How To Leave Your Job

How To Leave Your Job

Welcome to Diary of a Worthy Pursuit, the podcast that delves into the trials and triumphs of pursuing your dreams. In this episode, “How to Leave Your Job,” we follow the journey of Speaker A, a former corporate employee turned entrepreneur, as she shares the challenges and strategies of transitioning from a secure job to starting her own business. From the initial planning stages to navigating personal and financial considerations, to the emotional rollercoaster of new beginnings, we explore the complexities of this significant life change. Join us as we uncover the real-life experiences and wisdom of those who dared to make the leap, offering valuable insights for anyone considering a similar career shift. This is “Diary of a Worthy Pursuit,” where we aim to inspire and empower you on your own worthy pursuit.

Enjoy!

Podcast Transcription:

Speaker A [00:00:06]:

So after working in a corporate job for about 20 years, I was ready to leave. I always knew I wanted to start my own business, and I’d kind of started it on the side, but I just hit a day where in my gut, I said, that’s it. This is it. I’m ready. But actually going from making that decision to the last day at my job was a process and one that was much more involved than I anticipated. It took me about 4 or 5 months to really work through it with my job and with my partner and finances and such so today, we’re gonna share with you some of those lessons in that transition.

Speaker B [00:00:45]:

I love it. Welcome to Diary of a Worthy Pursuit.

Speaker A [00:00:49]:

Where we talk about how to get what you truly want in life and in business.

Speaker B [00:00:52]:

So this is pretty cool. So there was just a moment, a day where you’re just like, nope. Amount?

Speaker A [00:00:59]:

This is it. Yeah. What

Speaker B [00:01:00]:

was that moment? What happened?

Speaker A [00:01:02]:

Oh, you know, so in the job I was in, I had actually already started my business on the side like a lot of folks do

Speaker B [00:01:07]:

Little side hustle?

Speaker A [00:01:08]:

Yeah. Right? And I knew that eventually I wanted to step into it full time, but I didn’t quite know when that timing was going to be Mhmm. And it wasn’t like some terrible thing had happened at work. It was actually I was on vacation. I had gone up, I’d gone up to Canada fishing with my family. And after, you know, I’m sitting there taking a breath and being like, I don’t wanna go back to working for somebody else.

Speaker B [00:01:32]:

Alright.

Speaker A [00:01:33]:

And I just I had the time to reflect and really say, this is I’m ready. This is it. I’m ready to go. And I also think that there was this like, once you have the opportunity to slow down and clear your head

Speaker B [00:01:45]:

Mhmm.

Speaker A [00:01:45]:

You can see the future path a lot easier than if you’re stuck in the day to day, and I think that that’s what the vacation created me space to do. I don’t think if I had that vacation that I probably would have made that decision that quickly. But,

Speaker B [00:01:59]:

Interesting. So rule for employers. Right? Don’t offer vacation.

Speaker A [00:02:02]:

Don’t allow your employees to go on vacation. That’s not it at all. I think it’s just a it’s a good rule for everyone to just take a step back every once in a while and create space for, you know, looking at your path at 20,000 feet because so many of us get so caught up in where we’re headed that we don’t look at where,

Speaker B [00:02:20]:

you know It’s the rat spinning a wheel.

Speaker A [00:02:21]:

Yeah. The Spinning a

Speaker B [00:02:22]:

wheel faster.

Speaker A [00:02:23]:

Right. Right. Exactly.

Speaker B [00:02:25]:

You know, it’s interesting you say that because I just got back from what I would consider to be a vacation. It was with in laws, so I don’t know if you really count that. If you

Speaker A [00:02:32]:

have great in laws,

Speaker B [00:02:33]:

But it was peculiar to me because I the goal for the business that I had, the call answering service, Was that I wouldn’t necessarily be needed all the time day to day. Mhmm. And so I’m in a minivan with 6 people, 4 adults, 2 kids. And I’m the only one with my own business, and I’m the only one that’s actually having to do stuff for work. So So the other people were on vacation from their job

Speaker A [00:03:01]:

Mhmm.

Speaker B [00:03:01]:

Which meant that they didn’t have to do anything.

Speaker A [00:03:04]:

Yeah.

Speaker B [00:03:05]:

And it was interesting because I feel from my point of view, I consider myself more successful than them just because I have more freedom. But we’re on this vacation, and I’m like, who’s got the Freedom, James. Right. And it was kinda interesting to take a step back and be like, oh, we gotta fix that.

