Hi, I’m Laurie Ruettimann. I’ve been blogging since 2004.
In the beginning, I wrote about life behind the scenes in the HR department at Pfizer. My blog covered why I hated my job, why team building is for suckers, and all the vulnerable thoughts in my head around careers, internal corporate politics, and even my weight.
The old blog blew up. I had millions of views. I was invited to write for AOL. (Yes, that old thing.) They had a thriving homepage that needed content. So, I asked for a package from Pfizer and started contributing on the internet under my own name.
You can read all about the early days in my book Betting On You.
I Burned The Boats
Once I started writing as myself, things took off.
My career advice (not my body) was featured on The Suicide Girls. The Conference Board asked me to write for their magazine (which is now shuttered), Forbes named my website as one of the top websites and asked me to write for them. I also wrote for websites like Business Insider and Vox. CNN named me as one of their top career advisors in a digital campaign, and I spoke on stages like SXSW and Harvard Business School.
This is all before you ever heard of Twitter.
Mistakes Were Made
The biggest mistake I ever made was leaving that job at Pfizer. Full stop. It was so cushy. It paid well. I was competent enough to get paid for decades without ever getting fired. I could’ve blogged anonymously until I had more knowledge about how to run a business.
The second biggest mistake I ever made was leaving Pfizer without my MBA. My first boss, Tracy, practically yelled at me for not going back to school. I was leaving money on the table. Was I really comfortable with that?
Apparently, I was fine being dumb.
I remember telling her, “I’m just working to pay for landscaping and vacations.”
Goddamn, the hubris of it all.
Lessons Learned
When it comes to life, the best time to plan for the future is 20 years ago. The second best time is today.
I could’ve launched my business with so much more stability and knowledge. Instead, I let my severance package and gut instincts drive my decision-making. Those lessons are now folded into my coaching practice, where I sing the praises of doing a premortem. Let’s figure out how things can go wrong (while you still have a paycheck) before you burn the boat.
Now, clearly, I did a few things right. But it took years to learn that being a consultant and creating content is a business like anything else. Just because someone likes you today doesn’t mean they’ll hire you tomorrow.
(Thankfully, I learned these lessons long before most of you ever found me.)
But if you’re in my shoes and ready to break free from a toxic job, learn from my mistakes and start marketing your business today so you can make money in 2027.
How To Be Successful Online And IRL
I’m here with one message, folks. You need to talk about yourself. But don’t do it on Substack. Don’t post memes on Instagram. Do it on your own website. Yes, I’m telling you to blog.
I know, I know. You hate talking about yourself. Guess what? You can’t be a narcissist. It’s not in your DNA. You launched your company to be of “service” to an industry. But if you don’t showcase your business to potential clients, you won’t have any.
Already have a blog but nobody reads it? (Join the club!) If you are somewhere on the internet, and you are writing about stuff that I might enjoy reading, leave a comment with your URL.
I will absolutely help you spread the good word. Even though this seems like a 2004 move, I’m happy to add you to my blogrolll on the right-hand side of this page.
Your work isn’t your worth. But you need to work and earn money. A blog helps to showcase your big, world-changing ideas.
Do you write about HR, work, politics, or money? Are you a benefits blogger? Do you publish research on payroll or hiring trends? Let me know who you are and where people can find you. I’ll add you to the blogroll ASAP.
(No AI vendors allowed. Sorry. Real people only.)
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