【Self-Introduction: How I Am Changing My Life Through Note】
Nice to meet you. I'm Kotchan, a mom in my late thirties.
Here, I would like to share my self-introduction and the story of how I started my side hustle, completely candidly.
"I want to start a side hustle, but I don't know what to do."
"I'm worried about whether I can do it myself."
I understand those feelings all too well.
First, I will tell you about my past just as it was.
Work, depression, chronic illness, debt...
After graduating from high school, I entered the workforce, and my first job was at a lumber processing factory.
In a factory with about 100 employees, I wore work clothes and safety shoes, doing manual labor.
Since I was still young, I had no physical issues, but I was bullied by an older woman in my department, which caused me to suffer mentally, and I resigned after about three years.
If I were to work again, I wanted to do something more feminine!!
So, I joined a drugstore that also sold cosmetics, and I worked there as a cosmetics representative for about five years.
I enjoyed the work, such as applying makeup for customers and attending monthly cosmetics seminars, but...
Due to the hard work with sales quotas and conflicts with part-time coworkers, I gradually became exhausted. In the end, I couldn't serve customers well, couldn't wake up in the morning, and didn't want to see anyone... I completely fell into depression and resigned.
I married my current husband, who supported me during that time, and after giving birth, I became a mother of two and focused on raising my children as a full-time housewife for several years.
When I was pregnant with my child, a thyroid disease was discovered, and I underwent radiation therapy. From then on, I began a life of going to the hospital for blood tests every three months and taking medication every day.
With an unstable chronic illness, a sluggish body that never felt rested no matter how much I slept... the anxiety of struggling with child-rearing, and the stress of having no time for myself...
Moreover, raising two children on just my husband's salary was financially difficult... and because of my chronic illness and young children, I couldn't work.
And so, to supplement our living expenses, I repeatedly took out card loans without my husband or parents knowing.
I would borrow more money to cover what was missing for the monthly repayments... it was a typical pattern, and my debt ballooned. I couldn't talk to my husband or my parents about something like this.
I had to solve it on my own somehow!!
Looking back now, I think I should have talked to my family. But at the time, I felt I couldn't burden them, so I carried it all by myself...
It was a truly difficult time.
So, without telling my family, I consulted a law firm on my own and went through debt consolidation.
Thinking, 'I have to pay off this debt somehow!!', I returned to a new retail customer service job, managed to keep working despite my poor health, and paid off the debt on my own in about three years.
I worked there as a part-timer for about 10 years. The benefits were solid, and I had intended to work there until retirement.
However, in 2024, due to the company's poor financial performance, I was suddenly laid off and my income dropped to zero again...
Home loans, children's education expenses, living costs...
My husband was also struggling to keep up with payments, so I couldn't rely on him, and I felt like I was being crushed by anxiety.
Even so, I felt I had to do something, and driven by the desire to never go into debt again, I started looking for a side job to increase my income while searching for part-time work.
I spent my days researching, getting lost in where to start, and trying things at random only to end up frustrated.
It was in the midst of that that I arrived at my encounter with a mentor and the platform 'note'.
A year of being lost in side hustles. A series of failures and lessons.
Although I started researching side jobs, there was too much information, and I didn't know what to believe.
I was misled by suspicious information products and posts claiming 'you can earn money just by doing this,' and before I knew it, only time had passed.
On social media, posts saying 'Reached a monthly income of X yen!' were lined up, and I often felt depressed, thinking, 'Maybe this is impossible for me.'
The more anxious I became, the more I grew to dislike the 'me' who wasn't accomplishing anything.
Realizing that my own way wasn't working, I decided to take the plunge and sign up for consulting with a mentor I happened to see on Instagram.
This became a major turning point for me.
Meeting my mentor and realizing the importance of 'manifestation' and 'mindset'
My mentor taught me, 'Mindset is more important than technique.' At first, it didn't quite click, but as I continued to learn, I began to understand it little by little.
・Believing that I have unique value that only I possess
・Viewing my past experiences as something that can 'help someone else'
・Aligning my consciousness before taking action
Over the past year, by learning about the subconscious, the law of attraction, and business mindset, I have gradually built a 'core' within myself, even amidst feelings of impatience and anxiety.
'I will convey what I can do in my own words.'
Thinking that was the first step in my side business.
Hitting walls while trying to share, until I arrived at note
That said, sharing was not easy. Even after starting social media, I didn't know what to write or where to start, and lacking confidence, the various accounts I created ended up being abandoned.
'No one is reading this anyway...' or 'What if I write something wrong? I don't have the confidence.'
Those thoughts were so strong that I spent my days repeatedly opening and closing the post screen. However, during a consultation, I was taught that note is a place to 'start by outputting in a small way.'
With note, I can write my story carefully at my own pace.
I learned that even if there isn't an immediate reaction, it will properly reach the people who need it.
Now, I have finally been able to start "sharing my own voice" through Note.
And, within Note, I found what I was looking for:
I met a mentor who clearly explained the "steps to monetization for Note beginners" that even a novice could follow.
From there, I learned the Note business from scratch, and I was able to start this account to share those teachings with other Note business beginners.
To housewives who have the same worries I had in the past: What I want to tell you
The thing I felt most strongly over this past year is that "I am not the only one struggling like this."
Starting a side hustle always comes with anxiety and hesitation. Especially as a housewife supporting a family, taking that first step really takes courage.
However, if you feel like I did in the past—'I want to start something, but I'm scared' or 'I don't want to fail'—it's okay.
You have experiences that only you possess. You have thoughts and feelings. And there is definitely someone out there who needs you.
I would be happy if this note of mine could become your 'first step'.
Thank you so much for reading this far!!
In this note, I have honestly written in my own words about my past that I couldn't tell anyone, and my real-life experience of being lost in side hustles until I arrived at note.
I am still on the journey, but I am moving forward step by step toward my goal of 'creating income with my own power'.
I will continue to share content that can encourage those who are struggling in the same way, so I would be happy if you could follow me, give me a 'like', or leave a comment.
Let's move forward together, even if just a little bit, toward a bright future✨
—Kocchan🍀—