Speaker A [00:03:23]:

Yeah. A yeah. So when you have that space, it is a huge opportunity

Speaker B [00:03:27]:

to

Speaker A [00:03:27]:

do some evaluating. Mhmm. So in either direction. Right, how are you currently doing or where you wanna head?

Speaker B [00:03:33]:

Yeah. It’s constantly fixing. Well, yeah. Whatever it is the whatever your goal is, Heading towards that and make it or getting back on course, I should say.

Speaker A [00:03:41]:

Because you’re always Course correction.

Speaker B [00:03:42]:

Yeah.

Speaker A [00:03:43]:

Kinda like when you’re driving. Yeah. A little bit

Speaker B [00:03:45]:

this way,

Speaker A [00:03:45]:

a little bit this way but I think that that’s a a great point that you bring up is starting with the goal in mind. Right? So I always knew that I wanted to start my own business, and I knew that it was kind of in the short term plan, but I hadn’t really mapped out when the date was gonna happen.

Speaker B [00:04:00]:

Alright.

Speaker A [00:04:00]:

So I had thought, sometime in the next 2 years, this is gonna work out. Right

Speaker B [00:04:04]:

So tell me why, though. Why did you wanna start your own business?

Speaker A [00:04:07]:

Well, I I do think that entrepreneurship gets in your blood. My dad was a self employed contractor, I saw the freedom that he had, the life he created for us. You know, sure, money was tight when you’re pulling in your, you know, your own money and you’re responsible for all of that, club, I liked that freedom. Mhmm. You know? That if he had to clock out at 3 o’clock to make it to a game that he was able to or that we could go on vacation, he was able to do bath so I really liked that life, and I saw that for myself. I also, after working for other people for 20 years and busted my butt for them Mhmm. Just thought if I’m gonna bust my butt, I wanna be the man one who’s making the extra money out of my effort.

Speaker B [00:04:43]:

Gotcha. Okay. Yeah. So it’s mostly financial or financial and time, it sounds

Speaker A [00:04:48]:

glo I think it’s time it’s also financial. You know, I have this idea that we always wanna create a better life for our kids than we had, not that I had it absolutely terrible. I had a wonderful upbringing, my parents did the best that they could. But, you know, then you just start thinking about what opportunities can I give them if I can be working to the point, you know, can I help us exponentially grow so that they have opportunities that maybe I didn’t have access to?

Speaker B [00:05:10]:

Interesting. Yeah. You know, touching on that, what was the quote that I just read recently? It was something like, if you want your kid to do what you do, Think about what you talk about at the dinner table in regards to your job and all that kind of stuff. So there’s times that I have to think like, oh, They’re not talking about that at the dinner table.

Speaker A [00:05:29]:

Right? But it’ll also check you from complaining about your job. Right? And so I’m I’m very mindful about what what I ask my kids. Because sometimes if I’m just like, how was your day? And they’re like, oh, it was good. Yeah. Good talk. But yeah. Right? Thanks, guys. But if I ask something more like, oh, what’s something kind you did today? Like, if I wanna instill kindness, what’s something kind you did today? Or what’s something fun you did today? Right? Because I always want them looking for looking for the good things, not looking at what bad things happen.

Speaker A [00:05:56]:

I don’t want them sweeping that under the rug. Right? But I always want them looking for the good. Interesting. So I am very mindful even to ask my husband at the dinner table, like, what was something interesting you were working on today? Right? Because I want them to hear the kinds of problems that he works through and solves.

Speaker B [00:06:12]:

Gotcha. Alright. Yeah. Interesting. The motion activator at the end, all of them is

Speaker A [00:06:17]:

working. Right.

Speaker B [00:06:18]:

So you Decided you wanna start your own business, how did you decide what business you were gonna start?

Speaker A [00:06:24]:

Well, that’s interesting too because I think that that was a process in evolution. I think the more entrepreneurs I talk to, the more realized that this is a common story, I’m not unique in this way. But 5 years ago, I thought I was gonna start a wine business. Did you really? Yeah.

Speaker B [00:06:37]:

A Training or selling? Or

Speaker A [00:06:39]:

maybe a little bit of both.

Speaker B [00:06:40]:

So Just drinking? Yeah. I mean, anything that I can do

Speaker A [00:06:42]:

to facilitate that habit, I’m all about. But my aunt has a winery in Illinois, and so I grew up working in the vineyard and then in her tasting room. And so I just had this passion for wine. So I thought, how can I make that more accessible for people? So it actually started an Instagram site where I was talking about affordable wines and kind of grading different you could find in the grocery store

Speaker B [00:07:03]:

Wow.

