Quitting My Corporate Job with No Plan

Many people can relate to what I was going through–I started in a job I loved with great coworkers at a wonderful, small company, and then I looked up one day a few years later at a completely different company with faces I didn’t recognize and a new boys club I was not a part of (nor did I want to be). After my dozenth meeting, while the newest “Ken” of the team droned on about themselves, I knew I had to get out. No holding on for bonuses or until I had something else solid lined up. For my mental well-being, I needed to leave.

It’s important I take a moment at the beginning of this story to pause and acknowledge my privilege. I am a white, college-educated, middle-class individual with access to generational wealth and a family to fall back on. I have no family or dependents that directly count on me to support them. I recognize that everyone may not be in the same place or privilege as I am, and this article's title sounds absolutely insane to them. That makes total sense. I hope that wherever you are, though, something about this resonates with you, and you will hold onto it for later.

Another factor I was lucky enough to have was my side hustle, an animal care business that had really taken off. Check out my story on how to turn a love for animals into a lucrative business. I had become so busy doing that concurrently with my corporate job I knew there was an average number I could generally count on for bookings, and I was willing to market myself further if need be to expand. So, I sat down and calculated my minimum monthly expenses.

Know Your Bottom Line Number

I was generous, including basic things like housing costs, utilities, and healthcare (keep in mind I was losing some pretty great benefits at work I’d have to at least somewhat substitute myself) and miscellaneous things like streaming services or a day with a friend (things that can be cut out if the worst comes to worst, but do keep me a normal human).

Once I had that number and an initial marketing plan for my animal care business, I felt even better about my decision. I could do this! I also knew what I had in my savings or reserves that I was comfortable spending the first few months while I got on my feet and solidified more of a plan. Having good personal finance is important not only when starting a business but also so that when these life changes need to happen, you have a bit of a capital buffer in the capitalist American state (we can debate on the legitimacy and humanity of different trade systems in another article).

Start Brainstorming

Since I knew I had an initial source of income and a chance to catch my breath and rediscover joy in my days (extreme, but that’s really where the corporate nonsense had gotten me), I started brainstorming about potential ways to make more money in ways I would actually enjoy. I didn’t limit myself to realism at this point; there are no cons yet, just what I enjoyed doing and possible ways to market that to others. Independence and flexibility were essential to me, so I tried to factor that into every idea. Could I scale it alone? Could I totally control my schedule? I had a few ideas; I thought it could be fun to flip vintage furniture pieces (although ultimately, I decided it was too labor-intensive for such small margins) or wholesale cool products I’d like to have myself. I began allowing myself to factor in realistic constraints and narrow my list from there. What things would be way too much work for not enough reward? What was I willing to compromise on to keep my priorities? These can be challenging but necessary conversations to have with yourself. And then, a stroke of luck!

Character and Connections

A former colleague reached out because of my change of work status on LinkedIn to chat about an opportunity with a fantastic company she and her partner started. It was flexible, independent, and the mission and attitude aligned exactly with what I was looking for (women supporting women, #BarbieForPresident). It almost matched the pros and cons list I had made when having those real talks with myself. It was like the universe had dropped this perfect situation in my lap after all the rigamarole I went through the last six-plus months. As easy as it would be to attribute this chance to just luck, it was a culmination of years of proving my work ethic and maintaining authentic, personal connections with people so that they would think of me in such well-fitted situations. I had been frustrated by the lack of success I was having in the traditional hiring market, but quietly, in the background, the right situation was being set up and happening at the time it was supposed to. Things that are meant for you won’t pass you. I wasn’t a fit for the other corporate roles I was desperately applying for to escape my lousy situation–I was right for this one.

Those same types of connections also enabled me to increase my animal care bookings. When I let owners know I now had more availability due to my full-time role change, they began recommending me to more people and reaching out themselves just as consistently, if not more, because I had proven the level of service and care I provide.

Never underestimate the power of connecting with people and vocalizing what you need! Don’t negotiate against yourself.

Joy is Important

I’d like to leave you with one final thought. Joy is important, particularly at work. The idea that you don’t have to enjoy what you do and that jobs deserve to suck the enthusiasm and energy out of your day-to-day life is ridiculous. It’s old-fashioned and a part of a paradigm that serves no one. Stop giving to a system that treats you as inhuman assets (and read more about the idea of rest being resistance and untangling yourself from grind culture here; I promise, it’s life-changing). Dedicate yourself to joy, and the rest might fall into place. Because I’m not sure if you’ve yet had the pleasure of watching Inside Out 2, but when Joy says, “Maybe, this is what happens when you grow up. You feel less joy,” I walked out of that theater bound, determined not to let that be my reality.