This Career Pivot Playbook features Noemi, the writer behind Me Time and The Fine Print, two Substack publications about building a digital business on your own terms and understanding the legal small print that most creators ignore.
Noemi trained as a lawyer, completed both her Bachelors and Masters in law, and then went on to spend 15 years working in and with IT companies, specializing in commercial, privacy, and IT.
But it is what happened when she burned out that makes her story inspire.
She didnât go back to the office. She didnât look for the next legal role. She did something that most lawyers with her experience never seriously consider, and it changed the shape of her career entirely.
Today she runs two Substack publications, organizes Do Sessions for creators who want to build something of their own, and sells legal templates and Canva kits while she sleeps. Writing became the thread connecting her legal expertise, her systems, and the audience she built from scratch.
In this Playbook, Noemi talks about how and why she pivoted away from her 15 years in IT law, why she started writing in public, and how she built a portfolio career that most lawyers never think to try.
â¨About Career Pivot Playbooks
A public archive of modern career blueprintsâŚ
Most careers no longer follow a straight line.
People pivot gradually.
They extend their work beyond institutions.
They combine roles, platforms, and income streams.
Career Pivot Playbooks is a weekly series curated by Katharine Gallagher documenting how professionals build resilient, future-ready careers by turning existing skills into income, often combining Substack with consulting, teaching, research, creative work, or business ownership.
The focus isnât outcomes.
Itâs about how careers are shaped in practice.
About Noemi
Noemi is the creator of Me Time and The Fine Print, two Substack publications for creators who want to build a digital business and protect what they build.
A trained lawyer with 15 years of IT law experience, Noemi burned out, reclaimed her time, and built a portfolio career from scratch, selling legal templates and Canva kits and running Do Sessions for creators ready to build something of their own.
She writes for the people who are done relying on a 9-5. She writes for the builders.
You can follow her work here â
Noemi reflects:
âCan you share a bit about your professional background and the path that led you to where you are today?â
I am a trained lawyer and did both my Bachelors and Masters in law, specializing in commercial, privacy, and IT law. Iâve worked in IT companies or with them for the past 15 years until, one day, I burned out. I did not know if I wanted to be a lawyer again...
I did not find good enough support for burnout recovery in Denmark, where I live, so I started a journey of self-discovery that I started calling âMe Time.â As a mom, âme timeâ was rare and became my holy grail but also the thing my psychologist recommended I take to recharge so I can show up fully for the people around me.
That was the spark. Reclaiming some of the time of each day for me.
âWhat sign, moment, or slow realization told you it was time to diversify, and what did you have to push through to actually act on it?â
The path to a portfolio career showed up gradually... like, really gradually. But being in IT, you could see very early signs of employees being expendable, so building a personal brand became part of my hope to build a reputation that is not hinging on just the referrals from bosses and colleagues.
I wanted to build a portfolio of my work and knowledge on LinkedIn. And so it all began with carousels on LinkedIn.
âWhich skills or experiences from your previous career unexpectedly became an advantage in what you do now?â
My main superpower as a young lawyer working in a dynamic IT company was getting stuff done with a lot of creativity, thinking out of the box. Ex-colleagues still talk about what Iâd achieved. Thatâs a nice pat on the back to get.
And today? Today I organize Do Sessions as my main offering for all Me Time Subscribers. I say I am not a Substack guru, far from it... but that I am a DO-ru, hehe!
The ability to communicate complex legal matters in a way that people with a non-legal background can understand while also keeping the business growing was another thing. Legal advice and acting like a red time restricting your movement. -- Good lawyers create corridors where law and business work together and goals are achieved.
âHow did you decide where to build visibility or credibility (Substack or elsewhere), and what role does that platform play in your overall career or income mix?â
I started on LinkedIn because there was no other place legal content would really fit. I thought.
I used a lot of my free time to craft these amazing slides, but my growth was really slow. I did not feel appreciated, but I did get some visibility in Denmark and got invited to speak (for free) at events.
I also got my first legal leadership job off the efforts I put on LinkedIn. I joined Substack to get a course from a lawyer writing here. Did not know what it was... but then I slowly realized, and because I wanted to start a podcast, I decided to start something here.
âWho is your work really for, and what problem do you solve so well that people are willing to pay for it?â
The answer, I feel, is still developing. But the core of my offer is aimed at people that want to build something bigger than a 9-5, and for that they need to reclaim some time and learn skills.
I have the he Do- sessions I organize but I also sell shortcuts inspired by my legal career and my systems and templates for creating a visual identity for the platforms you are one. Terms and conditions to protect what you build for your Substack audience. I also teach in do sessions how to create digital products and promote them on your social media.