Speaker A [00:07:04]:

And loved that. Right? And was forward thinking enough to say, I’m gonna start an audience here. And then when I’m ready, I’ll already have some people to market to. Mhmm. But then my health took a dive. And Oh. Part of it was actually because I was drinking wine every night, grading these wines, and then I ended up having a sensitivity to sulfites, which turns out every wine has. Right? So what a kick.

Speaker A [00:07:25]:

So that’s the universe saying, hey. Maybe this isn’t the right path.

Speaker B [00:07:28]:

Oh.

Speaker A [00:07:29]:

Yeah. So then I took a break from that and then went down my health journey and thought, oh, I’m gonna be a health coach. And I actually quit my business thinking that I’m quit my full time job thinking I was gonna be a health coach.

Speaker B [00:07:39]:

Okay.

Speaker A [00:07:39]:

And then I started talking to working women about their health, and the story I kept hearing more and more was, job, I don’t have time for that. I’m too busy picking up the kids. I’ve got 50,000,000 different projects going on at work. I’m taking care of an aging parent. And I just said, okay. Well, let me help solve the problem that I’m hearing. And I think that so many of us kinda miss that opportunity, and we get so focused on here’s the thing that I want to do Right. And don’t listen enough to, like, what does my audience say that they need

Speaker B [00:08:07]:

Alright.

Speaker A [00:08:08]:

So I pivoted. And now I’m having so much fun in new area, I’m really focused in time management now. And the more research I did, the more I realized that, oh, yeah. This is really a big problem. Like, 1 in 2 entrepreneurs say that their biggest struggle is time management.

Speaker B [00:08:22]:

Interesting. So that’s very clever. I’m thinking from a sales point of view.

Speaker A [00:08:27]:

Yeah.

Speaker B [00:08:27]:

Because you’re like, hey. Do you wanna meet about time management? They’re like, I don’t have time. Exactly. Turns out turns out you might need this. Right? Oh, that’s pretty slick.

Speaker A [00:08:35]:

Yeah.

Speaker B [00:08:36]:

So that I’m thinking of, like, the guy that’s really good at fixing typewriters. Like, I got my typewriter repair business. All I need are customers. Mhmm. So it’s interesting to think of, I guess, transitioning from your job Mhmm. To your business, how do you how would someone do market research To know before they take the leap that they’ll actually be successful in whatever terms that means to them with their business.

Speaker A [00:09:02]:

So the best advice that I got at the beginning of my business was just go out and interview 10 people who you wanna serve. And so at the time, I thought I wanted to serve working moms who were going through the same kind of health challenges or maybe had a similar situation that I did. So I went out and interviewed 10 friends who were kind of in the same place. Yeah. And I I asked very pointed health questions. In hindsight, I wish I would have asked more generic questions Oh. Like, hey. What do you struggle with? What are your, you know, what are your problems at work? What do you struggle with personally? What do you are you a parent? What do you struggle with there? Like, what are the other roles you higher level their problems rather than just asking for the answers to the questions that I wanted to hear

Speaker B [00:09:49]:

So you were asking health related questions specifically.

Speaker A [00:09:52]:

Health questions.

Speaker B [00:09:52]:

So essentially steering them towards that

Speaker A [00:09:55]:

mhmm? Pillar. Right.

Speaker B [00:09:56]:

Alright. Interesting.

Speaker A [00:09:58]:

Yeah. So I’ve really filtered it. And I think the the thing always do market research. I think it’s extremely important, but then maybe be a little bit more general in your questions because if you’re gonna do it 1 on 1 like this or just in a phone call Right. You’ll get a lot of data, in a then you can kind of take the conversation where you need to go or make it more specific. But Alright. That was really helpful.

Speaker B [00:10:15]:

That’s a tight rope to walk, though, I imagine. Because if you’re planning on being a health coach, Mhmm. You wanna figure out the health problems that people perceive that they’re having.

Speaker A [00:10:22]:

Right.

Speaker B [00:10:23]:

So I get that. You weren’t thinking, hey. I’m thinking of starting a business. Mhmm. What kind of problems do you have?

Speaker A [00:10:29]:

Right.

Speaker B [00:10:30]:

Kind of thing. Okay.

Speaker A [00:10:31]:

But I think that I even within health, like, I asked very specific questions about gut health and sleep and the things that I thought they were struggling with

Speaker B [00:10:39]:

Oh, okay.

Speaker A [00:10:40]:

But what is so interesting, again, the more you’re in your business, the more you learn that you know what their problem is.

Speaker B [00:10:47]:

Mhmm.

Speaker A [00:10:47]:

But they may not think that that’s their problem.

Speaker B [00:10:50]:

Okay.

