How to Exit Corporate America and Create Professional Freedom
Growing up I had no idea what the term entrepreneur meant. I didn’t have any models for how it looked to work for oneself or not live paycheck to paycheck.
My mother was an Account Manager for a mid-size brokerage clearing firm and my dad was a city bus driver. I remember thinking both jobs had pretty cool aspects about them.
My mom’s office was in a high rise located in downtown Dallas. You could just feel the plush and lavish surroundings upon entering the building. Even as a kid I knew there was something aesthetically pleasing with the sight of marble floors and modern yet minimalistic decor. Her office also supplied snack goodies and had an absolute dynamite view of the city skyline. Also not a stranger to a regal sense of style herself, my mother had an impeccable fashion sense and was known for dressing to the nine.
I remember seeing and admiring the men who were dressed in suit attire and shiny shoes too. There was a certain bravado, a confidence that could be felt from their brisk walks and smooth outgoing spirit.
While I didn’t go to her office that frequently, I knew that that lifestyle was one I desired to aim for when I became older and graduated into adulthood.
My dad on the other hand had a completely different role and atmosphere surrounded in his job as a bus driver.
I thought he was the coolest man in the world. Dressed in his black and finely ironed dress slacks and starched baby blue button up shirt with the DART symbol plastered on.
I went on many rides with him, sitting in the front seat as different riders would hop on and exit at their prospective stops.
The way he maneuvered in and out of traffic was mesmerizing to my young elementary eyes.
I saw many different faces enter the bus.
Some suit wearing business types, others who were blue-collar construction workers, kids catching the bus home from school, and homeless people who I was always curious but slightly frightened about at the same time.
I should also mention that both of my parents were separated during this time too.
I primarily stayed with my mom but did at one point live with my dad for a brief six-month period at the age of 10.
Why do I mention this?
Because these were my primary models for what and how professional worked looked.
Other relatives were also similar too in that I had an aunt who was an accountant, an uncle who worked as an IT professional, and my closest friends parents worked in a multitude of jobs too.
And guess what one job none of them had professionally?
That as an entrepreneur.
While this term is thrown around like it’s a cool and sexy way of being, there’s A LOT that goes into readjusting ones mindset to go from paycheck-to-paycheck, to being solely responsible for creating ones income.
I’ve worked many jobs since as early as 14 years old.
Ranging from restaurants like Chick fil-A, Applebee’s, and Krispy Kreme through high school, to working my college years in retail at BestBuy and for the athletic department of my university as a Student Assistant.
Once I graduated from college I immediately began working in professional sports. I was an intern for arguably the #1 sports franchise in the US and then six months after I traveled over a thousand miles west for a full-time role with a MLB team.
I loved doing what I was doing, which was primarily being responsible for selling season tickets and suites.
The job was sexy.
I grew up playing sports from an early age and always had an affinity for being around others who loved it too.
Rather it was playing video games, watching it on television, or talking about it with friends; I loved all aspects pertaining to the art of athletic performance.
After a very successful three-year stint in Arizona working for MLB, I was offered an opportunity I couldn’t pass up; A Senior Sales role for America’s Team.
I was enamored about everything this newfound position and organization would supply me with. I knew from day one that it would be very challenging, but I also knew it would push me against my edge.
I went from being the top producer in my previous role to a completely new team and organization where even though I was in a senior role, I would essentially be starting all over for a new franchise.
I was excited and nervous, yet confident in my ability to adapt and produce to a high standard.
Unconscious to me at the time, underneath the surface there had always been a clear and distinct feeling I vividly remember always desiring.
What was it?
Freedom.
Even from a young age, I always wanted to do things on my own terms.
I didn’t understand why there were so many “rules” and guidelines to follow.
Rather it be in school and studying certain subjects I had no interest in (aka calculus or chemistry), or being required to dress a certain way (rather it be at work or even the uniforms when I was in elementary school).
There was one bonafide aspect that over time began to really get under my skin, and it’s constant recurrence completely changed the way I viewed commission and finances.
I didn’t understand why I couldn’t keep more of the revenueI was generating for the different teams I was working for.
For me, it didn’t make sense to only receive anywhere from as little as a fraction of 1%, up to no more than 10% of the revenue I was generating for the company.
Internally I felt trapped.
I felt as if I was on a never-ending hamster wheel where it didn’t matter how much money I made, I would ultimately not generate enough that would leave me feeling completely satisfied.
Also it became consciously clear to me that what I ultimately aspired for, which was freedom, would never fully be actualized doing what I was doing.
I worked the typical 9-5 (which was more often 8-6P +weekends), I had a certain amount of vacation days I could take (but would often feel guilty or afraid to take them all due to fear of appearing lazy),and at the end of the day I was making someone else rich.
It dawned on me at this time that I had a decision to make.
I could either get real with myself and develop clarity on whatI wanted to do professionally, or I could stop complaining and be grateful for where I was and stay “comfortable.”
I decided to do both.
I flipped my way of thinking to a state of gratitude, while at the same time I planned my escape.
I was grateful for the healthy $160K income I was making.
I was grateful for the lifestyle it afforded me to live.
I was grateful for not living paycheck-to-paycheck.
However I was also grateful for opening my eyes to seeing that there had to be another way for me.
But what would I do?
Who could I go to for advice?
There were absolutely zero people in my circle who were in a space to provide me experiential guidance.
All my friends and family were corporate workers too.
Also at the time I was making more than any of them.
They looked up to me as being in the most stable position, while also having the coolest job.
You know, the one where they felt privileged to tell their friends about.
I remember the wide-eyed facial reactions people would have when hearing my employer upon introductions, or when I would bring it up after being asked the proverbial “what do you do?”