So I do a bunch of things! I love them all! The most valuable, I think, are the legal terms that my paid subscribers to The Fine Print get.
âWhat turned out to be harder than you expected when you started â and what was easier than you imagined?â
I think the hardest thing is moving forward with no feedback. That it feels for a long time like you are shouting in the abyss! Easier is getting everything figured out little by little about running my own business. I thought I was a lawyer... turns out I was a businesswoman all along!
âHow have you found the journey? What advice/strategies and tips would you give to others wanting to grow their audiences?â
Thatâs the million-dollar question, isnât it? I think as much as the growth experts would claim there are ways to grow... Each Substack can become a small business in its own right. But no one can honestly promise that anyone will succeed just by following their advice.
Success depends on judgment, effort, positioning, timing, and the person behind it. Anyone guaranteeing results for everyone is selling certainty that simply doesnât exist.
They say I help you grow your Substack, and suddenly that feels possible. Most people wouldnât believe themâand they shouldnât. I think there are limits to how much that advice helps.
The most useful thing I have learned is this:
Do, write and create on topics you absolutely LOVE! Without this, doing just for the love of making a buck doesnât really work, and you will give up easier.
Your niche (and you need one; I have learned the hard way) needs to be directed at helping people. The faster you can help people (or delight them), the more successful you will be.
The thing you start with may very well not be the thing you end up doing as your Substack publication/offering, side gig. For many there is an exploration and discovery phase.
Consistency is great, but it needs to be tempered by small pivots towards what your audience wants. I did not start selling Canva templates, but everyone loved my graphics, so I started doing workshops and selling my templates. People love how fast they can give their Substacks a makeover and make their publications stand out! And I love teaching it. But I am a lawyer, and that was not in the blueprint.
âWhat nearly made you quit, and what actually kept you going?â
Today was an âI-nearly-quit-thisâ kind of day. So I gave myself the day off and did nice things to cheer myself up. I know that when you build something of your own, you will go through valleys as well as highs. And today was a lower point. Thatâs ok.
At another point, both Me Time and The Fine Print were both on Substack and it felt amazing! You get wins, and you get disappointments. These days, I was feeling down because I felt Iâve been working so hard for what feels like very little in return...
Also, itâs mentally and psychologically difficult to see people writing âHey, I am new to Substackâ and getting 5k likes and 300 overnight subscribers and genuine useful notes and posts getting 5 likes. It can feel like a real dagger to the heart. Thatâs why you need to do something you really love and believe in. Otherwise, you will find plenty of occasions to quit.
âWhat advice would you give to someone considering a similar pivot or looking to monetize their skills in a more flexible way?â
I advise everyone who will listen to not rely on just a 9-5. Build something else.
Build it on your professional skills or on your hobbies, your weird obsessions; build something of your own. It does wonders for your self-worth and self-confidence.
At one point you can even start making money from it. I wish I could say it happens overnight. But it does happen!
âWhat other platforms, audiences, or income streams are part of your portfolio career⌠and how do they work together?â
I am on Substack and sell digital products, especially Canva Kits for Substack on Gumroad. This is my Gumroad Profile there with my current offerings.
I then market terms and conditions for your Substack via the Fine Print.
In Me Time I organise Do Sessions for all subscribers (like workshops with goodies and Q&As) and for the paid tiers they get really cool workbooks with templates and reading material and shortcuts and the Do Session recordings so they can work and develop their digital business at their own pace. They also get to book me for short 1:1 sessions during my Office Hours if they have questions. I love helping! This is more than enough for me now.
âLooking back, whatâs one decision that changed everything⌠and whatâs next for you?â
Definitely stepping into creating digital products. Finding innovative ways to help people really fast gives me a lot of satisfaction! Then you make money while you sleep! It is really cool!
What is next is
A big collab with Ana Calin from How we Grow where I will be giving a legal workshop to her cohorts and
Then a few more Do sessions followed by
Maternity leave. I am 33 weeks pregnant so I am now preparing the publications to stay afloat while I take some time with the new baby.
Links & Resources
Connect with Noemiâ
On LinkedIN
Do Sessions Calendar
Gumroad Substack Template Shop
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Me Time
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The Fine Print
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Behind the Pivot
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The Career Pivot Archive
Real-world career pivots, portfolio paths, and practical lessons from some of your favourite Substackers you can apply to your own next move.
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Iâm Katharine â a future-focused career strategist helping professionals build income options and stay relevant as work evolves.
đ I appreciate you being here and supporting this growing archive⌠and thank you to all the creators who contribute, itâs such a pleasure to learn from them.
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