Speaker A [00:10:51]:

So you have to give them what they what they’re asking for, but then deliver what they actually need and they don’t always think they need what you have, so you have to, you know, find the niche for what they’re actually looking for

Speaker B [00:11:02]:

I guess. Sell what they want, give them what

Speaker A [00:11:04]:

they need. Right. But then what’s interesting about this is that I was doing all of that while I was still working full time. Oh, okay. The game that I had to play, time management wise, coming back and looking at my own journey, I was playing this game before I even realized it. Oh. You know? So I was working you know? At that time, I had hired my replacement already.

Speaker B [00:11:24]:

Okay.

Speaker A [00:11:25]:

And I was starting to train her up, the idea was I would onboard her for maybe 6 months to a year. And so

Speaker B [00:11:31]:

current at the time employer know that you were leaving?

Speaker A [00:11:35]:

They knew that I was I had only committed to 2 years Okay. To be with them. Mhmm. So they they knew that it was an an eventual situation

Speaker B [00:11:43]:

Mhmm.

Speaker A [00:11:43]:

I don’t think they realized that I was going to fast forward the timeline.

Speaker B [00:11:45]:

Oh, gotcha.

Speaker A [00:11:46]:

But Please leave. Right? But stuff

Speaker B [00:11:49]:

included.

Speaker A [00:11:50]:

One of the things that was interesting about that is that I had to carve out time to actually work on my business while I was still working full time.

Speaker B [00:11:57]:

Oh.

Speaker A [00:11:57]:

And when you have kids and you have other things going on in your life, sometimes that’s struggle, so then you have to actually commit and time block to, okay, I’m gonna get up at 6 in the morning. And from 6 to 7:30, I’m gonna work on my business.

Speaker B [00:12:10]:

Alright.

Speaker A [00:12:11]:

Or, you know, I’m shipping the kids off to daycare at 7:30, and I don’t have to be at work until 9. So 7:30 to 9, if I’m working remotely, that’s when I get to work on my business.

Speaker B [00:12:22]:

Okay.

Speaker A [00:12:22]:

I have a girlfriend who’s working right now on this exact process, she’s working to leave her full time job to go into a coaching business.

Speaker B [00:12:30]:

Oh, interesting.

Speaker A [00:12:30]:

And so she’s been asking me, you know, if you were to do it again, what would you do? And I bed, I would block. I would time block more time. Okay. Because I was only very good at, like, time confetti. Like, oh, I have a free half hour here.

Speaker B [00:12:43]:

Mhmm. Let me take that

Speaker A [00:12:44]:

and I have a free half hour here.

Speaker B [00:12:45]:

Let me take that. Right?

Speaker A [00:12:46]:

Because I would let other people control my schedule. And if I were to do it differently, I would block it. So one of the things that she’s doing now is she’s just taking Tuesday nights, and she’s doing all of her client work on Tuesday nights. And then her husband takes care of the kids on Tuesday nights, and she gets 4 hours and goes to, like, Panera and hangs out

Speaker B [00:13:02]:

Alright.

Speaker A [00:13:02]:

And does her work, but then that’s allowing her to grow her business on the side so she actually has a runway to leave.

Speaker B [00:13:08]:

Interesting. Okay. Does she have a timeline?

Speaker A [00:13:11]:

She does. It was initially 4 months from now, and now she’s looking to speed it up. Okay. Yeah.

Speaker B [00:13:16]:

Very cool. So tell me about The time block thing I get. Yeah. The challenge that I have had with time blocks is being able to shift gears that fast. Mhmm. Like, Whatever. 6 to 7, you’re getting ready, getting the kids off, whatever. Yeah.

Speaker B [00:13:31]:

7 AM, work on your business now. Yeah. Talk starts now. You got an hour and a half. Go.

Speaker A [00:13:37]:

Well and I think that that’s the in human behavior, we’re not a switch. We don’t just flip. Right. That’s right. So allowing knowing thyself and allowing yourself some transition time, I a super helpful.

Speaker B [00:13:47]:

Okay.

Speaker A [00:13:48]:

So, when I was still working from home when I had a corporate job, I would the kids would leave the house at 7:15, and I left myself, 7:15 to 7:30 to, like, reset, fold some laundry, put away the or the dishes from the kids having breakfast, whatever the things were, like, the practical things, right, to give myself transition time between, okay, they left, and, okay, now I’m gonna go get my workout in.

Speaker B [00:14:10]:

So you’re building a habit of shifting.

Speaker A [00:14:13]:

Yes. Okay. Because So you’re

Speaker B [00:14:14]:

teaching your body, I do these things. We’re preparing For doing this today? Yes. Okay.