While I at times felt suffocated and trapped in a loop of what I had created for myself, that all changed for me when I started to focus more of my energy towards what I really desired, rather than what I did not want.
My preliminary checklist looked as follows:
To help people take full control of their health
To work my own hours
To wake up on my own schedule
To take vacation time when I wanted
To fully create income for myself
To start a coaching practice
To work from home if I choose
To be able to work anywhere in the world
To make a positive and transformational impact in the lives of others
To wear exactly what I wanted, each and everyday
There were many other items on the list too, but I think you get the gist around what I was aiming for.
I desired freedom!
Here’s the thing though…
I’d be lying if I said the process was easy.
I had to get real with myself and weigh all the pros and cons.
At that particular time I was living in a condo in one of the premiere districts of Dallas.
Would I be willing to relocate or give that up if necessary?
My answer was yes.
Would I be willing to give up the nearly 10-year career thatI busted my ass to build?
My answer was yes.
Would I be willing to appear crazy or as a failure to my friends, family, and society for walking away from what appeared as a successful and comfortable life?
My answer was yes.
Would I be willing to completely start over from scratch and accept potential failure?
Yes and no.
I knew that by following my heart and trusting the universe, no matter what, I would figure it out and succeed.
So what did I decide to do?
I freed myself and resigned nearly four years ago to the date.
To say it’s been a journey ever since would be an understatement.
I completely wiped out of my savings after about a year and even got to the point where I ended up up sleeping on my sister’s sofa for nearly 8 months at one point too.
I’ve also spent countless dollars on investing in trainings, certifications, and personal coaches while at the same time not bringing in any coaching income for myself at times.
Do I have any regrets or would I change anything if I could?
Absolutely not.
It’s interesting because at the time when I was sofa crashing at my sisters, while working as a Yoga & Nutritional Wellness Teacher making $24 an hour (which was a minute fraction of what I was previously used to), I sometimes came face to face with an internally penetrating question…
“If my previous corporate employer were to reach out to me and offer my exact same position back, with the same salary and lavish benefits, would I take it?”
Each and every time the exact same answer appeared, which was then followed by a head nod and gratuitous smile
“No, I’d rather be doing exactly what I’m doing and trusting the process of the future vision I’ve created for myself.”
I will say many additional things have also transpired since making that decision.
I’ve had the privilege of traveling and seeing some of the most beautiful places in the world.
I met my life partner during this time too, coincidentally during the period I was sleeping on my sisters sofa, so I knew she wasn't in it for the money ;-)
And I have absolute priceless experience in all the emotional ups and downs that naturally come with building your own business (which words cannot fully express for those who have not embarked on it for themselves)
I’ve also coached professional athletes, successful entrepreneurs, and have helped clients begin seeing their own paid coaching clients, before even exiting their own corporate careers.
I know earlier I said I don’t have any regrets, and as someone who focuses more on the future than the past, I mean that.
However I will say one of the things I had to learn the most is that it’s not easy going about things alone.
When I first departed from my corporate career, I had this highly ambitious and “I can conquer all things!” type of attitude.
While beautiful on the surface, it set me up for some tumultuously humbling times.
I didn’t know how to ask for help, as I used to genuinely believe that doing so was a form of weakness.
My ego didn’t fully allow me to be vulnerable.
This led to information overload via Google searches and confusion through reading countless books with conflicting information pertaining to marketing and “how to get started.”
I had no personalized form of feedback.
It's akin to playing a lonesome tennis match where you hit the ball to one side of the court, and each time walk back to the other side to strike the ball again, in order to repetitively play against yourself.
Looking back, the thing I needed the most was one-on-one support from someone who had actually been there and done that.
Someone who had made the exact same career transition themselves, and was keenly familiar with the emotional and psychological aspects which I later learned everyone experiences when going from a stable corporate career, to a becoming a Solopreneur.
Lastly I could’ve used someone who could not only gracefully help in guiding me from their own personal experience, but who could’ve also held my hand and pumped life in me at those times when I crashed into the wall, leaving me feeling completely alone and isolated.
I now not only know and respect the power of support; I even practice what I preach by working with two different coaches myself.
One is my Personal and Professional Coach. He balances lovingly supporting me, while also at the same time holding me accountable to the alignment of my words with my actions.
The other is my Writing Coach. She not only supports and inspires me to continue authentically expressing myself, but has also published several books and is helping me understand the process of what all is involved for me to finish my first one.
I mention all this to say if you find yourself in place where you feel stuck in a career or profession that is no longer in alignment with your heart, trust me when I say you’re not alone.
I’ve clearly been there, and many of my clients have too.
The number one thing I’ve learned in my own personal experience is two things:
To embrace and celebrate the journey, and all the inevitable growth opportunities that presents themselves along it (as it truly is never-ending)
To be proactive in reaching out and surrounding myself with potential mentors or coaches who I've not only found personally inspiring, but whom I feel I can trust and that are farther along the path than myself
For the heart never lies, and the sooner we decide to listen to it and choose to follow the path of love over fear, and progression over stagnation, we communicate to the universe that we're truly ready to take the next leap in our life's journey.
From that place we're supported in indescribable ways, as we take one step forward, no more no less, allowing the next to be naturally revealed.
With Love,
Brandon
P.S. - If you’re presently in a place where this deeply resonates with you, and you desire more slowed down and intentional support in creating clarity on your ideal career, then click here to apply for a 30-minute complimentary coaching session.
On it, you can share a bit more about your story with me, what it is that you would love to create in your life, and if it makes sense on both ends, I'll discuss more on how it looks to receive personal support from me on a one-to-one basis.