time freelancer and my head was spinning trying to figure out a better way to organize my taxes and retirement savings. I gave it a go! Catch has been a lifesaver.
Now I use Catch for my taxes, savings, time off, retirement, and health insurance. I have the Family Leave option available as well for when that time in my life arises.Without Catch, I don't think I'd be as on-top of my retirement savings, and I'd have more anxiety about my taxes. With one click of a button, I'm able to take out the funds from each check and automatically have it sent to the separate accounts. I also have the Autopilot activated as well, which allows me to automatically apply contributions without me interacting.
Why did you decide to use Catch to enroll in health insurance?
Before Catch, I was using the Marketplace to purchase healthcare. When it was time to "renew" or change up the plan, Catch had just released their health insurance service and I was able to take a look. The prices were actually cheaper for me via Catch than with the Marketplace, not to mention the process was a WHOLE lot easier than via the Marketplace. It was straight forward and quick versus the Marketplace website which I've always found to be confusing and super slow.
What's one piece of advice you'd give to someone starting to work for themselves in your field?
Pay yourself. Recognize how much you need to get paid to make ends meet and then some. Invest in yourself: sometimes that means adding to your retirement savings, other times that means taking time off for yourself! I also highly recommend taking courses to build-up your skillsets.