Speaker A [00:14:19]:

And you’re also not the more that we try to fit in like, 7 to 8 is, you know, I don’t know, correspondence with my team, and 8 to 9 is I’m doing sales calls, and 9 to 10 is this, like, we don’t give our brain the opportunity to transition. Right. And even when we’re task switching, the research says that we have an average of 23 minutes in between tasks, especially if it’s not using the same part of your brain

Speaker B [00:14:45]:

Oh, interesting.

Speaker A [00:14:46]:

So for you to refocus on something, you’re gonna waste 23 minutes.

Speaker B [00:14:50]:

Oh, okay. Alright. Interesting. Yeah. I like it. So you had your goal. Mhmm. I’m gonna start my business.

Speaker B [00:14:58]:

That business evolved while you were still working?

Speaker A [00:15:01]:

It actually evolved after I

Speaker B [00:15:03]:

went. Okay.

Speaker A [00:15:04]:

I wish it would have evolved before. In hindsight, I would have Sure. Made the change prior. But

Speaker B [00:15:08]:

Yeah. Everybody wants to skip skip some rungs. Right. Uh-huh. Still climb the ladder. Did you tell me about the conversation that you had with your husband Yeah. Like, hey. Funny story.

Speaker B [00:15:19]:

I’m gonna quit my job and start a health coaching business.

Speaker A [00:15:24]:

Well, because I started the business a year and a half before I actually talked about quitting my full time job, that was no surprise.

Speaker B [00:15:32]:

Okay.

Speaker A [00:15:32]:

And I think that you all can correct me if I’m wrong, but I think that that’s how a lot of us operate is we’re like, oh, I’m gonna start this thing, kinda grow it on the side. Mhmm. And then, you know, as it picks up, then I’ll quit my job. So he had known that I was building toward this.

Speaker B [00:15:45]:

Okay.

Speaker A [00:15:46]:

But I think it was as much of a surprise to him to be like, oh, and right now. Okay, we’re doing this. I make decisions with

Speaker B [00:15:53]:

my gut. Asking. I’m telling. Yeah. Right?

Speaker A [00:15:56]:

I make decisions with my gut. And so if you don’t make decisions that way, way, maybe this would be different. But once I had made that decision, then it was all just about what is the plan now to make that decision reality.

Speaker B [00:16:07]:

Mhmm. I know

Speaker A [00:16:08]:

a lot more people weigh their options and they have a lot of more process things to go through. And for me, it was just okay. It’s the decision to stay or go. I’m going.

Speaker B [00:16:16]:

Alright.

Speaker A [00:16:17]:

So so he was very supportive of that, but I think this conversation of talking with your partner is huge if you have a partner involved, because there’s this gap in finances, right, so not having a steady paycheck is a scary thing when you’re moving into being an entrepreneur. So making sure that we talk about, okay, what kind of gap can we realistically handle as a couple, as a family? What is our budget? What are our finances? Maybe we big cutback on some things for the next 6 to 12 months while we’re trying to recoup some of this and as the business grows.

Speaker B [00:16:51]:

Mhmm.

Speaker A [00:16:51]:

And, admittedly, that was one of my mistakes in the beginning is my 1st 6 months, I continued to operate like I had a, you know, like I had a full time job and didn’t make those cuts initially

Speaker B [00:17:04]:

Oh.

Speaker A [00:17:05]:

And then you go back and you you’re bleeding and you realize, oh, man. I should’ve made these cuts 6 months ago so that’s that’s a story. Do what I say, not what I do. Try to make those cuts. Right? You know, hopefully, I only have to learn that lesson now, but make those cuts initially so you can save that money up. Another thing I do is look at the timings you’re talking to your partner. Again, hindsight is 2020, but I quit my job, last October. And my oldest kiddo was in four k, so it’s half day program so he was still going to day care another half of the day.

Speaker A [00:17:39]:

Okay. So we’re still paying for 2 kids in day care

Speaker B [00:17:41]:

Mhmm.

Speaker A [00:17:42]:

While I’m, you know, while I’m growing a business. So in hindsight, if I would have had the patience to wait. We could have waited until my kid was in school all day. Mhmm. We would have cut that you know, cut our day care bill in half and then that would have been a huge time savings for the you know, and savings for the budget. Right. So I it really just depends on regret that though? I don’t regret the timing. Okay.

Speaker A [00:18:04]:

I think my pocketbook regrets the extra expense. But, gosh, I’m so excited to have half of that daycare money back that my kid’s gonna be going to school now all the time.

Speaker B [00:18:13]:

Part of me part of me believes that there is never or knows, I should Part of me knows that there’s never the perfect time.

Speaker A [00:18:21]:

Right.

Speaker B [00:18:21]:

Right? It’s never the perfect time to have a kid, to get married, to do go on vacation, whatever.

Speaker A [00:18:26]:

To start a

Speaker B [00:18:26]:

It’s never the perfect time. All stars aren’t going to align.

Speaker A [00:18:29]:

Right.

Speaker B [00:18:30]:

So you aligned enough stars. Mhmm. You made it work.

Speaker A [00:18:33]:

Right.

Speaker B [00:18:33]:

So I feel like There are times that people will say like, oh my gosh. Once this happens, then I’ll do this.

Speaker A [00:18:40]:

Fair.

Speaker B [00:18:41]:

Right? Once I when we do sales, I hear from so many people towards the end of the year. Oh my gosh. After Christmas, then we’ll talk. Mhmm. And I’ll be like, it’s mid October. Great work, what

Speaker A [00:18:52]:

do you what’s gonna happen in

Speaker B [00:18:53]:

a few months? Unless it’s December 22nd, what is gonna change between now and then that’s gonna alter your thought process? Right You’re hoping to get the new transformer? Like, what’s what’s going on here?

Speaker A [00:19:06]:

Yeah.

Speaker B [00:19:06]:

On top of that, it’s interesting you mentioned communication. Because when I left my full time gig to start a business, I didn’t talk to my wife at all. Didn’t even mention it.

Speaker A [00:19:16]:

How’d that go?

Speaker B [00:19:17]:

Not great. I wouldn’t recommend that.

Speaker A [00:19:19]:

Do what we say, not what we do.

Speaker B [00:19:20]:

Yeah. It was one of those, and I didn’t know this until after After I wrote my book and I asked her to put a little blurb in the book Yeah. About being the spouse of an entrepreneur Mhmm. I had no idea the pain that I caused No idea. Because from my point of view, I was making I don’t know. I was making $14 an hour or something like that back in the day. And so I’m like, I can find a crap job. No problem.

Speaker B [00:19:45]:

Mhmm. Like, if I leave and start my business and after 6 months And I gave myself 6 months of runway Mhmm. And it doesn’t work out, I can replace it. Get a job. No problem.

Speaker A [00:19:55]:

Yeah.

Speaker B [00:19:56]:

I have skills. I got there’s plenty of places that we’re looking for employees.

Speaker A [00:20:00]:

Mhmm.

Speaker B [00:20:01]:

So to me, the risk was nil.

Speaker A [00:20:03]:

Yeah.

Speaker B [00:20:04]:

So and I had saved up enough cash to be able to help pay mortgage and stuff like that. So and we didn’t have kids

Speaker A [00:20:10]:

Mhmm.

Speaker B [00:20:11]:

At the time. So it was one of those, like, what are your expenses? We got mortgage insurance, all that stuff, food, and I’m making nothing for cash now. And the business that I was in, I considered to be pretty dead end. It was a small mom and pop thing, and they, the owners, weren’t Didn’t seem interested in growing it. So I was kinda like, is this do I wanna do this for the rest of my life? And then that question goes down to, do I wanna do this for the next 5 a 1 year? Day? The answer is nope. Nope. Nope. Nope.

Speaker B [00:20:42]:

Nope. Nope. Nope. So from my point of view, since there was no risk, There’s no need for a conversation. Mhmm. We don’t have to whiteboard this out. We don’t have to make a pro con list. Mhmm.

Speaker B [00:20:52]:

Just do it. And I learned That she had a huge amount of fear. Like, oh my gosh. What if his business fails? She hadn’t she didn’t know anything about business where I’d been Researching, attending classes, and stuff like that. Mhmm. So I knew what I thought I knew everything, but I knew enough About what is the risk. Right? What is worst case scenario?

Speaker A [00:21:14]:

Right.

Speaker B [00:21:15]:

And she didn’t. She didn’t know worst case scenario.

Speaker A [00:21:18]:

Yeah.

Speaker B [00:21:18]:

So I think in her mind, Worst case scenario would be, we’re going bankrupt, and my husband is gonna die.

Speaker A [00:21:26]:

That’s scary. That’s really very stuck

Speaker B [00:21:28]:

Something like that Yeah. Where I was just like, worst case scenario, I have to get a different job.

Speaker A [00:21:34]:

Right.

Speaker B [00:21:34]:

So

Speaker A [00:21:35]:

Those are very 2 different levels, though.

Speaker B [00:21:38]:

So it’s interesting. So because I didn’t say anything to her, I think I think I remember laying in bed and just saying like, hey. I quit. Yeah. I gave my 2 weeks notice or something like that, and I remember that conversation not going as well as I hoped. Mhmm. I hoped it was just gonna be like, great. Now what? But it was not that.

Speaker B [00:22:01]:

So

Speaker A [00:22:02]:

So communication is important. Turns out.

Speaker B [00:22:05]:

Turns out

Speaker A [00:22:05]:

Yeah. So not only with your partner, but then also with your employer. So once you you’re probably growing this business on the side, and then you decide, okay. I’m gonna make this leap. Now how do you talk to your employer? Well, first, I think it’s a strategy of when. When do you talk to them? And I think all of that depends on how close you are with your employer, what their current situation is, are they currently understaffed? Are they are they, you know, are they gonna need you anyway? In the best case scenario, you have this conversation, I feel like at least 6 to 8 weeks before you wanna leave.

Speaker B [00:22:39]:

Mhmm.

Speaker A [00:22:39]:

So you can say, hey. I’ve been growing this business on my on the side. It’s really growing. It’s really taking off. I’d like to create a plan to step into my business full time in 2 months. Can we work together to create runway so our clients are still served or, you know, our team is still served, and, you know, I can leave on good terms.

Speaker B [00:23:01]:

I think I would add in there, is there anything that your employer could say to you or offer to you That would convince you to stay.

Speaker A [00:23:08]:

Oh, that’s a great because

Speaker B [00:23:10]:

if you’re a good employee,

Speaker A [00:23:11]:

they might ask that question.

Speaker B [00:23:12]:

Yeah. What if they’re like, I’ll pay you $2,000,000,000 a year? I’d probably stay.

Speaker A [00:23:18]:

That’s that’s a good chunk of change.

Speaker B [00:23:19]:

That’s a lot of change. So but on the flip side, maybe, like, there’s no amount of money. Right. I hate this place so bad. Mhmm. Which maybe the place I left, maybe 2,000,000,000, I would’ve just spent, like, no. I I my mental health is worth more than

Speaker A [00:23:31]:

this. Yeah.

Speaker B [00:23:32]:

Whatever it is.

Speaker A [00:23:32]:

But, also, I didn’t hate the place that I left.

Speaker B [00:23:35]:

Right.

Speaker A [00:23:36]:

I really enjoyed working where I was working. It was just for me, it was the freedom. Mhmm. Right? So I think that there’s there’s 2 sides to that coin, and absolutely, but I think that that’s a really good point. You know? What if they said, well, do you wanna stay on part time?

Speaker B [00:23:47]:

Mhmm.

Speaker A [00:23:48]:

Do you wanna do this? I actually stayed on part time my employer for a while in my transition plan and it was okay because it was part of the transition and supporting the person who’s coming in behind me. Mhmm. But I started a job part time with the idea that I would grow my business on the side, and turns out it’s really hard to split your attention between something else cleaner business Right. So if you need that runway and you need that cash, then cool. Do the part time gig. But it’s gonna be really hard to grow a business if that’s not your only focus.

Speaker B [00:24:14]:

Right. It’s very, yeah, it’s very difficult to focus or aim on 2 things.

Speaker A [00:24:18]:

Yeah.

Speaker B [00:24:19]:

So it’s interesting that you’re talking about that because I’m just thinking as an employer. Right? You have employees. And if employee came to me and said that they’re interested in starting a business, a They’re planning on leaving in 8 weeks. My first reaction, depending upon the employee, because either gonna be like, great. I didn’t wanna a anyways. Or it’s gonna be like, how can

Speaker A [00:24:43]:

I help? Yeah.

Speaker B [00:24:44]:

So and that would be because I guess, maybe because starting business is exciting to me. Regardless of who’s, I’m like, what do you need? Let’s make this happen Yeah. Kind of thing. So it’s interesting. But on the flip side, I think you have to be careful how much power you give to the employer

Speaker A [00:25:00]:

Mhmm.

Speaker B [00:25:01]:

And how much you understand that it’s never gonna be the perfect time for you to leave there either. Right So even if they’re understaffed or and I say this not as an employer. I see this as a person that was leaving to start a business because employers are like, no. Don’t leave.

Speaker A [00:25:14]:

Yeah. Right. Right.

Speaker B [00:25:15]:

But you gotta consider who’s most important in this scenario from your point of view, and it’s gonna be you versus your employer.

Speaker A [00:25:21]:

Right.

Speaker B [00:25:22]:

Your employer is not gonna give you a bonus because you left Easier or whatever?

Speaker A [00:25:26]:

Well, I also think it it depends on where you are in the organization. Right? So if you’re leading a team and you’re a big contributor and you’ve been a thought leader in this organization, it’s gonna take you a little bit longer to transition out than if you’re an individual contributor. Mhmm. Right? Or you’re not working with clients. So I think, I would just say put yourself in your employer’s shoes and your client’s shoes and think about how can I make this the best experience possible for them?

Speaker B [00:25:50]:

Fair. Herbold, what You and them.

Speaker A [00:25:51]:

Absolutely. You and them. So for me, I hired my replacement, and I had planned to be there with her for a year, and then I ended up leaving probably 5 to 6 months after we hired her.

Speaker B [00:26:03]:

Okay. That’s enough runway for them to get the

Speaker A [00:26:05]:

job done. It was runway enough that we created a transition plan. We accelerated her, you know, promotion and such. And then I was able to actually walked her through processes and things and tried to download my brain

Speaker B [00:26:18]:

Mhmm.

Speaker A [00:26:18]:

And the things that I had learned to her. So when you’re leading a team and you’re trying to to transition that, I think more runway is better. But then I also created a plan that I would move part time, and then I could still be a consultant right? So as I walked away, I still touch base with the person who followed me an hour every week for a couple months just to say like Okay. Hey. What random questions came up that you need some context on.

Speaker B [00:26:43]:

Sure.

Speaker A [00:26:44]:

So I think the more that you offer those sorts of things and you try to serve your employer, the more open they are to be excited about your new venture, especially if you’re not, like, siphoning clients.

Speaker B [00:26:54]:

Right.

Speaker A [00:26:54]:

You know? I wasn’t going into marketing and planning to take away their I was going into a new role.

Speaker B [00:27:00]:

Right. Yeah. Interesting. I also want people to understand what they that 1st day When you don’t have your day job, well, I saw you for your face.

Speaker A [00:27:12]:

Yeah. So that is super interesting because I remember I remember thinking it’s the 1st day of a new era. I’m gonna be so excited, and it yeah. Like, a year, not a year. The weekend after I started my business, the 1st week was kind of like I was in this daze. Right? Like, I was transitioning, and I thought I knew how I was going like, what I was gonna do when I started doing certain things, like, I was building the website. I was doing all these other things, talking to people, networking. But I went to visit a girlfriend actually, and I had, like, this emotional breakdown almost that I was just, like, reevaluating all these things.

Speaker A [00:27:51]:

And then I was talking to a girlfriend after the fact, and she’s like, oh, yeah. That’s because you’re in a major life transition. And when you hit these life transitions, like, some of these questions just come up. Like, yeah. Oh, this is thing you should have expected this, but it for me, it was so interesting because I didn’t create space for that. I didn’t expect that. So the tip I would give is just to create some space and allow yourself that transition just like you do in your calendar

Speaker B [00:28:12]:

Mhmm.

Speaker A [00:28:13]:

It’s very different, to be working for yourself and then keep yourself accountable. So then I leaned into once I, you know, had my space

Speaker B [00:28:22]:

Right.

Speaker A [00:28:22]:

Then I leaned into developing new routines. Right, what does this look like now that I’m not going into the office, not that I’m now that I’m not taking other people’s meetings, now that I’m only accountable to myself? And then you play with that, and you see what what’s working and what’s not and you shift. Right? Life’s a huge experiment. Right. But when it’s your own business and your own time, sometimes you forget that.

Speaker B [00:28:43]:

Very true. Rachel, yeah, you think you have it all figured out or that Oh, yeah. Stuff’s just gonna fall into place, which long term, probably.

Speaker A [00:28:50]:

It does.

Speaker B [00:28:50]:

But short term?

Speaker A [00:28:52]:

Short time, it gets scary. Yeah. Right? So I guess we just invite you that if you are looking to leave your job and you’ve started a side hustle, it’s exciting, but there’s also some things that can trip you up.

Speaker B [00:29:04]:

Fair. But in the end, I would say for most people, Totally worth it.

Speaker A [00:29:08]:

Totally worth it.

Speaker B [00:29:09]:

As long as you’re willing to push or do the work.

Speaker A [00:29:11]:

As long as you’re willing to do the work. Absolutely.

Speaker B [00:29:14]:

So thank you for watching. This is Diary of a Worthy Pursuit.

Speaker A [00:29:17]:

Where we talk about how to get what you truly want in life and business. If you found this helpful, please share it and let us know if there’s another topic that you would like us to talk about in the future. Thanks so much.